Aro + Lighting = ?

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Gr8KarmaSF

Gr8KarmaSF

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Could somebody please expailn to me what the lighting in red aro tanks is meant for?

I realize that they help tan the aro but what exactly is the lights purpose? Does it simulate real sunlight?

:confused:
 
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It's idea is to blush or intensify the color, using PL and/or Nan lighting, I think in the americas a T-5 colormax or aquaglo( something with a good rating from 6500-10000 K) tubes is comparible. I haven't tried it myself, but I have followed it for a while and it seems to work for most people. I tend to think that alot of the gain is the arowana's color developing anyways over that period of time, but like I said I'm no tanning expert. I have seen some fish after tanning, and they are very impressive, and I have seen fish with no tanning look just the same.

The lights purpose:
To stimulate the production of chromatphores, this is what give the contrast between the rim and base colors. Basically it amplifies melanophores on the scales turning light yellow to dark yellow, and the same for orange and pink colors.

This process is also known to be stressfull on the fish, so caution is advised.

Good Luck,
 
I've started tanning my red. I followed the advise of an aro expert in Singapore and used a 3' tube with a very high K rating (18k!). I started at 2 hours a day and increased it to 18hours a day with increments of 2 hours per day. Many people go for a full 24 hours, but I think that would stress my tank out too much. The light is in an underwater housing about 5cm below the surface of the water. The above mentioned expert suggests to also decrease the photoperiod by the same increments when you want to stop tanning.

The coloration is definately looking better, but I'm gonna compare to the before pic when I'm done with this "session" ... i.e. in a few more weeks time.
 
What lighting is good for a Silver Aro. I speculate that the Amazon streams were they come from a darkly stained with tannins and although the fish is a surface swimmer that the sunlight penetration would be poor. I don't know though. I have seen the Discovery show on the Amazon and visibility for divers was poor. On the other hand, why do the fw rays have such bright markings if light penetration is poor. Blue wavelengths are the longest and many of these rays have blue markings.
 
Crustman;635390; said:
What lighting is good for a Silver Aro. I speculate that the Amazon streams were they come from a darkly stained with tannins and although the fish is a surface swimmer that the sunlight penetration would be poor. I don't know though. I have seen the Discovery show on the Amazon and visibility for divers was poor. On the other hand, why do the fw rays have such bright markings if light penetration is poor. Blue wavelengths are the longest and many of these rays have blue markings.
Click to expand...

Tanning refers specifically to red asian aros. I don't think that altering the lighting will improve a silvers colors. I think the best you could do would be to give it clean, soft and slightly acidic water, a varied diet, and possibly add blackwater/ Ketapang leaves and aro vitamins... If it's healthy, it will display the best coloration it possibly can ;)
 
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