Lighting for Festae tank, and Midevil tank

[BillyBlanco]

Hi, I just got out of my "Malawi Haps" stage and bought some Festae fry. I have them in a 6' tank with two 3' dual t5 coralife's (to span the 6'). I currently have 10K/Artinic for my lights. I'm thinking this combo might be best for a blue fish but I'm sure. When my Midevil was under these lights he freaked out and never came out and turned pale and looked horrible. So what is the best combo for this fish without the water looking piss yellow. As we know they are Red, Orange, Yellow, Black, Turquoise, Greenish. What will make these colors stand out.

In my Midevil tank I have an old "ready to go out dim t8 that just says "daylight" but it makes the water look dingy and yellow. What would be the best bulb for his tank to make him look the best?

Also in the 6' I am anchoring some Java Fern and Anubias. Have Onion and Sword planted planning on egg crating roots on sword and placing them in between rocks to try and protect from digging. Also, thinking of getting hornwort and maybe water lettuce or something of the like to float and not be harmed. Is my lighting inadequate currently? I heard most thrive without too much light. I know sword might not make it in this light. would it be okay in higher light? would the cichlids like that much light?

 

[cacichlids]

I always use the coralife 10k white bulbs... tried everything else and was never happy with the results... from pink powerglo bulbs to nasty yellow sun glo that looked like stagnant water. Basically all those bulbs labeled for "freshwater use" are crap...

I'm currently using the Marineland Reef Capable LED system (10k with a touch of actinic) because I wanted to get the shimmering effect and I love it to death... best money I've ever spent.

 

[Jc1119]

Other than my 60 which is a blackwater tank with very dim lighting, my favorite combo is 10k/actinic for my other tanks. I have a festae as well, but it's a juvenile and hasn't moved into the permanent home, but I will run 10k/actinic in that one too.

 

[BillyBlanco]

Thanks for the replies, I was just worried the blue in the actinic maybe drown out the red. I think the pfs in this tank is to blame for all of the fish looking washed out and being scared. I might get some black sand from petsmart when i get the money. Black sand is a pretty penny. Will the plants thrive in this setting? I guess my tank is considered a "low light tank" by plant standards. I think any brighter and the fish would be uncomfortable. I would be, if i were a fish... lol

Also where can I buy lights the cheapest? Hardware store? Home depot and or Lowes? Are they the same thing sold at Petsmart?

 

[cacichlids]

People use 3/4 10k white and 1/4 actinic, not half and half. That way you don't get too much blue but you get a nice effect, I personally like it. Your plants will thrive or not depending on the amount of watts per gallon in your tank... but actinic light is useless for freshwater plants so you can't include those bulbs when you calculate wpg... either way anubias and java fern are low light plants.

Lights are rarely the reason why your cichlids are "scared" unless 1. they were used to a different kind of light, maybe less intense (but they will adapt eventually) 2. you're running a 500w metal halide bulb over a 29 gal tank lol. Do a little research before switching to black substrate... it can do wonder for some fishes color but completely mess up another... i.e. salvini.

 

[Jc1119]

Just a thought. You might try an aquaglo bulb to see if you like it. I use aquaglos for my dusk lights (between my daylight and lunars) They are basically a lower output powerglo with more emphasis on the red spectrum. It really simulates sunset well, so it might be just what you're looking for. Powerglos tend to be more pink and aquaglos are more red

 

[BillyBlanco]

cacichlids I have been told (and seen it 1st hand) that Festae color up better on dark sand. They were in a pfs tank and were off-white, black sand tank they colored up, then I put them in my larger tank with pfs and they are back to the off-white color. I guess its a camouflage from top down predators. When my midas was in the bigger tank and the festae were in his tank he turned pale for 2 weeks and hid a lot more. I think It was the light combo with sand. Brighter than he was use to plus brighter lights can bounce off white sand and make them feel uncomfortable i guess. Plus maybe trying to blend in with sand lost most of his color. Put swapped him with Festae tank and he Colored right up and was noticeably happy in seconds. Its crazy how a fish can go from biting me, to cowering, to biting me more just based on this!

My problem with the 1/4 is I have 2 bulbs running the length of tank. so I dont think this would work it would be more blue on one end and not the other. If it was you is 2 10k better or 10k/actinic? cant really do the 1/4th.

Jc1119 thanks for the advice that might be at the top of my list. what do you think of 10k/aquaglo? would it give good red highlights? would it be good to use an aquaglo on the Midevil tank? or would it be too dim on its own?

 

[Jc1119]

If it were me I'd buy one and see what the effect is. I threw one on my office tank when I first started using them and my wife loved the way it accented the red spectrum. It's a pretty dim bulb though so with your plants you'd definitely want to use it with a 10k. I don't have live plants so for me it was never an issue. That might be the hardest balance to reach....a combo that keeps the plants happy and accents ( and doesn't freak out) your midevil. Of all the glo series bulbs, I like the aquaglos the best for red accenting. That with the 10k would look nice, but depending on how your plants react, the aquaglos and actinic might even be better. Since you've already got the actinics and 10k, get the aqua and try it with both to see what you like the best

 

[cacichlids]

Most cichlids always try to blend in with their environment as much as possible, especially when frightened... that's why they wash out and become pale over white sand or become darker over black sand, this is something no one can avoid. The main difference that I have observed is that fish like Jack Dempseys are naturally dark colored and have a lot of iridescent scales over their bodies that happen to pop out amazingly when the fishes' base color becomes darker... but this is not true for every species. There's several different things that will determine how your fish colors up over either kind of substrate, this is especially true for young fish that tend to change colors several times depending on their mood - but once they grow up their coloration will become more stable, and more vibrant.

Festae don't really have any color until past 4", and even then they will still be developing... you can't expect "fry" to color up like the 10" specimens pictured everywhere just because you change their substrate, and the most impressive festae I've seen are either over white sand (go look at balton777's pair) or a mixture of different river rocks, I have yet to see one over black sand.



The light part is true, white sand reflects light and the tank will look much brighter than a tank with dark substrate... so if your fish doesn't like it bright you might be better off doing what's best for him. And the actinic/10k part you will have to try it and see what you like best... but you could do one 10k white bulb and one 50/50 bulb (half 10k/ half actinic) on each side... coralife makes these.

 

[Jc1119]

^^ very true with juvi festae. Mines about 3" and it doesn't matter what tank or substrate I put her/him in. Colors just aren't there yet.

Baltons festae over white substrate are by far the most colorful pair on the forums that I've seen as well. Looks like pfs in the most recent pics