Lighting? What's the better thing to do?

[quasar]

Hello everyone!

I've never really paid too much attention to lighting since I thought it only mattered for planted tanks. But I started questioning my Lighting after I started to get more and more algae blooms along with moss blooms.

I don't really keep plants in my tank. I have a Fahaka puffer and some guppies. I just want a light that gives proper light for the fish and obviously shows off the fish. Atm I just have some generic 72" led light that has a nighttime+daytime mode. I started to wonder is there a better option?

My first question, would it be better to have 2 smaller lights over the tank instead of the one bug one? Also, are there brands of lights one should avoid / must have?

 

[Andyroo]

We've got 3x normal $8 household LEDs in an overhead 18'x30'x80' internally bright-white painted "Light Box" on the in-wall 240, which seems to get the job done and really nicely (erring to harshly) as there's a dancing-light situation when the current's up. Easily enough space for emergents/lotus or a palladium, but no viewing panel - all light goes downwards.
Plants seem to like it but that silverdolalrs don't let them get going. We get a bit of algae/cyanobacteria on the fake plants from time to time, but mostly related to my laziness in dealing with the can-filter. Water changes happen, but the home-made can's a headache & gets procrastinated.

The bulbs are dimmable & on a timer, but I've not found a dimming-with-timer switch to give dawn & dusk, which I'd adore - as would the fish, I expect.
I'd written these guys to prompt their design-team, who seemed pretty keen. Followed-up just now: www.meross.com

I'm hoping/planning a similar over-tank boxes of fridge-box styrofoam for at least one of the basement tanks, but let's see.

 

[quasar]

We've got 3x normal $8 household LEDs in an overhead 18'x30'x80' internally bright-white painted "Light Box" on the in-wall 240, which seems to get the job done and really nicely (erring to harshly) as there's a dancing-light situation when the current's up. Easily enough space for emergents/lotus or a palladium, but no viewing panel - all light goes downwards.
Plants seem to like it but that silverdolalrs don't let them get going. We get a bit of algae/cyanobacteria on the fake plants from time to time, but mostly related to my laziness in dealing with the can-filter. Water changes happen, but the home-made can's a headache & gets procrastinated.

The bulbs are dimmable & on a timer, but I've not found a dimming-with-timer switch to give dawn & dusk, which I'd adore - as would the fish, I expect.
I'd written these guys to prompt their design-team, who seemed pretty keen. Followed-up just now: www.meross.com

I'm hoping/planning a similar over-tank boxes of fridge-box styrofoam for at least one of the basement tanks, but let's see.

Is that like a suspended light or you just leave it resting on the top of the tank?

I actually put the ballast back on top of the tank an removed the LEDs for now. The tank didn't come with a lid so I had to buy these glass covers from the pet shop. Honestly awful, they get grime very quickly and the lights cause algae to grow directly on the glass lid. So basically the tank now is lidless with a ballast over it with 2 fluorescent bulbs in it (30"). Are there specific bulbs that people recommend using over others?

 

[FJB]

I would say this -
For tanks 6 feet and up, having 2 lights, 36 inch each is much better and easier to take advantage of, than a single 72". Also, if one breaks, you still have some light. Hopefully a skinny and not heavy light. I have 3 footers on my tanks and much prefer them. Also, put them on timers if they don't have that, so you don't use the on/off switches (much), which otherwise always ends up failing.
I still have some fluorescents in use, but it is hard to keep them going anymore. I have several Finnex Planted+ LEDs, which I like a lot, for my planted tanks. There are many good brands, I don't have any others. I like them basic, without the bells and whistles (moods and effects and programability with devices)
One of my tanks with the Finnex lights. Cheers!