Orangehead owners:

[DaveB]

What type and spectrum bulb do you use? Is there one you definitely recommend for making the colors really pop? I have every kind of non-MH light fixture so feel free to recommend any type.

I haven't gotten new bulbs in years. They're dull and boring now, and I think that's got a lot to do with the fact that my orangeheads are also looking dull. Even the new ones I got today immediately turned dull when I put them in.

I used to have some great 40w fluorescent bulbs that really made everything - especially reds and oranges - pop, but now I don't remember what it was, and all the stamps on the bulbs faded. My Coralife 10000k CF bulbs are looking kind of blah these days too, but that might just be due to their age.

I know that the GE 9325k bulb does pretty well for reds, but it also makes everything else look kind of crappy. The mystery one I had before made both reds and greens look awesome.

Just for reference for what I'm looking for, that fish in my avatar is not photoshopped. He really was that bright. I have another one his size now and it's not even close.

I know I don't need a lot of wattage and that even a 2x65 CF fixture is more than necessary if I get the right bulb... I just don't know what that is.

Any suggestions?

 

[DaveB]

I know I'm not the friendliest guy in the world, but my threads are really unpopular!

 

[buddha1200]

i use power glo bulbs,they seem to bring out color well.

 

[Mrlalomoua]

Well i just grab my dad's lightbulbs that he buys from lowes not the best but its fine for me

 

[honda237]

i used a t-8 shop light bulb when i had my 230g and the red heads. lol I see awesome colors with t-5 67k bulbs on my planted geo tank (no red heads though)

 

[peathenster]

I actually haven't paid much attention to lighting....just regular T8s for me. They look better on light substrates though.

 

[DaveB]

I moved my 2x65w 9325k CF fixture up there. The orange comes out some, but where it really makes the difference is in the Orange Uaru, who really stand out from my amphiacanthoides now. Still, if I had any plants in that tank right now, it'd look pretty bad.

IME, 6700k looks great for plants, 9325k looks great for reds and bad for plants, 10000k looks plain, but that might be cause all mine are worn way down... I know there's bulbs that make greens and reds pop. Perhaps the PowerGlo are the ones I had.

Unless/until I go with live plants in this discus/orangehead setup, I don't necessarily want 130w over 120g like I have now, so if I can pick up a nice set of 40w Powerglos that look great, that'd be perfect. Maybe I'll just bite the bullet, buy a bunch of bulbs, and do some experimenting.

 

[japes]

I used 2x54W T5 setup on my Orange Head tank, 10000K + 8500K Sylvania Grolux (Red/Blue Enhanced, so quite purple)

Honestly though, it's not a matter of lighting to make their colours really pop, all about conditions they're kept in, tankmates specifically. If they're the dominant species in the tank, there's a reasonable number of them (4+), some dithers above them, and they're on a high quality diet, the males will explode with colour.

I had 3M 3F and the males would regularly alternate dominance roles, and whoever was dominant at the time was stunning red.

Tannins/Cloudy water also helps with their colour, they're found in deep, dark, murky water.

 

[DaveB]

Yeah, I think that may be it. They started fading when I put them in with the Uaru and/or the Arowana (not that the Aro ever pays them any mind).

It will be interesting to see what happens when I have them with just discus.

I ordered a Powerglo and AquaGlo as experiments. Those are pretty high on the spectrum but are well reviewed. Plus I'm pretty sure I've had a Powerglo on one of my tanks at some point (I think I still have the box).

I think the Uaru are just disruptive enough to throw a wrench into breeding plans too... A pair has been flirting and coloring up for breeding for over a week now but can't quite get down to business.

If not for the fact that I want cleaner water for the S. Leucosticta downstairs I'd put the Uaru back in their other tank and leave this pack of Orangeheads alone in this tank... I bet they'd all color up quite a bit.

I can't believe I never thought of that before...

 

[DaveB]

The Aqua Glo arrived today but the PowerGlo was mixed up with some T5HO reef bulb, so it arrives tomorrow.

My distichodus is red like my avatar under this bulb, and there are orange flecks visible on the younger orangeheads that were not visible before.

I think this has more to do with me just having ancient bulbs than anything else. I'm just going to order a bunch of new ones and between my 3 CF fixtures, endless Fluorescent fixtures, and one T5, I should be able to get all the tanks looking optimal again. I can't wait for the PG to arrive tomorrow too...

To all who read this: change your bulbs more than once every 3 years It's worth following the instructions on these. They don't burn out, but they do stop looking good...