Lighting dilemma

[papaboy]

My work schedule conflicts I think with the optimum times both for the fish and my own "viewing pleasure".

I leave the house at around 11 AM and don't come back until about 10 PM.

I turn the aquarium lights on at 10 am and turn them off shortly after coming home. This leave no time to sit and marvel at them with good lighting.

Now I'm getting a greenish tint to the water. Partial water change helped (I do roughly 20% every Sat), and I've been told to kill the algae bloom with 8 hours of light a day.

Doesn't leave much time to see my fish, huh?

Peace

[MSmith]

I wouldn't put too much stock in my advice, as I'm still setting up my first tank, but could you put your tank lights on a timer? Then they could turn on in the evening and you could see them when you get home.

Melissa

[Aquarius0015]

I've been meaning to replace my incandescent light with a screw-in type flourescent for some time. However I am not sure if a fluorescent light will work in a regular socket. I don't mean to sound ignorant, but I seem to remember on my childhood fish tank that the light switch was a button that had to be held down for a few seconds before the fluorescent light would come on.

The light switch I have now is a simple button that you press once without holding it down. I have a timer that operates the light currently. I just leave the button-switch in the on position. Would this work with a fluorescent set-up?

Oy, this is why I am majoring in a social science and not engineering.

Aquarius0015
Because every Aquarius should have an aquarium!

[Cearbhaill]

papaboy- unless you are growing plants there is no reason to have a light on when you are not there. Lights are just a convenience for viewing- they are not necessary for happy fish.

My Goldfish tank is in my bedroom, and I like to watch the fish as I am going to sleep, so that timer puts the lights on at 6pm and off at midnight. Other tanks are on other schedules so as to provide light when "I" want it on.

[viboy]

Papaboy I would just go with a timer. They are inexpensive and would give you what you want.


Aquarius0015 you need to pick up a compact florescent bulb. They screw in the same as an incandescent and will work with that type of switch.

[Aquarius0015]

thanks! will do after thanksgiving break. whatever will my betta's do with out me for four whole days?

Aquarius0015
Because every Aquarius should have an aquarium!

[MrGoodbytes]

You could get a timer and set it to come on in the afternoon and go off around midnight. Seems a little backwards, but it might work.

Graeme

[thumper]

aquarius- the low- energy flourescent spiral lights that you see advertised for $10 at walmart are nothing like what you remember. They work just like incadescent bulbs (well, as far as screwing them in and stuff) but they do take 5 or so seconds to come on

[chefkeith]

Originally posted by thumper
aquarius- the low- energy flourescent spiral lights that you see advertised for $10 at walmart are nothing like what you remember. They work just like incadescent bulbs (well, as far as screwing them in and stuff) but they do take 5 or so seconds to come on

I have 5 screw-in compact flourescent bulbs in a new hood I just built and they are absolutely flicker free. They turn on immediately after you turn the switch on.

Right now at Home Depot- for $9, you can get a 4-pack of screw-in 14w (=60w) warm white Compact Flourescents. I use that and 1- screw-in 19w (=75w) 6500k daylight CF that cost $8.

I also use 5 timers, one for each light to simulate dawn to dusk. I also have a 18' blue rope light in the hood that I use at night time occasionally. that cost $10.

[thumper]

I have one in my incadescent light, but it's age may be a factor in it's preformance (it's about 5 years old) i'd rather not get into a discussion about the bulb in the light on my desk.