best lighting to bring out cichlids colors.

[venarius]

It's 50% blue actinic, 50% white day light. Good for single bulb fixtures.

+1

50/50, the blue light really made colors of my praecox rainbows and kribs pop.

 

[june131977]

I use two t5 lights on my 90 one blue one white makes the tank and fish really pop!

 

[TChizzle]

power glo bulbs are pretty nice too but i agree with the others on this, you can't go wrong with 50/50

 

[Jill-O]

I found that those inexpensive "All Glass" brand florescent bulbs really make the colors on our fish pop!

 

[Dr.Dovii]

Sunlight!

If you want your fish to pop, put them outside for the summer. Colours will knock you out when you bring them back inside.

 

[dmann]

I use 2 aquasun 10000k and two super actinic
The best bulbs to use to bring out colors or the whiter spectrum. 10000k and higher

 

[kevinb120]

I found that those inexpensive "All Glass" brand florescent bulbs really make the colors on our fish pop!

I have tried a bunch of bulbs and the all-glass 8000k full spectrum bulbs are awesome.:headbang2:

 

[m1r4ge]

Hello everyone. I hope this thread is not dead. I face the same dilemma. I looking to buy Lithonia Lighting All Weather 4 Ft. 2 Light T8 Fluorescent Unit Shop light and hook it above my 55G aquarium with AG versa-top. It seems that everyone sugest to get those 50/50 lights or actinic blue. I was wondering if i will get the same great results by combining Coral Sun Actinic 420 48" 32W and Aqua-Glo Fluorescent Light 18K color enhancing bulbs( with claims to Bring out blue, red, and orange pigments). Any suggestion?

 

[oo7genie]

I used to use a 48" 40w Reef Sun 50/50, which looked great.

Now I use a 48" 130w Coralife Aqualight Compact Fluorescent fixture with 50/50 bulbs which look even better.

Whatever kind of fixture you use, the 50/50 bulbs are the key. They really make the cichlid's colors pop.

 

[mfield4]

Instead of 50/50 could you theoretically obtain the same lighting with a dual bulb fixture, one 6500k bulb and the other actinic?

Let's hope you can, I just bought one on ebay.

(Pretty much the same question brought up by m1r4ge)