lighting peacocks and plants

[losthere]

* copied from plant forum
I have 55 gal peacock cichlid tank and i wanted to try some java ferns, so i bought a 96 watt florecent power compact with a 6500K bulb. That bulb made everything look real yellow and washed out my fish and it doesnt show their colors like my regular florecent. So I bought a 6500/10000K and it is a little better, but still washes out the fish. I guess I have 2 questions, 1) will that bulb work for gowing low light plants and also 2) what can I do to enhance the colors of my fish, the blues just arent the same and everything looks more drab.

 

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

It has been my experience that really bright lighting will wash out the colors of your fish. However, you have less than 2 watts per gallon, so it shouldn't be that bad. Experimenting with different bulbs will help, but that can be quite an expense.

IMO you dont need that much light to grow java fern, it will do just fine with 0.5-1 watt per gallon.

What make is the light, coralife? You can try a 10,000K/actinic combo (for saltwater), which will bring out the blues in your fish (dont worry about the java fern, you could grow that stuff in the toilet). But either way, the best you can do is play around to find what suits you and the fish best .

-Diana