Normal Light bulbs

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RubinCain

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Nov 29, 2002
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100 gallon tank, no real plants. Glass covers to prevent dampness in the hood and 3 40W light bulbs connected to a single dimmer switch.

Are there any obvious problems with this set up? i.e. Does the spectrum from a standard white light bulb encourage any unwanted strains of bacteria or algae?

thanks for your help :)
 
should be fine. what kind of bulbs are those? there are numerous types of bulbs out there for aquarium setups. for plants a spectrum of 5000-7000K is going to be most effective.
 
If you aren't keeping plants, you don't really need to worry about the spectrum of the bulbs. As long as you aren't leaving the lights on for a long time (eg. 12+ hours), they shouldn't cause any major algae problems.
 
I would be concerned about the amount of heat a normal house-hold lightbulb can create. I hooked one up just above my ten gallon, and within 2 hours, the heat had caused the glass lid to crack.

It was perfect timing, I had JUST brought the lid home after having it re-sized to fit properly (apparently all 10 gallon tanks aren't the same size?!?)...

Now, I use the same light on the same aquarium, but at a farther distance (6 inches) and it shines from an angle (partially on top, partially on the side). The heat is still intense, it actually causes a round circle of algae to grow right on the glass!

It's cute though, because the cory's nibble at that algae all day, and you can see little "mouth marks"... lol...
 
what power of lights were those that cracked the glass? I am using pigmy 40W light bulbs. In addition there is pleanty of venting in the hood.
 
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