lighting change

[lizardarm]

hey all,
does anyone know if it will be detrimental to the health of my tank, the fish specifically, if i replace one of my 10k halides with a 14k lamp?
one of my lamps was up for replacement and i decided to try a different spectrum for a change. it turns out that i really like the light from the 14k but i also want to keep the whiter light in as well.
it's been this way for about a week, and i just got to wondering if the fish's eyes would be getting strained from swimming back and forth all day.
any input is appreciated

chris

 

[Krish]

I don't see why it should affect the fish IMO. I know someone who goes daily from pitch black in his tank to 260+ watts in a 75 gal! I've told him repeatedly to gradually introduce light each day, but he says it doesn't affect his fish so he's leaving it as it is(LOL) Nevertheless, your tank at some point goes from no light to light each day and the fish live with it just as they do when night turns into day in nature. Changing a 10k to a 14k lamp I honestly can't see causing a problem, but don't rely on just what I think. I'm probably wrong more times than I'm right(LOL).

 

[spongebob lover]

well i have two type of lights one blue hamilton 10k and one white 14k.
well when i went from the white one to the blue one my fishes were ok but the corals especially the xenias didn't like it at all, then i switch again to the white light and i believe everyone in the tank likes it

 

[clayswim]

Lower light temps are actually better for the corals, and especially the clams and anemones. Run a 6500K and you'll see even better results. The drawback is not only the reddish tinge to the water that most people find unappealing, but the red spectrum is also useful to algae. Basically the shift to blue is more for cosmetics and less for the health of the inverts. The fish couldn't care less one way or the other. As long as they have enough light to find their food they're happy. Given time your corals would recover from the switch to 14K though, you just have to be patient. The one thing that does balance things out a bit is that the blue end of the spectrum does make it through water better than red; which is absorbed at a fast rate. In deeper tanks this means a greater percentage of the light will reach the inverts from a blue light when compared to a true daylight (which the 10K fits loosely).

Clayton

 

[steve-s]

As Clay says, fish aren't affected by spectrum but they are indeed affected by intensity as Krish points out. Not usually so much with fluorescent light (unless a deeper water species) but moreso in regards to MH and the like. Especially when lighting intensity is upgraded without photo acclimation or without "stepping up" the light cycle during the day. It can induce severe shock and stress to the fish.

Cheers
Steve

 

[spongebob lover]

i agree ddood, when i switched it and then switched again, some of my zoos didn't like that and they closed ,

 

[lizardarm]

thanks all.
the intensity (watts per gallon) hasn't actually changed. i run a lot of light on my tank (692 watts on a 72 gallon tank) but i do use the gradual increase and decrease in the mornings and evenings which i think the fish actually really seem to enjoy.
i never knew that the cooler colors were actually better for the corals. i always thought that 10k was about the bottom end of what was acceptable in a reef.
thanks
chris