[eisBear]

Hello,

I have a 29gallon with some anubias, some taller stem plants and some java fern. The anubias are pretty big, about 15-20 big leaves and about half way up the tank. My fixture is a current dual 65w PC, which I only use the one 6700 65w (EDIT: not 7500k) bulb (which is pretty old and probably needs replacing).

I just added 8 black neon tetras and as soon as the lights go off, they are swimming around like they own the tank but when I turn the light on, they tighten up and find one place in the shade and just stay there in a pretty tight 'school.'

I'm hoping today, when the light turns on and they can explore without my ugly mug peering in on them, they'll get used to it more and explore with it on.

Oh yeah -- sorry -- nobody else in the tank except some micro unidentified snails I've had in all my tanks.

I didn't notice anybody pointing out that these fish were sensitive to light but, man, the reaction is instant.

What do you all think? I've had them less than 24 hours at this point, I'm sure the LFS light was pretty dim. Will they get used to the light? Am I stressing them? Their color looks pretty good and they are all pretty active. Will they be stressed to live in this 'moderate' light tank?

 

[Grah the great]

Floating plants can be quite helpful for fish who do not appreciate bright lighting. It is also possible that they just need time to adjust to the tank, although I would still get some floating plant cover if I were you.

 

[eisBear]

I see, thanks. Yeah, they seem to be going in and out of the shade a bit more today. The do seem to like the shade quite a bit but now they seem a lot less timid to venture into the areas with more light. Looks like the more shady places I have the more places these guys will have to go into when the light is on. They seem way less paranoid about it today though.

 

[Raymond S.]

Is this a T5HO or T5 NO or T8 bulb ? What length ?

 

[H2Ogal]

Shade will help. Fish also often feel more comfortable with darker substrate, just fyi.

If the room is dark when you flip on the tank light, the sudden difference can be too much for some fish to handle. Turning on room lights a hour earlier than tank lights can help.

Also, they might just be freaked out by the change(s) they've been through. You can leave the tank lights off for a couple of days, don't bother with feeding, and stay away from the tank. Then, every day for a while, feed right after turning the tank lights on. Give the fish only time enough to stop dashing around the tank then in goes the food. That will train your fish to associate lights with food.

 

[eisBear]

@raymond: good point sorry, its a 21" bulb but I dont think its a "t" type of light I think its a 'power compact' the box on the bulb says 'compact fluorescent.'

@ h2O - thanks, good sounding suggestion, they do seem to like the can light from the room and the substrate is about 1/2 surface area of black and black background.

 

[Raymond S.]

Up to you then. No exp./w Power compact bulbs though you likely can find one in a lower rating than 7900.
E-bay and some Petsmarts sell suction cups for routing air line. A friend uses them to put a string in the tank just below the surface of the water to hold floaters in one aria of his tank so they don't shade the whole tank(and frog bit doesn't like water flow like from an HOB).
I believe that it's a temporary problem mostly from the new tank and that 7900K.
A pair of Scarlet Bandies would not overpower the tank but would give it another fish
which I think is reffered to as a "dither" fish. A pair of Rams for example would commondeer space in there and take over as a centerpiece where as the Scarlets
would blend in and make the Tetra's feel safer from seeing them ignore the light.
Still think you should tone down the light even if only a small amount. Placing a piece of screen wire between the bulb and tank might be enough if that's possible.

 

[eisBear]

Ah crap, its a 21" 6700k. Dunno why I put 7500 there, I was looking at the box, duh!

Do the floating plants touch the glass cover? I have some 7x or 6x tippet (very thin mono or flouro fishing line lime 1.5lb test or so)I think would be great for the tie down idea.

The tetras are not too shy about the light anymore but its pretty clear they like lots of access to shade. Thanks!