It's the lights!!!

I have three 2.5 gallon tanks, each with one female betta. All three
are the same except for the lights. One has the original incandescent
light that came with the tank. In the others I replaced the incandescent
bulb with one of those flourescent screw-in bulbs. I thought the light
would be more natural. I was right.

What I've realized, finally, is that the flourescent bulbs are the reason
these two tanks have an algae problem. The tank with the original bulb
has very little algae.

You veteran fish people probably have known this all along, but for me
it's news!

I'm going to replace the flourescents with incandescents and, hopefully,
reduce the amount of algae growth.
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/
http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/

Fluorescent bulbs also sterilize eggs.

"Suzie-Q" wrote in message
...
I have three 2.5 gallon tanks, each with one female betta. All three
are the same except for the lights. One has the original incandescent
light that came with the tank. In the others I replaced the incandescent
bulb with one of those flourescent screw-in bulbs. I thought the light
would be more natural. I was right.

What I've realized, finally, is that the flourescent bulbs are the reason
these two tanks have an algae problem. The tank with the original bulb
has very little algae.

You veteran fish people probably have known this all along, but for me
it's news!

I'm going to replace the flourescents with incandescents and, hopefully,
reduce the amount of algae growth.
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/
http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/

"CanadianCray" wrote in message
.. .
Fluorescent bulbs also sterilize eggs.

Where did this come from - I've used them for years and don't think the
hatch rate is less in tanks with them.
Are you sure you aren't confusing them with UV bulbs?

On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 18:02:51 GMT, Suzie-Q
wrote:

I have three 2.5 gallon tanks, each with one female betta. All three
are the same except for the lights. One has the original incandescent
light that came with the tank. In the others I replaced the incandescent
bulb with one of those flourescent screw-in bulbs. I thought the light
would be more natural. I was right.

What I've realized, finally, is that the flourescent bulbs are the reason
these two tanks have an algae problem. The tank with the original bulb
has very little algae.

You veteran fish people probably have known this all along, but for me
it's news!

I'm going to replace the flourescents with incandescents and, hopefully,
reduce the amount of algae growth.

There are many different flourescents. My 5 tanks all use
flourescents, only 2 have minor algae growth.

Incandescent lights through off heat and distribute the light from
smaller area thus not only heating the water, but less even lighting.

I don't know where you got the idea about flourescents being bad
lighting, but I was happy incandescent lights were gone when I
returned to keeping fish. As a boy with several tanks with only
incandescents, I had to keep the lights off to avoid over heating the
water.

Do your tanks get any sunlight? Are you over feeding? What does the
algae look like?

dick

In article ,
Dick wrote:

- On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 18:02:51 GMT, Suzie-Q
- wrote:
-
- I have three 2.5 gallon tanks, each with one female betta. All three
- are the same except for the lights. One has the original incandescent
- light that came with the tank. In the others I replaced the incandescent
- bulb with one of those flourescent screw-in bulbs. I thought the light
- would be more natural. I was right.
-
- What I've realized, finally, is that the flourescent bulbs are the reason
- these two tanks have an algae problem. The tank with the original bulb
- has very little algae.
-
- You veteran fish people probably have known this all along, but for me
- it's news!
-
- I'm going to replace the flourescents with incandescents and, hopefully,
- reduce the amount of algae growth.
-
- There are many different flourescents. My 5 tanks all use
- flourescents, only 2 have minor algae growth.
-
- Incandescent lights through off heat and distribute the light from
- smaller area thus not only heating the water, but less even lighting.
-
- I don't know where you got the idea about flourescents being bad
- lighting, but I was happy incandescent lights were gone when I
- returned to keeping fish. As a boy with several tanks with only
- incandescents, I had to keep the lights off to avoid over heating the
- water.

I don't think flourescents are bad. They just seem to be responsible
for more rapid algae growth. I prefer flourescents, but will sacrifice
them to limit the algae growth.

- Do your tanks get any sunlight? Are you over feeding? What does the
- algae look like?

No direct sunlight. I don't think I'm overfeeding. The algae is green,
attached to the glass, mostly, and sort of growing out from there.
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/
http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/
http://www.intergnat.com/pussygames/

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 14:51:14 GMT, Suzie-Q
wrote:

In article ,
Dick wrote:

- On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 18:02:51 GMT, Suzie-Q
- wrote:
-
- I have three 2.5 gallon tanks, each with one female betta. All three
- are the same except for the lights. One has the original incandescent
- light that came with the tank. In the others I replaced the incandescent
- bulb with one of those flourescent screw-in bulbs. I thought the light
- would be more natural. I was right.
-
- What I've realized, finally, is that the flourescent bulbs are the reason
- these two tanks have an algae problem. The tank with the original bulb
- has very little algae.
-
- You veteran fish people probably have known this all along, but for me
- it's news!
-
- I'm going to replace the flourescents with incandescents and, hopefully,
- reduce the amount of algae growth.
-
- There are many different flourescents. My 5 tanks all use
- flourescents, only 2 have minor algae growth.
-
- Incandescent lights through off heat and distribute the light from
- smaller area thus not only heating the water, but less even lighting.
-
- I don't know where you got the idea about flourescents being bad
- lighting, but I was happy incandescent lights were gone when I
- returned to keeping fish. As a boy with several tanks with only
- incandescents, I had to keep the lights off to avoid over heating the
- water.

I don't think flourescents are bad. They just seem to be responsible
for more rapid algae growth. I prefer flourescents, but will sacrifice
them to limit the algae growth.

- Do your tanks get any sunlight? Are you over feeding? What does the
- algae look like?

No direct sunlight. I don't think I'm overfeeding. The algae is green,
attached to the glass, mostly, and sort of growing out from there.

I do have some of the spots of green on most of my tank glass. My
tanks are larger 10 to 75 gallon. Over feeding and hours of lights on
have been my suspects. Two 10 gallon tanks have indirect sunlight,
but there the algae is brown.

I hope you will let us know if the incandescent lights help.

dick