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Will too much of a wattage light bulb kill my guppies and fry2007-11-24 23:44:30

I bought a used 10 gallon tank and it only has 1 bulb (theres room for another) and I think it is 15 watt. I already have a heater preset to 76-80 degrees, should be 78 exactly. Will the light bulb harm my fish? how long should I leave it on?

I also have another 10 gallon tank that has a UV/Florescent light bulb, will that harm my male guppy? They also have a heater at 78.

Answers:

You should check the temperature of the tank after the light has been on for a while to make sure it isn't causing the water to warm up. Other then that what you use makes no difference. Leaving it of for too long will cause an increase in algae growth however. I turn the tank lights on when I get home from work, and then turn them off at bed time (About 6 hours).

A

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Don't worry about the light, in fact if you have plants in the tank you can add another light for better plant growth. The thing thats more likely to kill the fry is the adult guppies and other fich in the tank. Either remove tham to another tank, keep them in a floating fry trap in the tank or provide alot of hiding place by using dense bushy plants. Hope that helps.

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The issue is how much heat the light gives off. If it is too warm, it might possibly affect the water temperature at the top of the tank. This is not likely to be a problem with only a 15W light. If it is a florescent light, then it is not an issue because florescent lights give off very little heat. You should have thermometers on different areas of the tank and check the water temperature daily. The light should be on in the tank for at least 12 hours a day, up to 16 hours a day, I compromise and leave it for 14 hours. As to a UV light, I would advise against it, since it is not natural light and not a natural environment for your fish.

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There are certain basics:

1. Too much of light heats up the tank is not correct specially if u have a undergravel filter and an aerator working in the tank (except ofcourse if you put a 100 watt or more).

2. Light is used for growth of plants and for showing ur aquarium so lights of up 15 to 40 watts (10 G tanks) are recommeneded, for 8 to 10 hours. With excess lighting the tank will start getting greenish.

3. UF/Florescent light or even coloured Florescent light is not harmful. But, remember fish are very senstive to light so first switch on the room light and then after some time switch on the aquraum light, reverse the procedure when switching of aquarium light. Good Luck