aquarium light?

Question

i recently set up a 7 gallon tank for a few tropical fish however it didn't come with a light because of its size. ive been looking in pet stores for lights, but they are either too big or too small, so ive been using my desk lamp (halogen light), i was wondering if this is harming my fish or my plants..? =S and also..the tank is in my bedroom, if my lights are on in my bedroom for 12hours will that count to the fishtank...or does light only affect the tank when it is directly overhead the tank? the light in my bedroom is white by the way
thanks~

ohh and the tank shape is panoramic so thats why smaller lights which would usually be ok for 7 gallons don't really light up the whole tank

Answer 1

Actually the best light for your tank if you don't have live plants in it is the room lighting. This is because it won't heat up the water, it will majorly constrain algae growth, and the fish themselves don't depend on the aquarium lighting for health. Of my 3 freshwater tanks, the only one that gets aquarium lights on all day is the planted one - the two others only get the aquarium lights on when I'm actually home to view the tank - otherwise room lighting does the trick and I don't need to battle algae. The halogen lamp will be fine for shorter periods and if it's raised high above the water - otherwise you may consider the investment of a small flourescent lamp.

Answer 2

Just as a start i think the 6ft wide tank description was use as an example that you dont need the light to be the exact lenghth of the tank. So....adding to that as long as the plants you are keeping in the tank dont need high lighting output, than getting a light that is smaller than the tanks length would be fine. Only lasers put out a direct beam of light all other light will spread so a light that isnt the same length will illuminate the entire tank thats why you dont need bulbs that are the length of your entire room to light up the room. So you can get the light that fits the normal 7 gallon and it will be ok. If you didnt have plants id say the light in the room will be fine for the fish but you may want to add the other light for the plants sake.

Answer 3

You can still use your desktop lamp. I leave my light in my living room on all day so there's atleast some light coming into my tanks. Be careful using the desktop lamp though, it may heat up the water. If your light in your bedroom lights up the entire tank, yes, you may use it as your tank light. For the light to work as "daylight" it will have to really need to be lighting the entire tank. You should be fine using your desktop lamp for a few hours, and leaving your bedroom light on for the same or a little more than a few hours.

Addition: Rayvier.... do you really think a 7 gallon aquarium would be 6 feet wide?

Answer 4

If your aquarium is 6 ft wide, a 4 or 5 ft fluorescent lamp would do. We place our fishes in a vertically-halved plastic drum(that blue thing) and we just have natural sunlight do the lighting and allow the moonlight at night. This allows the fishes to feel like they live naturally in terms of day and night. At night, this also allows the fishes to sleep. They can't sleep with light on. How they sleep? Don't ask me, I'm not yet a Marine Biologist, ask me after 5 yrs or so... hehehe later...

Answer 5

I turn my fluorescent easy on each and each time the rooms starts off to grow to be darkish. I turn the sunshine off, till now i will mattress. So usually that's on for 5 hours, on the main. attempt to do this each night, or you would be consistently changing the sunshine, and that i do no longer think of the fish might like it on ALL night. noticeably the catfish, who want to roam around at night. in case you like you may flow away it on all day, yet it relatively is that if the room the tank is in is darkish. If the room is clearly superb and the solar is available in each and all the circumstances, then according to hazard the sunshine isn't mandatory in the process the day.

Answer 6

well you don't have to light up the entire tank i don't suppose
and you can use your desk lamp. But you will want to either buy a full spectrum bulb, or make sure they get plenty of indirect sunlight. They need uva and uvb light.

Answer 7

The halogen light is OK. Are your plants doing well? If they are then don't worry,be happy.

Answer 8

it probably throws off to much heat! you should make sure the water temp. is stable and stay in proper temp. range. If you need a light use a florescent light because they don't throw off to much heat!

Answer 9

No it doesnt affect ur fish. so no worries ok.
Build a custom light (white energy saver bulbs), cut the plastic top of the aquarium, placed it top.