looking for lighting advice for blackwater betta tank

[KittenFishMom]

I added a lot of IAL to my betta tank when he was acting strange. The betta is doing better, but I never had any lighting other than a plant light over the next tank over. Now the water is very dark and the blue betta is just a black silhouette unless he is very close to the front glass. The plants all look black too, which makes it hard to find the betta when I am doing a head count on that tank.

What sort of light would you recommend for my 10 gallon, blackwater betta's tank? 

[Guppysnail]

Aqueon makes a clip on that is relatively inexpensive.  It works with the rimmed or rimless I like them but I electrical tape over the blue ones to control algae. 

[KittenFishMom]

@Guppysnail This tank has live plants. Will the plants mind having the blue lights covered? l am still confused about how people encourage plant growth, and discourage algae growth at the same time.

I have a glass cover on this tank, so I don't know if a clip on would work well.

Edited January 20, 2022 by KittenFishMom

[Guppysnail]

I use them with the tape for plant grow out buckets they do fine. In my tanks I shut off all red and blue lights. I only ever use white. It’s a balancing act between water changes to reduce nutrients and light intensity and length. For some reason in all my tank blue lights even for an hour a day will grow mass hair algae in just a few days. 

[HotTunaCartel]

I use a Fluval 3.0 on my blackwater, set to about 25% max brightness.  Have a few low light plants and a heap of floating water sprite that do fine in the low light 

 

[KittenFishMom]

@Guppysnail There are 2 versions of the clip on light, one for planted and one for non-planted. Which are you using? (Petco's web site has both.)

Does this light work well to bring out the color of fish in black water? My green plants and blue betta just look black, so I am looking for a light that will make it easier to see there color.

Edited January 21, 2022 by KittenFishMom

[KittenFishMom]

@Guppysnail My tanks have lots of snails to work on the algae. Then my big 55 gallon tank had fewer and fewer little snails. I have finally figured out the the bullhead catfish are eating them like peanuts. Now the algae is gaining on me in that tank. I think the catfish are eating a lot of food and snails and scuds. The catfish are growing very fast, and the scuds and snails are disappearing. I am passing the word around that I want to rehome the bullheads to someone else's bigger tank, or a pond, but no takers yet.

[Guppysnail]

I have the planted ones. They are very bright for being inexpensive. Ive not used them in black water though. 

[KittenFishMom]

Wow, I got the light and really like it.

Although, now my water looks cloudy. Not sure if it just needs to settle longer after moving the tank on Tuesday or if I need to vacuum or do something to make the water clearer.

How do you do water changes and vacuum if there are fry in the tank?