side lighting

Landon · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

i am working on a new aquarium and i was thinking about making side
lighting for it. I was wondering if this would be bad for the fish?
will it blind them if i am using fluorescent bulbs? Thanks, Landon

Archived from group: rec>aquaria>tech

Roger Sleet · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 39

In article ,
landonb16@hotmail.com (Landon) wrote:

> i am working on a new aquarium and i was thinking about making side
> lighting for it. I was wondering if this would be bad for the fish?
> will it blind them if i am using fluorescent bulbs? Thanks, Landon
>

The fish will assume that the light is coming from above and try to swim
with it "above" them, gravity will till them that is wrong, and they will
end up swimming at a curious angel.

Roger Sleet
Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com

Landon · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

rsleet@cafonline.org (Roger Sleet) wrote in message news:...
> In article ,
> landonb16@hotmail.com (Landon) wrote:
>
> > i am working on a new aquarium and i was thinking about making side
> > lighting for it. I was wondering if this would be bad for the fish?
> > will it blind them if i am using fluorescent bulbs? Thanks, Landon
> >
>
> The fish will assume that the light is coming from above and try to swim
> with it "above" them, gravity will till them that is wrong, and they will
> end up swimming at a curious angel.
>
> Roger Sleet
> Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com

So would that be bad for the fish?

Roger Sleet · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 39

In article ,
landonb16@hotmail.com (Landon) wrote:

> rsleet@cafonline.org (Roger Sleet) wrote in message
> news:...
> > In article ,
> > landonb16@hotmail.com (Landon) wrote:
> >
> > > i am working on a new aquarium and i was thinking about making side
> > > lighting for it. I was wondering if this would be bad for the
> > > fish? will it blind them if i am using fluorescent bulbs? Thanks,
> > > Landon
> > >
> >
> > The fish will assume that the light is coming from above and try to
> > swim with it "above" them, gravity will till them that is wrong, and
> > they will end up swimming at a curious angel.
> >
> > Roger Sleet
> > Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com
>
>
> So would that be bad for the fish?
>
I don't know I've never tried it. It ruins the view though and assuming
you are supplying side lighting for aesthetic reasons (because I can't
think of any other reason for doing it) I was warning you that it isn't
very aesthetic

Roger Sleet
Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com

Jim Brown · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 177

Landon wrote in message@posting.google.com...
> rsleet@cafonline.org (Roger Sleet) wrote in message
news:...
> > In article ,
> > landonb16@hotmail.com (Landon) wrote:
> >
> > > i am working on a new aquarium and i was thinking about making side
> > > lighting for it. I was wondering if this would be bad for the fish?
> > > will it blind them if i am using fluorescent bulbs? Thanks, Landon
> > >
> >
> > The fish will assume that the light is coming from above and try to swim
> > with it "above" them, gravity will till them that is wrong, and they
will
> > end up swimming at a curious angel.
> >
> > Roger Sleet
> > Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com
>
>
> So would that be bad for the fish?

Yes, it would be highly stressful. You would be forcing the fish to
live/swim in an orientation totally unfamiliar to them, having spent
thousands of years adapting to light from overhead.

Jim

richard reynolds · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 113

> > > > i am working on a new aquarium and i was thinking about making side
> > > > lighting for it. I was wondering if this would be bad for the fish?
> > > > will it blind them if i am using fluorescent bulbs? Thanks, Landon
> > > The fish will assume that the light is coming from above and try to swim
> > > with it "above" them, gravity will till them that is wrong, and they
> will
> > > end up swimming at a curious angel.
> > So would that be bad for the fish?
> Yes, it would be highly stressful. You would be forcing the fish to
> live/swim in an orientation totally unfamiliar to them, having spent
> thousands of years adapting to light from overhead.

just to toss a stick between a spoke

In SoCal where I live the sun is rarely overhead only durring the summer months and then
only then at noon, I think your thinking these fish are more delicate then they might be.
as for swiming at an angle thats puzzling and doesnt make much sence in my brain (granted
that may not mean much)
though ive also never tried it long term I have had a light on the side of my tanks before
mostly when attempthing to take good quality pictures, none of my fish seemed to give a
natzarse

--
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richard reynolds
richard.reynolds@usa.net