# Help with LED Lighting for Malawi Mbuna's....



## After_Shock (Sep 12, 2007)

Need some help with lighting for my Mbuna tank, the current standard lights are pretty rubbish and finally my LFS has got the LED lighting units in specific to my tank set up.

Now they come in 3 different colour options:

1. Warmwhite - 4500k
2. White - 6500k
3. White/Blue - 13000k

Im assuming the white/blue is no good as this is for Marine but whats the suggestions between warmwhite and white? Or mix them?

The fish range in colours from blue to orange (no yellow) so want something that will display the colours of the fish best but also be suited to them also.

Thanks in advance.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

I have white and blue LED's and it really brings out the color of the fish. I can adjust the intensity of both and it looks great


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

I'm just the opposite Caldwell I don't like the blue lights. 6500K is as close to sunlight as you can get. Are you going to have live plants then 6500k will be way to go. I think blue wash out the other colors.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

CeeJay said:


> I'm just the opposite Caldwell I don't like the blue lights. 6500K is as close to sunlight as you can get. Are you going to have live plants then 6500k will be way to go. I think blue wash out the other colors.


Agree to disagree...


http://imgur.com/bFMnn

 there's basically all the colors right there


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## After_Shock (Sep 12, 2007)

Found on the website for the tank manufacturer:

'6500 Kelvin for freshwater and 13,000 Kelvin for saltwater/cichlids'

Appears the blue/white is also what they suggest for the Cichlids. Not sure the fish will find this as a natural light source though!!


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Well to be completely honest, whatever light source you use is more for your viewing benefit than it does the fish any good. They only need a minimal amount of light to differentiate day and night cycles. They won't care what color temperature it is...


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## B.Roberson (Nov 6, 2011)

and they dont care what color temp their food is either as long as they get some :fish: But, i have a blue/white led i had on my all male peacock and hap tank and it looked great


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## Drake1588 (Jul 19, 2017)

caldwelldaniel26 said:


> Well to be completely honest, whatever light source you use is more for your viewing benefit than it does the fish any good. They only need a minimal amount of light to differentiate day and night cycles. They won't care what color temperature it is...


Spot on!

My personal experience is that fish with a lot of different subtle coloration tend to look better with a full spectrum 6500k. My 55g runs this and is planted. Fish that are primarily centered around silver, black, blue, and yellow (like most african cichlids) tend to look better in 10k+. The lumen rating can be more useful here than anything else - I have a 5200 lumen 10k light and it grows nothing but green algae, and is a little too intense in the top 6" of the tank, but is perfect beyond that to the bottom.


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