Night light for breeding tank.

[Sinbad]

After some advice from Mike Wise to try a 3 watt night light to see if it helps prevent my female A. Agassizii eating her eggs, I have contacted a couple of aquarium shops to enquire about them. All I have come across so far is an LED unit consisting of a combination transformer/hub which has multiple ports to accept the LED lights, which are available in red, green, blue, or white.
Have any members used these for my intended purpose, and if so, which colour of light would be the appropriate one to use?
As yet I haven't been to the shop to have a look at them, but I do know that LED's can be very bright even at very low wattage, so would they be suitable for this job?
Apparently the light units can be used on the exterior of the tank, or fully submerged.
I understand that most sales of these units are to people who use them in aquariums to observe "L" catfishes at night.
If any members have used night lights with normal incandescent globes, could they please recommend any brand names they have experience with, and perhaps draw a comparison between these and the LED units.
Many thanks to any respondents.

 

[Mike Wise]

I think that you're over-thinking this. Simply go to a department store and buy a nightlight designed for a child's bedroom - basic, simple & cheap. Another, more expensive, options is one of the "shell light" covers for a simple fish bowl - fancy, simple & expensive.

 

[Bilbo]

Simply go to a department store and buy a nightlight designed for a child's bedroom

That’s all I use and they work great.

Or if you want to get OTT technical then get one of those solar powered garden lights with a single LED for about $5. They turn on automatically when the lights go out and your day time lights will charge them up.

 

[Sinbad]

Mike & Bilbo,
OK, thanks. I wasn't sure if I needed to have an overhead tank mounted light or just dim ambient light in the room.

 

[Mike Wise]

I just lay the nightlight on the top of the glass tank cover.

 

[Bilbo]

I am sure what ever you get, Sinbad, it will be fine.

Some of my own rules for my fish room are
1) This hobby with these specific fish is tough enough without making it harder
2) If I can make it for $5 and it works then why spend $50.

I look forward to seeing pictures of your successful spawning

 

[Sinbad]

Oh well, it looks like I'm going to have to hatch and raise the fry artificially.
I used a night light as suggested on the largest clutch of eggs that my A. Agassizii has ever laid and it made not the slightest difference. The whole clutch was eaten on the second night after spawning.

 

[Hassles]

Is it possible that the eggs were'nt fertilised and hey, why waste them?

I have employed those small (12 inch) LED strips above each of the teirs of my tank rack. They are brighter than I thought they would be but the fish don't seem to mind. Overall I am happy with them. These were essentially to allow me to monitor the in-tank activities over-night. It would be simply to paint or place some tape over parts of these strips to reduce the light intensity.