# What is the best way to dim your tank?



## DZ-5 (Mar 10, 2003)

I want to keep the white 40watt bulb that came w/ my hood. I have black water extract, but are there any more efficient methods of dimming the light? I don't want to hurt my Ps vision, but I'd like to see their true colors. I tried static cling window tint (by sticking it to the underside of the plastic on the hood where light shows through), but it started to fall toward the water, so I removed it. If I try this on the side of the hood w/ the light, will the light get too hot and melt this tint?

Open to any suggestions

DZ-5


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## InSinUAsian (Jan 3, 2003)

I just used some tape and covered the clear side of the hood, blocking the light. That way you can reduce the amount of light that gets to the tank. You can use electical, duck, or masking tape and it will work fine. Make it kinda "candy cane stripe-ish" in an alternating fashion.

~Dj


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

i had got info from this site a little while back and this is what i was tolled 
get yourself some electrical tape red /black what ever colour you want and rap it arround your lite like a candy cane leaving about 1/2'' inbetween the tape so you still have some light for plants this worked wonders for me and only cost me .79cents


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## Raptor (Jan 3, 2003)

Just let them get used to it they will over time.
Mine have and they are fine


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## Young Gotti (Jan 29, 2003)

I used tinfoil and just poked holes through it.


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## epson2k (Mar 15, 2003)

Lucky's method is the easiest and most convenient imo :biggrin:


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## Petzl88 (Feb 5, 2003)

Tin foil. You can change it very easily.


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## Netmancer (Mar 10, 2003)

Of course all this depends on your hood as well. If your bulb is florescent, then all the ways suggested here work fine. On the other hand if your hood uses incandescent lighting, then your best bet is the foil. Don't put anything on an incandescent bulb that would be able to melt, because it will. A 40 watt incandescent bulb heats up pretty quick, but aluminum foil would be fine on it. Just be careful when taking it off after you light's been on for a while.


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## Bcollins111900 (Feb 3, 2003)

another method that works welll is a device called a reastat. I use them on my heat tape for my snakes. They are a dimmer switch that regualtes the amount of electricity to the device, so for say you can dim the lights. I have them on one of my fish tanks and it works great had no problems. Granted that cost 10 bucks but it is not bad and well worth it.


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## pcrose (Mar 9, 2003)

Nike, Kevin did this and works well, the P's were really skiddish and bothered by the light when we had no electrical tape on the bulb. Then he rapped some black tape like a candycane around his incandescent bulbs and voila, the p's are happy and don't care.


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## deeboi (Mar 7, 2003)

I found that the tape thing didin't work too good on my fluorescent bulb. No matter how much tape I put on there it still wouldn't dim it, that is unless I used the whole role and wrapped the whole thing haha lol.


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## SteelGluer (Feb 20, 2003)

Turn the light off it works for me


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

pcrose said:


> Nike, Kevin did this and works well, the P's were really skiddish and bothered by the light when we had no electrical tape on the bulb. Then he rapped some black tape like a candycane around his incandescent bulbs and voila, the p's are happy and don't care.


thats good to hear i used electrical tape on the bulbs on the left side of my tank and nothing on the right with the lights on at the same time they will always swim to the side with electrical tape on the bulbs. so i no they prefer that side i used red tape.


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## Poseidon X (Jan 31, 2003)

just use atinic blue lights instead


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

I use paper sheets between the water surface and the tube light (resting on the glass covers above the water): works great, and very cheap...


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## deeboi (Mar 7, 2003)

I just bought some 20% window tint from walmart and wrapped it around my fluorescent bulb and that seems to work pretty good. It seems kinda dark though I think I shoulda gone with the 35% but I can always cut holes in it.


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