Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've finally set up my first proper aquascaped planted aquarium, and I'm thrilled with the result. After months of research and planning, I've achieved the wild, dense jungley look I was going for – some might even say it's too densely planted. My only concern is the lighting. I'm using the SUNSUN ADS-400C 18W LED light, which I thought would be suitable for my 13-gallon tank (20" x 10" x 16"). However, when I first turned it on, I was taken aback by its intensity. The light illuminates not just the aquarium but also a significant part of the room, casting an unflattering fluorescent flicker on the wall behind it.

I'm quite light sensitive, and the glare made me feel a bit dizzy after a while. I'm worried that this might also be uncomfortable for my future fish inhabitants, despite the dense plant cover. I'm planning to add neon tetras soon. I've been considering the SUNSUN ADE-300C 14W LED as a possible alternative. Would a 4W drop in power significantly reduce the brightness, yet still provide enough light for my plants? They include Bolbitis African fern, Microsorum narrow leaf, Cryptocoryne petchii, Hydrocotyle tripartita, and Cryptocoryne parva – all with low to medium light requirements, if I'm not mistaken.

If the ADE-300C isn't a suitable replacement, could you recommend a less intense light that I could find in Thailand? Or should I try to get used to the current light, despite my initial reservations?

I think I can see why you're experiencing the issue with the light, golfallday. Any light that's suspended or held above the tank frame is going to dissipate some of the light into the room, rather than directing it all into the tank. I've found that using lights that sit on the tank frame can really help to minimize this. One solution might be to build a frame around the tank to contain the light - I'm not sure how practical that would be, but it could be worth considering. My main point is that any light that's placed above the tank is likely to have a similar effect, so if this light is suitable for your plants, it might be worth exploring other options before replacing it. I'm not much help with LED lights myself, as I've had some bad experiences and tend to stick with T8 fluorescent lights, but hopefully some of the other members with more knowledge in this area can offer some guidance.