carlroy

Can somebody help?

I have a hundred litre tank which I bought back in February. The lighting system has completly broken. I have replaced the starter motors and both tubes. I have contacted the fish shop I bought it from and they are saying that they will have to replace the whole tank- not just the hood as they dont have any hoods that would fit my tank in stock- and can not get hold of any. Obviously changing the tank over would be a massive undertaking. I am also due to fly off on holiday first thing tomorrow for 10 days. I do have someone coming in to feed the fish whilst I am away - however I am concerned about the effect a lack of light will have on the fish. Does any one have any advise for me in the short term regarding this until I get back and can get it sorted out properly? The room I currently have the tank in is a light and airy room.

Does anyone know of a temporary lighting sytem I can use - or what would be the impact on the fish to be without artificial light for so long?

Any help would be appreciated.
In my tank at the moment I have 5 platies, 6 scissor tails, 2 golden algae eaters and a red tailled shark.

Thanks

Isabella

Carlroy, as a matter of fact fish DO NOT need artificial lighting such as the fluorescent tubes we use. The only reason we use fluorescent lighting in tanks is for aesthetic purposes (in other words, so that a tank looks better inside and so that we have a better view of what's inside a tank). So you can go on vacation without worrying about the lighting. The only scenario in which you absolutely need lighting over your tank is when you have live plants inside. Other than that, you don't even need lighting. The light coming from windows that illuminates your room is perfectly fine and enough for your fish.

As for your broken fixture, you could search for the one you need on the internet. There are many stores online where you could order whatever you need. I'd give you some websites but most of them are US based and I see you're from Europe since you use "liters" (we use gallons in the US). If you ordered from US, you'd have to pay a lot for shipping. So just search for websites located in your country. Also, when buying tank equipment online, you're probably saving a lot.