Too often you think that an aquarium doesn’t need any form of special aquarium lighting. You should think twice though, as there is a right way to light an aquarium to imitate a true under-water environment. Not only will appropriate aquarium lighting make your aquarium visually appealing; it will also have a positive impact on the aquarium environment the marine life is thriving.
Picture the way a typical aquatic life in its natural environment gets its regular lighting throughout the day. It gets it naturally from the sun, and the full spectrum of light it receives can greatly affect how they will flourish in their marine environment.
This is what you must keep in mind and consider when planning for your aquarium lighting. Remember also that sunlight has 3 wavelengths: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVA is the visible wavelength and basically important to marine corals, and also for fishes to stimulate their feeding and breeding behavior. UVB is the non-visible wavelength and is needed for better calcium absorption by animals. UVC is the wavelength that kills harmful bacteria.
The main types of lighting system that can be used for aquarium lamps are: regular fluorescent lights, compact fluorescent, high output (HO) fluorescent, very high output (VHO) fluorescent, and metal halide.
Regular fluorescent ranges from 15 to 40 watts and have Kelvin ratings range from 3,000 degrees to 10,000 degrees. These are affordable and easy to replace.
Compact fluorescent have around 10 to 100 watts and are in the 5,000 to 10,000 degrees Kelvin ratings range. They offer very bright lights but may give off heat that raises the tank temperature, which is why special hoods with fans are needed for installation.
High output fluorescent light ranges from 20 to 60 watts, and their Kelvin ratings range from 6,000 to 11,000 degrees. These lights require a T5 light fixtures. These are quite expensive aquarium lights but lasts longer than the regular ones.
The VHO fluorescent light ranges from around 75 to 160 watts with Kelvin ratings ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 degrees. These would usually require a chiller, even with the ballast, fans and special fixture these come with, to counter the intense heat it produces.
Metal halide lights come in 175 to 1,000 watts range, with their 5,000 to 20,000 Kelvin ratings range. Though they come closest to the sun’s brightness, these are very expensive.
Remember that the quality of your aquarium lighting products degrades as the end of its life span nears – meaning the color spectrum it produces diminishes. It is advisable to monitor this aspect and replace as necessary. Also remember that it is not advisable to have your aquarium lighting on at all times, preferably this should be at around 8 to 12 hours. This number of hours would be similar to the natural marine life’s environment. The use of a timer would take out the hassle of constant daily monitoring.
Saltwater tanks with fishes can make do only with regular fluorescent full spectrum bulbs. A better alternative though would be the use of both fluorescents and actinic lights (blue lights) or with LED lighting. Saltwater reef aquariums with corals and anemones will need high output fluorescent lights. A good guide to follow is around four to ten watts per gallon of aquarium.
Depending on the species you have or you plan to keep, it is wise to find out the ideal fish tank lighting systems requirements for them to thrive. The more you want your aquarium environment to mimic that of the natural ones, the more you need to use better light sources.
Aquarium Lighting
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Mini USB LCD Desktop Lamp Light Fish Tank Aquarium LED Clock White Sale Price: $40.00  |
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Come with decorative pebbles, an artificial plant, and a USB connector. Adjustable overhead LED light and multicolor LED interior lights under water. 2 switches are used for turning on/off the LED light and switching the water pump on/off... |
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Boon Glo Nightlight with Portable Balls, White Sale Price: $69.99 |
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Boon GLO Nightlight with Portable Balls Lights can be easily turned off at sleep time with Boon GLO Nightlight with Portable Balls. The portable balls glow when the lights are out. This night light is multicolored and interactive... |
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CITI Blue 24 LED Strip NEON MOTORCYCLE / CAR / BOAT / HOME / POD LIGHT BRIGHT ACCENT GLOW 24LED FLEXIBLE WATER PROOF, Aquarium Light Under Water Proof Tank 12V List Price: Sale Price: $8.99 |
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CITI PREMIUM 24 LED light is built in a clear silicon pod that is flexible, heat resistant and water proof. It can be mounted on the back or either side surfaces. It is very bright and cool! You can use it in many applications as such |
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HM Digital TDS-EZ Water Quality TDS Tester, 0-9990 ppm Measurement Range , 1 ppm Resolution, +/- 3% Readout Accuracy List Price: Sale Price: $14.25 |
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Water Quality Tester with Auto-off Function. |
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Trend Lab Dr. Seuss Shelf, One Fish Two Fish List Price: Sale Price: $29.09 |
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30162 Features: -Shelf with pegs.-Light blue shelf has three sturdy wood pegs for your child's favorite outfits and jackets.-Red fish side detailing with light blue waves and red, yellow, and green fish add a whimsical touch... |
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Phoenix 20622 - MH250W/TD/UV/BLUE - 250 Watt - TD - Hexarc Blue - 14000K - Metal Halide - Aquarium Lamp - ANSI M80 Sale Price: $51.00 |
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Brand Phoenix - Family Hexarc Blue - Part No. 20622 - Wattage 250 Watt - ANSI Code M80 - Application Aquarium - Base Type FC2 - Bulb Shape TD - Color Temperature 14000K - Life Hours 6000 - Lumens Initial 42000 - Order Code MH250W/TD/UV/BLUE - Note Must be used with HQI Electronic HID or PS MH System - |
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Milwaukee Instruments pH600AQ pH Tester With 1 Point Manual Calibration List Price: Sale Price: $16.50 |
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The Milwaukee Instruments pH600 is a compact pH tester with a narrow probe for use in small samples or test tubes, and has manual two-point calibration, a single-line LCD screen, a replaceable electrode, and a low power demand... |
Posted by Irwan on May 18, 2011
