Aquarium Lights
The lights in an aquarium are very different from the ordinary lights that we use in our homes. All forms of life need light to thrive. Fish in the aquarium are no different. Lighting is very important for an aquarium as it helps to make your fish more comfortable and have a healthy life span. Lights are a basic requirement in an aquarium. Aquarium lights mainly depend upon the type of plants and fish you have in your tank.
There are mainly two types of aquarium lights that are available–fluorescent or incandescent lighting systems. Fluorescent lights help to keep the fish healthy as they closely resemble natural light. It improves visibility of your fish. Incandescent lights should be avoided. They are just not suitable for most small fish tanks. Incandescent aquarium lights give hot spots in the fish tank that can harm or even kill sensitive types of fish.
There are many types of fluorescent aquarium lights available.
- Standard fluorescent bulbs are popular, especially for small tanks. These bulbs normally come in aquarium kits and hoods.
- Another type is the fluorescent aquarium plant bulbs that are specially created for freshwater-planted tank. This bulb fits in almost all the fluorescent lightning fixtures.
- A blue range of spectrum is produced by the Marine actinic blue fluorescent bulbs. The wavelength of these bulbs travels furthest in water. These types of bulbs are very useful for low-light mini reef or saltwater tanks.
- The HO and VHO fluorescent bulbs give a very high light output. Compared to normal bulbs, these bulbs are much more intense and are very useful for aquariums that are very large with a lot of depth.
There are certain other general requirements of aquarium lights related to aquatic plants and other living organisms.
- Any aquarium light must be able to provide at least 3 watts of light per one-gallon water. This would be about 30 watts of light for an average size aquarium.
- Plants need proper aquarium lights to survive.
- Growing corals need proper aquarium lighting. You need to know if the growing corals are highly sensitive to light.
- Corals needs very large amounts of light, usually between 5 to 8 watts.
- Most aquarium fish need up to 12 hours of light.
- A freshwater aquarium needs proper lighting.
- Proper lighting is also necessary to grow healthy aquatic plants.
Nowadays, acrylic lightning is used in aquariums, since it gives light that is similar to natural light. It also helps the viewers see the elements of the aquarium more clearly because it adds a brilliance to the display.
Other types of aquarium lights are
- Power compact lights are more intense than the traditional fluorescent bulbs. They are ideal, since they do not heat up much and save on energy.
- Another popular type of light is the metal halide, which was created in 1960.
Thus, proper aquarium lights are necessary for making the fish tank look attractive and for proper care of the fish.
 | US $79.00 (19 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 11:53:59 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
T8 FLUORESCENT AQUARIUM LIGHT 4 FOOT 12.5K 6.5K ACTINIC
 | US $106.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 20:00:36 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
72" Current Aquarium Light with Lunar Lights 384 Watts
 | US $127.51 (10 Bids) End Date: Thursday Mar-11-2010 18:20:39 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
T5 HIGH OUTPUT AQUARIUM REEF FLUORESCENT LIGHT/ 4' HOOD
 | US $139.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Thursday Mar-11-2010 20:00:49 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
REDUCED AQUARIUM LIGHT 24" T5 HO 96 WATT REEF SALTWATER
 | US $64.00 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 9:00:55 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
[...] Aquarium Lights [...]