In the Spotlight – Lighting for Fish Tank
Shopping for the lights in your aquarium can be one of the fun parts of getting everything set up only. Fish do not need lights, unless they are kept in a room that is dark all the time but want to be able to see them and show your friends, right? Finding the light properly can actually unify your tank, make your tank floors and furniture looking their best, and of course, show the true beauty of your fish. For simplicity, we only to talk about fish tanks, only here – planted tanks have their own lighting needs.
Lights for aquariums, as for any other purpose, come in two main varieties (with a couple of variants rarest and most expensive).
Incandescent work lights as standard light bulb. It costs less advance purchase, but it takes more electricity to run over time, and you also have to replace more often. In addition, heat your tank, which may require adjustments to the pH balance and will undoubtedly promote algae growth. So, as you probably guessed, I do not use incandescent lights for my aquarium.
What I use and recommend, is fluorescent lights. Light bulbs and lamps cost a bit more than incandescent, but they are much cooler not to heat the tank, at best, and make better use of electricity, so do not add to your electric bill more. Fluorescent tubes also do not need be replaced as often, once every year to a year and a half, when the light begins to be weak.
Here's a helpful tip I got from my brother spend a little more respectable for an accessory that uses "electronic ballast" – which is not cheap, electronic ballast that causes the annoying "buzz fishbowl" that most of the cheap fluorescent fixtures develop over time! It's worth the money if all you want to hear is the gentle hum of your pumps and filters.
Now the fun part – fluorescent bulbs come in a wide variety of colors. Normal white-olds can be very harsh, and may make the experts look "washed" so personally I lean in favor of tinted bulbs. It may take some experimentation to find the colors that show your favorite fish in the best manner possible, but in general, warm colors like yellow or pink will make the tank look brighter than the cool colors like blue, green or violet.
Do not forget buy a timer to turn on lights automatically at night. You should also be off the lights manually every time you do not like the tank – most often the lights are on, the more it will encourage growth of algae in the tank.
About the Author
Together with Iszuddin Ismail, Mic Hudson is sharing his wealth of knowledge on saltwater and
freshwater tropical fish
tanks. You can start with a free ebook on decorating your fish tanks. Download Fish Tank Aquascape at http://www.PetFishGuide.info
My 90 Gallon Reef Tank
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All-Glass Aquarium Black 24 Fluorescent Strip Lite $29.84 Replacement light for Versa-Hood or Full Hood, or it can be used wherever extra lighting is needed.Features internally mounted ballast with instant-start circuit that allows you to operate on a timer or switch-controlled outlet…. |
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Brightest MR11 12V 10 SMD LED Bulb Wide Angle This is our brightest MR 11 bulb. It has 10 high-powered led bulbs, which produce about a 3 watt Luxeon bulb. The light pattern is perfect for illuminating displays or even just adding accent lighting yet it is still bright enough to be used anywhere. LED bulbs are compatible with all types of magnetic transformers but not all electronic transformers. Many electronic transformers require a minimum… |
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LED Projectables 11282 Solar System Night Light $5.39 Light Bulb:LED Globe rotates to project solar system on ceiling, the LED Planets Night Light projects a 3ft (approx.) solar system on 8 to 12 ceiling. Light sensing- on at dusk, off at dawn. Cool to the touch Long life LED – no bulbs to replace… |
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Eiko 49315 – FML27/65 – 27 Quand Tube Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb, 6500K $4.29 27 watt T4 4-Pin (GX10q-4) Base FML 6,500K Double Tube Compact Fluorescent Eiko Light Bulb… |
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F8T5/CW LONG LIFE FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULB COOL WHITE $1.35 “Bulborama Supra Life energy-efficient linear fluorescent bulbs feature a unique Krypton/Argon gas mixture to reduce energy consumption. Heavy duty triple-wound cathode guards provide burning life of up to five years and 44,000 hours. Extended life phosphors reduce color shifting, provide consistent lumen output levels, and allow Supra Life fluorescents to outlast standard bulbs up to 5 times!”… |
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Lunar Aqualight Cf Fixture 48 (Catalog Category: Aquarium / Lighting-compact Halide) $516.54 Lunar Aqualight Cf Fixture 48. Lunar aqualight cf fixture 48… |
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Aqualight Advanced Hqi Tank Mount Fixture 150w Hqi Halide 20,000k Lamp (Catalog Category: Aquarium / Lighting-compact Halide) $486.42 Aqualight Advanced Hqi Tank Mount Fixture 150w Hqi Halide 20,000k Lamp. Coralife – AQUALIGHT ADV150W TANK MTAqualight Advanced Series Hangon Tank Mount… |
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Ballast For Aqualight Pro Hqi 150w (Catalog Category: Aquarium / Lighting Kits Parts) $364.39 Ballast For Aqualight Pro Hqi 150w. Coralife – BALLAST HQI AQLIGHT PRO 150150 watt metal halide ballast for use with Aqualight Pro and Aqualight Advanced fixtures… |
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Feit Electric PL13/41/MP 13-Watt PL Compact Fluorescent Bulb, Cool White, 4 Pack $7.75 “MAINTENANCE PACK” COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULB 13 watt |
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Aquarium Supply Buyers Guide – Best Practices for Keeping Fish Revealed $2.99 Many people think that Fish are easy to take care of, but the truth is, maintaining an aquarium needs to have great amount of dedication and hard-work. Aquarium Supply Buyers Guide lets you get to know more about aquarium maintenance as it gives information about what type and size of aquarium to choose and what to place inside the tank. This book provides you with knowledge on some of aquarium’s … |
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