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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Sol Grow Gear T5 Fluorescent 4′ 8 Light Fixture $349.95 Sol Grow Gear high output T5 Fluorescent lighting is the next generation of garden lighting. With each bulb putting out 5000 lumens and either 6500 or 3000 kelvin makes these fixtures perfect for low enrgy cost growth. Exclusive reflector design moves the lamps further apart (3.6″). Directs more usable light downward (less lumen leakage), is much brighter and covers more area than any competitors … |
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