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Aquarium
Lighting
Lighting
is one of the most important pieces of equipment in a reef aquarium.
The proper lighting intensity is required for your corals or invertebrates
to survive. Similar to plants, corals and many invertebrates require
light for photosynthesis to generate energy. If your corals and
invertebrates do not receive enough light for photosynthesis,
they will not survive.
Generally,
the VHO (Very High Output) fluorescent and PC (Power Compact)
fluorescent lighting systems are great for corals that require
low to moderate aquarium lighting, such as leather corals, mushrooms,
polyps, and LPS corals. The Metal Halide systems are great for
corals that require intense lighting. SPS corals, clams, and anemones
would best survive in a system with metal bulbs. Many hobbyists
will supplement metal halide lights with VHO (or PC) lights to
simulate a dusk/dawn effect and to add more blue coloration to
the tank.
Basic
principles of aquarium lighting:
The lighting used in an aquarium is governed to a large extent
by whether the tank is to contain live plants. If the tank does
not contain plants (or only plastic plants), then the light provides
a means to view only the fish. The choice of aquarium lighting
is then only governed by choosing a light, which enhances the
colors of fish. A light intensity of around 10W per square foot
of water surface area is sufficient for this purpose (e.g. a 40W
fluorescent tube for a tank with a base measuring 48x12").
Fluorescent tubes are the most commonly used form of lighting
in aquariums. They are available in a range of sizes and colors
spectrums to suit different tanks and applications.
1.
Fish-only tanks:
For the fish-only tanks, lighting requirements include using pre-manufactured
lights to have the possibility of using them for keeping "some"
reef life.
The
basic fundamentals of NO/Standard and VHO fluorescent tubes, such
as how CRI or Kelvin determines a bulb/lamp's color frequency,
how wattage is beneficial and why it's important, and fluorescent
tube wattage comparisons. Depth simulation has also played a part
in the lighting selection process.
2.
Plant planted tanks:
Plant Planted tanks needs more light than fish only tanks, and
the type of lighting becomes more important. The light requirement
of different plant species varies somewhat, but generally the
light will need to be at least double that recommended for a fish
only tank, i.e. 20W per square foot of tank surface area.
There
are many more appliance articles in our fixture
section. There is more specific information in the links at
the beginning of this article. They can guide you where you need
to go.
Fixtures
Articles
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When choosing a faucet for your bathroom. Consider the rest of
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New
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Updating the look of your home is easier than you think. Think
new door knobs.
A
New Light on Great Lighting.
Taking the amount of lighting you need in a space into consideration
can set the mood.
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