Aquarium Lighting Guide

Aquarium lights give off heat, which can raise water temperature.

Lighting requirements for aquariums depend on the species of fish, invertebrates, other aquatic animals or live plants being kept in a particular tank. There are, however, some general tips that apply to any type of aquarium.

Heat Warning

All aquarium lighting gives off heat. If not checked, the water can become hot enough to kill aquatic life. Always have a thermometer on an aquarium to monitor water temperature, according to "Freshwater Aquariums For Dummies."

Key Qualities

There are four qualities of aquarium lighting systems that need to be checked to see if they closely match the needs of the plants and animals being kept in the tank: light intensity, or wattage; light spectrum; color rendering index, to see if the lighting changes the natural appearance of a tank; and color temperature.

Light Levels

Fish and live plants need lights of certain levels. "Low" lighting means 1 to 2 watts per gallon of the tank, "medium" means 2 to 3 watts per gallon, "bright" means 3 to 5 watts per gallon, and "very bright" means more than 5 watts per gallon.

References

• "Freshwater Aquariums For Dummies"; Maddy Hargrove and Mic Hargrove; 2006
• "Aquarium Fish International": Quick Light Guide; J. Charles Delbeek; November 2010
• Doctors Foster and Smith: Pet Education: Lighting Spectrum and Intensity: Duplicating Natural Lighting in Aquariums

Resources

• FishChannel
• The First Tank Guide: Aquarium Lighting