How to Choose a Light for an Aquarium

Lighting serves many purposes and is necessary for healthy fish and plants.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Make sure you have enough light for your fish and plants. Ask for advice if you're not sure.

2. Hoods already have the light built in, while canopies - two strips of glass connected with a plastic hinge - are separate from the lights. Consider a canopy over a hood, because it is easier to upgrade the lights.

3. Use fluorescent bulbs, which are cooler and use less electricity.

4. Avoid grow-lights, which will not only make your fish look oddly colored, but will also cause algae blooms.

5. Give your fish at least 12 hours of light a day.

6. Choose bulbs that equal 2 1/2 watts per gallon of tank water.

7. Watch the plants in the tank to determine whether your lighting is adequate. If the plants are growing, there's enough light; if the algae is growing out of control, there's too much light.

[bmfenner]

on 4/21/2007 Please help...I am trying to find a timed dimmer plug that i can plug my aquarium light into, and will replicate the dawn/dusk stages of lighting automatically! If you know anywhere in the UK where I can get something like this, please let me know!

Thanks, bmfenner

on 1/12/2006 Day-Glo lights are fine, and quite good if you have fish like Danio's; they become a vibrant orange-red when they stay in a day-glo light for a long time (this is a physical change, the lighting wont immediately shift the color, it happens over time), whereas with a regular light, they are a boring silver.

Note that this will most definitely cause algae blooms though, so you probably wnat to get a Plecco, or snail (not both, they will sometimes be aggressive with each other, I reccommend the Plecco, it wont overtake your tank like a snail will)

on 11/22/2005 This is the best way to light up an aquarium. Using LEDs creates a marine-like ambience, with various color options available. It's a cold source, so there is no heat. It uses a very low voltage, so it is highly energy efficient and long-lasting.

on 11/22/2005 Saltwater lighting is very different than freshwater. Though normal florescent lighting will do for fish, if you want corals you will need to purchase VHO's, Power Compact or Metal Halide lighting.