How to Choose a Light for an Aquarium
Lighting serves many purposes and is necessary for healthy fish and plants.
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Instructions
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Make sure you have enough light for your fish and plants. Ask for advice if you're not sure.
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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.
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Use fluorescent bulbs, which are cooler and use less electricity.
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Avoid grow-lights, which will not only make your fish look oddly colored, but will also cause algae blooms.
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Give your fish at least 12 hours of light a day.
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Choose bulbs that equal 2 1/2 watts per gallon of tank water.
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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.
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Comments
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TOO MUCH LIGHTING CAN RESULT IN ALGAE FORMATION IF LIVE PLANTS ARE NOT PLANTED IN AQUARIUM.ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR LIGHTS OFF AT NIGHT AS FISHES ARE ALSO CREATURE WHO ARE GUIDED BY NATURES CYCLE AND INTERFERING IT WILL HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THEIR HEALTH.
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bmfenner
Apr 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 -
bmfenner
Apr 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
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Jan 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)
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Jan 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)
