If you are thinking about starting an aquarium, chances
are good that you have given a lot of thought to all of
the different components that you will need to make your
new h hobby successful. The proper aquarium lighting is
essential to a thriving aquatic environment and it is
very important to weigh all of the benefits and disadvantages
of each type before settling on one, because changing
to a different type of lighting can be expensive and inconvenient
further down the road.
Incandescent Lighting
As far as aquarium lighting, incandescent is the least
expensive option available to you. These types of lights
use the screw in light bulbs and you can generally use
bulbs with different wattage levels. Typically, you
will find that incandescent lights are used on small
tanks, starter kits, or older styles aquariums.
Although incandescent lighting is less expensive than
other options to get started, it can become costly to
switch the light bulbs because they tend to burn out
relatively quickly. Another disadvantage is that incandescent
bulbs put out a lot of heat making it harder to control
the temperature in your tank.
Fluorescent Lighting
This is by far the most popular option for aquarium
lighting. There are a few different types of fluorescent
lights available:
a) Normal Output (NO)
b) Very High Output (VHO)
c) Power Compact
The Normal Output (NO) lights are the most common for
most aquarium users because they typically meet all
of the needs for most aquariums. You can find normal
output lights for all different size aquariums, and
different type of bulbs for different effects.
Very High Output lights are typically used for aquarium
enthusiasts who like to grow a lot of plants, or have
a very tall aquarium. Very High Output lights are able
to provide light to the very bottom of even tall tanks
making it possible for plants to get all of the light
that they need to carry out photosynthesis. However
Very High Output lights also require expensive ballasts
to operate, making them less popular.
Power Compact lights are quickly becoming the most
popular choice for fluorescent lighting because they
are similar in length to that of a normal output light,
however they are three times stronger and you do not
need an expensive ballast to operate. They can be found
in a screw end type as well, so you can use them in
an incandescent setup.
Things to Consider
When you are setting up your aquarium lighting for the
first time, consider what type of tank you have. Do you
have a very tall tank? If so, you will need a higher powered
light and a higher powered bulb in order to reach the
bottom of the tank. Do you have fish that have beautiful
bright colors, and you would like to maximize their appearance?
You will need bulbs that are designed to enhance the fish's
natural coloring.
There are a number of bulbs that are available for fluorescent
lighting systems, and depending on what you are trying
to achieve with your aquarium will depend on the bulbs
that you will choose. Remember that some bulbs are made
especially for tanks with coral and plant life, so choose
the bulb that works best for your set up.
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