Aquarium Lighting
Unless you have an exceptionally well lighted space for your aquarium you are going to need some kind of artificial lighting source. If you have or plan to have live plants in the aquarium the proper aquarium lighting is a must. Aquarium light fixtures range from a single florescent tube up to a combination of metal halide and very high output (VHO) fluorescents that come with very big price tags. Most of the time you can get away with much simpler equipment – especially if this is your first aquarium.
Bulb Types
Like most equipment for aquariums there are several bulb options to consider for your lighting system.Florescent lighting is great for aquariums that have live plants. They bring out the natural colors of your fish and plants. These bulbs last a long time, don’t give off much heat and have an even spectrum of light emitted. You will be able to find a florescent light for just about any aquarium system you want to set up.
High-powered mercury vapor lights can hang over an aquarium and are often used to light very large, deep tanks. Unfortunately they don’t have a good complete spectrum of light. Sometimes they need to be supplemented. But they are very long lived, retaining most of their original capacity over a period of several years.
Metal halide lights are terrific for aquariums because they have a high red and yellow spectrum and because they are very bright. They work very well for heavily planted aquariums since they are made to produce light similar to natural sunlight. The unfortunate part is they are extremely expensive and so they are out of the reach of many.
Actinic blue bulbs produce ultraviolet light that is great for plant growth but can also produce an over abundance of algae. Be careful with these and clean the algae out if it starts to build up.
Incandescent lighting that is used in household lamps is not good for aquariums because it is too hot, burns out quickly, doesn’t give off a good light spectrum and distributes light unevenly. You might find them advertised in pet stores for use with aquariums but you should avoid them.
Lighting Hoods
A lighting hood is simply a covering for the top of the aquarium that contains a lighting source. They usually contain one or more bulbs. Hoods come in standard sizes to fit most small to medium size rectangular tanks. In addition to lighting hoods, there are also strip lights that can be used to replace the hood lighting or just to add additional light.There are also fan-cooled hoods that have built-in fans to make sure you have an optimal temperature in your tank and to help increase the longevity of the bulb.
If you have the location for your aquarium that permits it, you can have hanging lighting. Hanging lighting is usually halide lighting. These are suspended on wires over the tank. This makes a spectacular lighting system but is also the most expensive.
Aquarium lighting systems are really only limited by your imagination and your budget. So have fun. Just make sure whatever you do is safe, secure and provides your fish and plants with the kind and quantity of light they need.