Lighting Requirements For Home Fish Tanks

Lighting Basics for Fish Tanks at Home

Aquarium lighting not only allows you to see your fish, but greatly effects their health as well. Live plants, corals, fish and invertebrates all need adequate light to grow and remain healthy. How many hours a day you run your lights tells fish the difference between night and day. This is particularly important so they can rest when tank lights are turned off. Most aquarium hoods come with regular fluorescent lighting, which is usually fine for viewing the tank. However, all home fish tanks need to be evaluated for lighting requirements based on the types of fish, plants and corals that you are keeping. Learn a few facts about lighting and the different types to select the best options for home fish tanks.

 

Facts About Lighting

It is a good idea to learn a little about light spectrums to help you decide the proper type of lights for fish tanks at home. Lights come in light spectrums, which refer to a combination of colors. These spectrums play an important part in the use of a light. Light spectrums include blue, green, yellow and red. Each spectrum has a color temperature, which effects the temperature of home tanks for fish. Light intensity is measured in lumen or Lux and may be affected by the location of the fixture to the proximity of the water.

Regardless of which light you choose, you need to keep in mind that dirty glass or vinyl covers, water turbidity, humidity and dust influence how effective lights are. As you add new fish, plants or invertebrates to home fish tanks, you should research special lighting requirements.

Many species may not have special requirements, but there are some that do. For example, a lot of the live plants can do fine under fluorescent lights, however some require stronger lighting for normal growth. Excessive amounts of light may also effect fish. It will not blind them, but it can stress them and make them hide, as well as raising the temperature of the tank.

The walls of fish tanks at home need to be kept clean for viewing pleasure. However, using a light fixture with very intense lighting tends to increase algae growth throughout the tank including the front and sides of your aquarium. Green, red and brownish colored algae may grow on home fish tanks blocking viewing and requires additional steps for cleaning.

 

Lights for Home Fish Tanks

Fluorescent light bulbs: These bulbs come in regular, compact, High Output and Very High Output. Regular fluorescent light is inexpensive and are the kind of bulbs used in tank hoods for starter kits. Regular bulbs can be purchased from 15 watts up to 40. Compact bulbs on the low-end start at 10 and go up to 100 watts in addition to requiring special hoods.

High Output last the longest, but are more expensive. Very High Output fluorescents come in 75 to 160 watts and are quite expensive. These come with fans to reduce heat, require ballasts and special fixtures in some cases. Metal Halide lamps have to be fan cooled because they also get hot, but they are another expensive option for home fish tanks.

 

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