| Okay, so you have decided that tropical fish look | | | | lighting unit but you may also need an aquarium chiller |
| really cool and that is what you will stock your | | | | to prevent your tank water from overheating. May |
| aquarium with. You want to see all the bright colours | | | | produce dead fish otherwise! |
| of the tropical fish so you will need an aquarium light. | | | | Metal Halide Light Bulb |
| You are all ready to buy a light for your new | | | | As close to sunlight as you can get but they are |
| aquarium and there are so many different types, | | | | very expensive to buy, operate and replace. They |
| which one do you buy? Is it the compact | | | | produce a lot of heat and usually must be fan cooled. |
| fluorescent, regular, high output (ho) fluorescent or | | | | Ballasts with fan units included are widely available. |
| the very high output (vho) fluorescent? Looking | | | | Mostly used to light a reef tank with anemones and |
| further you see two more types, the metal halide | | | | corals that need higher intensity lighting. |
| and the LED - Light Emitting Diodes. How do you | | | | LED Aquarium Lights |
| make sure you buy the right aquarium light for your | | | | Although not as affordable as fluorescent lights they |
| tank? I hope you remembered to write down the | | | | do come with added advantages. |
| dimensions of the fish tank because you will need | | | | - They consume less energy and run much cooler |
| them! | | | | - They have a much longer life span and there is no |
| Before you can choose the type of light you need | | | | filament to break |
| for your tank, you need to decide on what fish you | | | | - They are small and compact |
| will housing in your tank. Once this is determined and | | | | For your fresh water aquarium, and as a general rule, |
| to get the best results, I suggest you do some | | | | fluorescent lights which are between 18 and 40 |
| research and find out their lighting requirements. For | | | | watts would be suitable. |
| example, if you decide on Tetra Neons, research | | | | How long should you leave the fish tank lights on? |
| what type of lighting is best for them. | | | | Anywhere from 6 to 12 hours because just like other |
| Aquarium Light Types | | | | animals, fish need rest as well. Leaving them on |
| Regular Fluorescent Light | | | | longer can cause algae growth. You could invest in a |
| These are very affordable, cheap to run and easy to | | | | light timer, but I found it easy just to switch them on |
| replace. Most starter tanks will come with this type. | | | | when it got dark and then off again before I went |
| Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb | | | | to bed. |
| In comparison to regular fluorescent lights, these are | | | | A really cool thing to do with an aquarium light timer |
| much brighter, intense light. Be aware that these | | | | is to turn on the various lights at different times. |
| lights produce heat and may raise the water | | | | For example, with a compact fluorescent hood |
| temperature in your tank. This means you will need a | | | | incorporating an actinic bulb (produce only the blue |
| special hood, often with a fan, because of the heat | | | | end of the light spectrum), a full spectrum bulb and a |
| produced. | | | | moon light (delivers a night time lunar glow) you could |
| High Output (HO) Fluorescent Light | | | | simulate dawn and dusk in your aquarium! Although I |
| These usually last longer but are more expensive | | | | never had one, I don't think they were available |
| than regular florescent. They also require a T5 light | | | | when I bought my aquarium; I was at a friend's place |
| fixture. | | | | recently and her aquarium had a moon light in it. It |
| Very High Output (VHO) Fluorescent Light | | | | produced an awesome effect when all the other |
| Produce a lot of heat and very expensive and need | | | | lights in the room were off. |
| a special fixture. They do have fans built into the | | | | |