| The first thing to consider about lighting up reef | | | | white (also known as the daylight tubes) that |
| tanks is how much light you will be needing. The | | | | imitates sunlight and the actinic blue that closely |
| amount of light depends in a major way on the | | | | resembles the bluish color of the ocean bottom. It is |
| types of corals you are using in the tank. If your | | | | a good idea to buy a reef light that is a mixture of |
| corals are photosensitive, then you will certainly need | | | | 50% of spectrum and 50% of actinic blue (such |
| more light. Photosensitive corals can even die in the | | | | mixture lights are available). |
| absence of proper lighting. Reef lighting must be | | | | For those who do not mind spending a few extra |
| ideally 4 to 6 watts per gallon if the tank houses | | | | dollars on their reef tank lighting, the power compact |
| mostly low light sensitivity coral, but it must be up to | | | | fluorescent lights are the best options. These are |
| 10 watts per gallon if the coral is highly light sensitive. | | | | fluorescent tubes that are bent several times and |
| At the same time, the depth of the tank is also to | | | | attached to a power source from only one end. The |
| be taken into account. Since all kinds of aquarium reef | | | | advantage of these lights is that they occupy a very |
| lighting are placed on top of the tank, their intensity | | | | small space within the tank, but give better light than |
| will decrease as the light travels downwards. That is | | | | the VHO fluorescent lights do. A 55-watt power |
| why taller reef tanks must have more intense lights | | | | compact fluorescent light will produce as much light |
| than the squat ones. | | | | as a 95 watt VHO fluorescent light. They are also |
| The most popular kinds of lighting available for reef | | | | power saving, and work for a very long time. |
| tanks are the fluorescent tubes. The VHO (Very High | | | | Another option is to go for the metal halide lights. |
| Output) fluorescent tubes are the most commonly | | | | Metal halide lights are good at throwing light in the |
| used. These tubes produce light that is very close to | | | | reef tank, but they are not good for distributing light |
| natural light, and hence they are well suited to reef | | | | within the tank. Due to this reason, the tank can get |
| tanks. They produce very good intensities too (110 | | | | hot due to inadequate temperature distribution. |
| watts per 4 feet), which make them an economical | | | | However, metal halide lights are good for prohibiting |
| choice. The VHO fluorescent tubes spread the light | | | | the growth of algae within the tank. The metal halide |
| very evenly within the tank, which is good for | | | | lights are the cheapest among the different form of |
| temperature distribution. VHO fluorescent tubes are | | | | reef lighting. |
| available in two natural colors - the full spectrum | | | | |