Lighting is essential for the balanced development of plants in an aquarium. When choosing aquarium lamps for plant growth, take into account the species composition of the underwater fauna, the peculiarities of its growth in the natural environment. The choice of lighting fixture is influenced by the type, depth, and shape of the aquarium, as well as the owner’s wishes for color lighting.
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Aquarium Lighting Selection Characteristics
The main characteristics of lighting include power, color temperature, color rendering index, and light spectrum.
Power is the energy that is carried by radiation across a surface per unit of time. The power of light sources for aquariums is 8-56 W.
Color temperature is a parameter that measures the perception of the color of the light flux by a person. By the value of this value, lighting is considered warm, cold or neutral. Blue means high color temperature, red means low.
The color temperature of shades of white light is as follows: warm white 3000 K, cold white 5000 K, neutral white 4000 K. Lighting devices with a color temperature of 6500-8000 K can transmit the natural color of underwater plants.
Color rendering index – this parameter determines the degree of correspondence of colors visible to humans with natural colors. The values of this coefficient range from 0 to 100.
If it is 0, then the fixture does not render colors. If the coefficient is in the range from 91-100, then the color is as close to the original as possible.
The light spectrum is the wavelength range of 380 to 789 nm visible to the human eye, which is perceived as different colors. Short waves in our perception are purple, long waves are red.
aquarium lighting by volume
The lighting level is calculated according to the “watts per liter” rule. The total power of all light sources in the aquarium must be divided by its volume. A value of 0.1 W / l and more means that the illumination is strong, 0.25 W / l – weak.
An example of the right lighting for a large aquarium.
With the active use of energy-saving technologies, this rule has ceased to be universal. Different lighting fixtures, having the same power, emit different amounts of light.
Therefore, when choosing the level of illumination, instead of watts, they began to use lumens. The total number of lumens must be divided by the volume of the reservoir. A high level of illumination is considered a value of more than 50 Lm / L, a low level – 15-25 Lm / L, an average – 25-50 Lm / L.
intensity aquarium lighting
The lighting level is calculated according to the “watts per liter” rule. The total power of all light sources in the aquarium must be divided by its volume. A value of 0.1 W / l and more means that the illumination is strong, 0.25 W / l – weak.
With the active use of energy-saving technologies, this rule has ceased to be universal. Different lighting fixtures, having the same power, emit different amounts of light. Therefore, when choosing the level of illumination, instead of watts, they began to use lumens. The total number of lumens must be divided by the volume of the reservoir. A high level of illumination is considered a value of more than 50 Lm / L, a low level – 15-25 Lm / L, an average – 25-50 Lm / L.
different types of lights for aquarium
HALOGEN AND INCANDESCENT LAMPS
Halogen and incandescent bulbs are affordable and emit sunlight-like light. In doing so, they heat up and overheat the water in the aquarium. You can use this type in aquariums without harm to fish and vegetation, only by first installing coolers that remove heat. A small part of the energy of a halogen lamp (3%) is spent on lighting, and this is its disadvantage. The service life is short and amounts to 1000 hours.
METAL HALOGEN
Metal halogen lamps are highly emitting and simulate sunlight. They are designed to illuminate marine aquariums. They are used depending on the lumen output with compatible ballasts.
Devices of this type emit a point light, so the heat is concentrated at one point. To avoid overheating of the water, they install coolers or periodically turn off the lighting fixtures. The power of the metal-halogen lamp is 70-1000 W.
LED: Is LED Light Good For Fish Tanks
Light-emitting diode lamps (LED) have a rich color spectrum and retain it throughout their entire service life. They do not heat up much, consume a minimum of electricity and last up to 50,000 hours. Various color combinations allow you to customize the intensity and color of the lighting in your aquarium. In comparison with fluorescent sources, the directionality of the light of such a lamp is pointwise, does not scatter on the sides and does not require the installation of reflectors.
Fluorescent: Are fluorescent lights good for aquariums?
Fluorescent lamps are one of the most popular types of lamps for aquarium lighting.
For shallow tanks up to 50 cm deep, fluorescent lamps with normal light output are used. For deep aquariums, the High Output and Very High Output models with high radiation efficiency are suitable. Their intense light penetrates deeper.
The disadvantage of fluorescent lamps is that they do not preserve the color spectrum for the entire service life and require replacement every six months to a year.
Aquarists use lamps with T5 and T8 bases (12 and 26 mm). Compared to T8, T5 sources are more expensive, but emit 2 times more light.
Combine lighting
Combining several different types of fixtures will help you create the optimal light balance in your aquarium. The most common combination of fluorescent lamps and LED, less often fluorescent and metal-halogen are used. They are also combined according to the temperature of the light ..
How many hours of daylight do fish need?
Many aquarium plants live in the tropics, where the length of daylight hours does not depend on the season and is equal to 12 hours. Standard lighting of natural reservoirs, taking into account the refractive index of light in water, does not exceed 10 hours. In aquariums, the duration of daylight should be 9-10 hours per day. Dimmers are used to adjust the brightness, timers are used to automatically adjust the illumination time.
freshwater aquarium lighting rule
Aquarium lighting regulations are based on luminous flux rates per liter of water.
The standards are given for halogen lamps and incandescent lamps:
- 0.2-0.4 W / l – shade-loving plants and fish;
- 0.4-0.5 W / l – plants that are not demanding on lighting;
- 0.5-0.8 W / L – standard herbalist;
- 0.8-1.0 W / l – light-loving plants.
On the left is the illumination of light-loving plants, on the right is a dim light for shade-loving plants.
best aquarium lights brands
PHYTO LAMPS
Sylvania GRO-LUX enhances the natural coloration of fish and underwater plants. Due to the high level of blue and red spectrum, it creates favorable conditions for the growth of aquarium vegetation. Revitalizes the processes of photosynthesis. Designed for fresh aquariums. Its color temperature is 8500 K. The lamp is durable and will last up to 10,000 hours.
Phytolamp Osram T8 Fluora activates the processes of photosynthesis, accelerates the growth of aquarium plants, saturates the color palette of underwater inhabitants. In addition to aquariums, it can be installed in greenhouses and greenhouses. Service life – 10,000 hours.
The medium-bright Hagen Flora Glo aquarium plant lamp emphasizes the natural coloration of fish and favorably influences the development of underwater fauna. Luminaires are installed in aquariums and terrariums. Works in combination with other models of the brand such as Marine Glo and Power Glo for marine aquariums.
FOR MARINE AQUARIUM
Marine aquarium lighting with JBL Solar Ultra Marin Day.
JBL Solar Ultra Marin Day is specially designed for lighting marine aquariums.
Cool white light, 15,000K color temperature and increased brightness are the conditions under which corals and other invertebrates feel comfortable. Service life – 10,000 hours.
The Hailea Extra Reef T5 lamp with a predominance of blue and cyan spectral region mimics the illumination characteristics of corals at depth.
FULL SPECTRUM LIGHTING
The JBL Solar Ultra Natur LT 39WT5-HQ 9000K lamp has a high level of color rendering and ensures that the natural shades of the inhabitants of the aquarium are preserved.
Used in freshwater and marine reservoirs. Most effective when combined with the JBL Solar Tropic model.
The medium brightness Hagen Sun Glo lamp maintains natural light in the aquarium, emits a warm yellow light, and is installed in freshwater aquariums.
TO CREATE AN INTENSE COLOR
Dennerle Color Plus T5 brightens the natural coloration of aquarium dwellers in red, blue and orange. Has a protective film that protects the aquarium from UV rays and prevents the growth of algae. The lamp is durable and lasts up to 10,000 hours.
