aquarium light

Discover The Importance of Proper Aquarium Lighting

2008-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Aquarium light

Aquarium lighting is often the last item a person is thinking about when buying an aquarium. The lighting of an aquarium, however, is very important.

There are 4 different kinds of aquarium setups that may require different kinds of aquariumlighting:

Freshwater - fish only.
Freshwater - fish and plants.
Salt water - fish only.
Saltwater - fish and corals.

The most light-sensitive aquarium set up is the aquarium with saltwater fish and corals. Corals are categorized as animals, not plants, and therefore they are feeding from the light. So the proper aquarium lighting is very crucial and will make the difference between growing beautiful and lustrous corals and having them die in your reef tank.

Light is very important for all forms of life. It is no different for all the different forms of life in your aquarium. Corals and fresh water plants are especially in need of proper light conditions. When growing corals, it is of great importance to change light bulbs regularly. To have proper aquariumlighting, it is recommended to change light bulbs about every 8 months. It may at times not be so apparent to you, but you need to keep in mind that corals are highly sensitive to light.

Today there is an extensive variety of aquarium lighting available. So if you are owning a reef tank for example, you do have to be especially careful to provide the right lighting to have success in growing corals. Corals are strongly photosynthesizing which means they are using light as energy and if there is not enough energy (light) provided, corals will not grow and can even die.

Aquarium lighting is provided by short and long wavelength, blue and yellow light. You need a smaller amount of short wavelength light (actinic) and a larger amount of long wave light (yellow), depending on the type of aquarium life you are trying to promote.

The amount of light that you need does not necessarily depend on how big your aquarium is, but on how many corals you have got to feed daily.

When you use aquarium lighting you want to mimic the natural light. This means you need to have at least 8 to 10 hours of light provided to keep your aquarium with fish and plants healthy.

A timer will help you here to keep up with the light automatically. With the aid of a timer you can enjoy your aquarium without having to keep up with the on and off switching of your aquariumlight.

But you do need to keep up with the changing out of light bulbs about every 8 months and you need to do it regularly. A freshwater aquarium also needs proper aquarium lighting. For most of the freshwater tanks, fluorescent light bulbs are common. The strength of your fluorescent light bulb will depend again on how many freshwater plants you want to grow. Here, too, it may depend on how many plants you are growing in your tank.

Just like there are corals that need more light than others, there are also fresh water plants that may require more light than others. Your aquarium lighting may often be the reason why you are not able to grow healthy plants. So to keep your aquarium looking great and have beautiful growths of plants or corals make aquarium lighting an important priority!

Proper aquarium lighting is also important for all your fish and any other aquatic animal, and if you don't know the type of light they need, check with your pet store or aquarium store to find out what is optimal for them. - By Jon Arnold (Aquarium light)

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For more insights and additional information about Aquarium Lighting please visit our web site at http://www.fish-tank-aquarium.com

Aquarium Plants And Lighting Mini-guide (Aquarium Light)

2008-04-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Aquarium Light

Aquarium plants are as important to aquariums as water is to fish. Aquarium plants add more life to aquarium and make it to look beautiful while completing the aquarium community structure.

The most important thing to bear in mind with plants is to form an attractive background, leaving ample space so the fish can swim undisturbed and be seen. The tall, grassy type is best planted at intervals in rows, while the feathery ones look better when they are bunched into small clumps, which makes them to appear like branching bushes.

When planting rooted plants, hold the tips of the bunch of roots between the thumb and second finger and rest them on the sand. Now with the first finger push the upper part of the roots (where they join the stem) about 2cm into the sand. Without moving this finger scrape with the thumb and second finger some sand over any uncovered portion of the root.

When putting in rootless plants in bunches, the method explained above is repeated, but this time the lower ends of the stems are placed together and treated exactly as if they were roots.

It is important that the water surface should be right up to the lower edge of the top angle iron of the tank, so that looking from the front the water surface can not be seen and the viewer gets the impression that there is no water in the aquarium. If the level is allowed to fall below the top angle iron the tank looks like a container holding water.

Aquarium Lighting is also important for aquarium plants

This depends greatly on whether you intend to successfully grow plants or not. Lack of light causes colorful fish to fade and clanch-reds to pink, green to white. The two main methods of lighting aquarium are by the INCADESCENT and FLOURESCENT.

The total amount of light required is a matter of trial and error. Too much light will turn the water green; too little will stunt plant growth.

The lighting can be natural or artificial or a combination of both. The best position is near a north facing window. This should provide the ideal amount of indirect lights which an be supplemented by artificial light.

The lighting should be housed in wood constructed stylishly with the furniture and placed above the tank. if there is no natural day light, the lights should be left on for approximately eight hours per day.

If the water turns green, you cut down on the light.

The best light for showing off an aquarium comes from behind. - by Nathan Miller

About the Author

For more great aquarium related articles and resources check out http://www.aquariumspot.com

Do I need aquarium lighting for my pet fish? (Aquarium Light)

2008-04-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Aquarium light

To some people aquarium lighting for a pet fish seems a bit like adding a neon sign to a lemonade stand. It seems like overkill and wasted money. Yet is there a real reason to use aquarium lighting? Is it important to keep my fish healthy and under ethically fair conditions?

The fact is that there are a lot of reasons that almost every serious fish-owner thinks about tank lighting. Of course there is the aesthetic element. It makes the fish look good.

You simply cannot see the beauty of many fish in the dark. Their color is only revealed when lightaquarium then you want to make sure that you can see it! bounces off their reflective scales. If you're going to pay good money for a nice fish and a healthy large

Aquarium lighting is what takes "just a fish" and turns it into a conversation starter or a tasteful decoration.

Yet, there is a more important aspect to aquarium lighting. Most fish require it for health reasons. The lighting that a fish is under can affect many of the bodily systems including the reproductive organs. Also, the regularity and strength of light can affect a fish's stress levels.

Fish need around 12 hours of lighting per day to ensure that the tank conditions are as similar to natural conditions as possible. The lighting needs to be consistent as inconsistent lighting can cause stress in fish and lead to health problems. Timers can be bought to ensure that this is easily maintained.

Remember that fish cannot close their eyes and so the twelve hours a day of lighting should be during day time when they are awake. At night the lighting should go off in order for them to sleep.

Also, you need to make sure that lighting is as similar to natural light as possible; fluorescent lighting needs to be used. Flames and household light bulbs are no good; you need fluorescent lights which are to be replaced every eight months.

A general rule is that your aquarium needs 2.5 watts per each gallon of volume. However, if you are planning on keeping live coral or rocks in your aquarium then the lighting requirements are far higher and you may need up to 8 watts per gallon.

Also, many corals and marine plants require "full spectrum" fluorescent light. This is fairly hard to explain but research the plant that you are planning on buying and ensure that you have the right lighting. You don't have to know how it works to work it.

However, if you don't have coral or plant life then you might want to consider a "color-enhancing light". These can be used in freshwater or saltwater tanks and have a yellow or pink hue so as to make a real feature of your fish's colors.

The pitfalls of a badly lit aquarium are too much unwanted algae growth and indirectly will affect the CO2 and nutrient levels in your tank and so it is definitely an aspect of your aquarium to take seriously.

I hope that this article has helped you to consider this issue fully. If you are looking for a place to purchase aquarium lighting then I highly recommend: http://www.desertcoralaquatics.com - by J Gillard (Aquarium Light)

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Feel free to distribute and host this article wherever you please and free of charge as long as none of its content is changed.

For more infromation about search engine optimization please visit:

http://www.desertcoralaquatics.com

Aquarium lighting for reef tanks (Aquarium Light)

2008-04-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Aquarium Light

A topic that is not discussed very often is aquarium lighting for reef tanks. Although this topic is not discussed very much it is very important within a salt water reef tank.

After water quality the next most important thing is aquarium lighting for reef tanks, followed closely by water movement.

Water quality gives the tank stability as well as providing the corals with the essential elements. Aquarium lighting provides the corals with energy which they then use to grow. Water movement allows nutrients to be delivered to the corals for them to feed upon, as well as washing away waste. Water movement is also essential when natural filtration is used in the reef tank.

Inside all corals are millions upon millions of what is called symbiotic algae. The only exceptions are those corals which are classified as non-photosynthetic. These obtain their energy from feeding rather than from light itself. Photosynthetic corals obtain their primary source of energy from lightlight and then pass this energy on to the coral itself - a match made in heaven! and then also actively feed to obtain more energy. The symbiotic algae within the corals obtain energy from the

Different corals have different lighting requirements. For example, short polyp stony corals require much more intense lighting than soft corals do.

When choosing aquarium lighting for reef tanks you need to check two things in your reef tank. The first is the corals themselves, so that you can ascertain their requirements, and the other is the depth of the aquarium itself. Checking the depth is important as light can only penetrate so far into water before the colour is removed. It is amazing how quickly water can remove colour from light.

The depth of your aquarium as well as the corals you keep will determine which type of lighting you require. For example, if you keep soft corals then you could possibly just use fluorescent tubes. However, if you keep short polyp stony corals then metal halide lighting will be required. The depth needs to be checked because if you have a deep aquarium then the colour might not penetrate to the bottom of the aquarium. Water has the ability to be able to strip out colour at an amazing rate, therefore if you have a deep aquarium you will need lighting of enough power to be able to push the light to the bottom of the aquarium.

Another component of aquarium lighting for reef tanks which needs to be considered is that of Kelvin. Kelvin is the colour output and the higher the rating in the Kelvin scale the bluer the light will be. At the other end of the scale the lower the rating the more yellow/red it will be. Normally in a reef aquarium a Kelvin rating of 10,000K to 13,000K is utilised. This is a white/blue colour which replicates life on the reef at a depth of about 30m.

When placing corals into your reef aquarium you will need to first check what their lighting requirements are and then place them at the bottom of the reef tank and slowly move them up over time until they are in their final position. - by Peter Cunningham (Aquarium Light)

About the Author

Peter Cunningham and John Cunningham combined have been keeping salt water aquarium's for nearly 35 years. Their website Salt Water Aquarium provides a wealth of resources for learning how to start and maintain salt water aquariums.

Keep It Glowing With Aquarium Lighting (Aquarium Light)

2008-04-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

Aquarium Light

If you have your own aquarium at home, you need to take care of your fishes just like they were family because a bit of carelessness may cause them some trouble. You need to check if there is good aquarium lighting. This is important for aquarium plants and the fishes.

If your aquarium has poor aquarium lighting, your colorful fish may not be seen properly and it will also cause it to fade and turn the shades to other colors. If you want to have good aquarium lighting, you can choose between fluorescent or incandescent light.

If this is your first time to put up an aquarium, trying out the light may be from trial and error because you need to check if the light matches with the environment of your aquarium. Try to see first whether it is too dark or too light, then you can start adjusting the lights.

If you have too much aquarium lighting, it might cause the water to look green. If you have little light, it might cause to inhibit plant growth. You may choose whether you want artificial light or natural light. You can even make a combination to see which does better in giving light to your aquarium.

If you want the best aquarium lighting, you can place the light facing a window in the north. It is a good way to provide light in this manner because indirect lights are being spread. You can add artificial light to it if you want to. If it is daylight, it will be fine to shut the artificial lights off but when the natural light goes out, you need to let light stand in the aquarium for at least 8 hours.

You can also use light colored bulbs for your aquarium lighting. This will give impact to the nice colors of your fishes and the colors may even be enhanced. If you want your aquarium lighting to give a good effect to your aquarium, use light from behind. This will show the best features of your aquarium and the plant growth will stay healthy too.

Start gathering the best light that you wish to put in your aquarium. After setting up a good lighting, you might never take your eyes of your aquarium. A lot of people will surely notice and appreciate your aquarium because of the aquarium lighting that you have installed. - by Low Jeremy (Aquarium Light)

About the Author

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on aquariums, how to maintain, the basics of owning one, please visit http://aquarium.articlekeep.com

Aquarium Lighting Is Important For The Health Of Your Tank (Aquarium Light)

2008-04-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

Aquarium Light

Getting the proper amounts and types of lighting in your fish tank is vital to the health of your fish and plants. Even though your fish are in an aquarium inside your home, they still need to experience light as they would in nature so you want to be sure to provide around 12 hours of light a day. Consider using a timer so that you can consistently light the tank, inconsistent lighting may stress your fish which can lead to health problems.

Although most aquarium setups come with hoods that have lights fitted right into them, you can also purchase different types of fish tank lighting to suit your needs. Most beginning aquarists need only to use the lighting that is provided with the aquarium as long as it is flourescent lighting and your tank is for fresh water fish only.

If you want your fish to be their happiest, you should use flourescent lighting. This lighting resembles natural light more closely than incandescent and it will also show off the colors of your fish better. Incandescent lighting also has the drawback of throwing off a lot of heat which can cause the water in your aquarium to become to hot which can harm your fish. If your current setup has an incandescent light you should be able to easily change the bulb out and replace it with flourescent.

For a fish only tank, it is recommended that you have 3 watts of lighting for each gallon of water the tank holds. This ratio can be important when it comes to algae control and if you notice green algae taking over your tank it could be because your lights are too strong. You should plan to replace your lights every 8 months as the lighting will get weaker over time.

If you are planning on keeping plants in your fish tank, then the lighting requirements are a bit different. If you have tried to keep plants in your fish tank only to have them grow weak and die after a few weeks it is simply because you do not have the right type of light. Contrary to what many people think, aquarium plants are not hard to keep alive and should last as long as house plants with the proper lighting. If you want to keep anything other than a basic fern plant, you need a tri-phosphor tube or full spectrum flourescent bulb which will provide the full spectrum of light that plants require.

Aquarium lighting for tanks with plants is different than for all fish tanks. Aquarium plants can last as long as house plants if cared for properly. While you may be able to keep some fern like plants with regular flourescent aquarium lighting, most plants require a full spectrum flourescent bulb or tri-phosphor tubes which concentrate on the red, blue and green spectrum ranges.

If you have a saltwater tank that you plan to keep only fish in then the flourescent lighting you would use in a fresh water tank is probably sufficient. If you want to keep live coral or rocks you will need much more light. Many people start out thinking they only want to keep fish but eventually want to expand their horizons and add live rock and in this case it is wise to get a hood that has fixtures for 2 tubes, that way you can add more lighting as your aquarium grows. Although some corals can survive with 4 watts of light per gallon, most will need 5 - 8 watts to remain healthy and alive.

Keeping a fish tank can be a fun and relaxing hobby and with the proper lighting you can help keep your fish healthy and happy and feeling right at home in their tank. - by Lee Dobbins (Aquarium Light)

About the Author

Lee Dobbins is an aquarium enthusiast and writes for www.epet-center.com where you can learn more about fish tanks and tropical fish.

Aquarium Lighting (Aquarium Light)

2008-04-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

Aquarium Light

Aquariums need light for the fish to survive, this doesn't matter if it is a freshwater set up or a marine set up. There are however different types of lights available for each one. A lot of fish require different lighting conditions; your fish shop will advise you which is best for the fish that you are keeping.

Fluorescent lighting is best for brightly coloured fish this gives the impression of bold colours and a mysterious effect in the tank which makes the fish stand out even more. All aquarium lights are available in the different sizes to suit your tank, as there are lots different sizes of tanks available. Most tanks don't come with lights attached to the hood of the tank. They need to be purchased separately; this is expensive as you also need to buy the attachment for the lights as well.

There are harder lights needed for marine tanks, the reefs that can be made in these tanks need a lot of pure light and getting a lot of light means a large and expensive light bulb! The corals and anemones need a lot of light and sensitivity to survive, so lights should be a great factor in your aquarium if you are going to be setting up a coral reef.

Aquarium lighting is available at all fish and pet shops, they are easy to install but are very overpriced. I think, you can probably find second hand lights better but be sure to make sure that they are working before you purchase them or that was a waste of money.

Lighting your aquarium is essential that is how your tank is defined, if your lights are cheap and nasty then don't expect a good look in your tank, but if you spend that extra on good reliable and beautiful lights then you are sure to have a fish tank set up that is worth looking at! Explore all different colours of lights as well don't just stick to white there are pink, green and blues out there too, experiment with them and see what best suits your tank! - by William R. Nabaza

About the Author

William Nabaza of http://www.Nabaza.com specializes in domains, webhosting, webmaster's tools, netpreneur's articles and resources. Stands out as a freebie provider, business opportunity provider and the like. Visit his site at http://www.nabaza.com or contact him directly at william@nabaza.com There's more pet resources here: http://www.nabaza.com/pets.htm (Aquarium Light)