How can you ensure that your aquarium is well lit? Below, we look at some of the factors you need to consider. Lumen refers to the amount of light a lighting source produces. Most LED and fluorescent bulbs have lumen ratings on them. Plants require different lumens. The light must reach every corner of the aquarium to ensure optimum plant growth.
Therefore opt for two LED or T5 bulbs to reach shaded areas. Alternatively, you can opt for an LED array that evenly distributes light and mitigates decorations from blocking light. Avoid using one bulb as it provides uneven light spread. The color of the light also affects plant photosynthesis. Besides, the red color enables the optimum coloration of red-colored plants. The trick is to go for a color spectrum that will improve the look of the tank.
LED lights do not produce excess heat experienced when using fluorescent bulbs. Heat can cause increased stress levels in a fish and also affect the health of the plants. Besides, you can provide dim light using this type which mimics moonlight. While white light is essential for photosynthesis and flaunting blue hues, blue light significantly shows off the green and red-colored plants hence providing an excellent color contrast.
That said, you should try different colors to see which works best for your tank. Consider the light spread, lumen, and color spectrum before installing any light in your aquarium. I am a passionate fish keeper, with years of experience. You will find some really useful tips and information on this blog about Freshwater Aquariums.
Even the most uninterested person knows more or less about Betta fish. In case of algae thriving in your tank even in fairly low light, consider adding algae eaters siamese algae eaters, shrimp like ghost and Amano, Amano shrimp , and snails mystery, nerite.
Proper aquarium lighting is essential to fish and plants, but so is the period of darkness for them to rest and replenish.
Keep your aquarium light on for the recommended 8 to 12 hours then turn off the light to mimic the natural day and night cycle. In case your fish gets restless when the lights go out, turn off the room overhead light an hour before your tank lights.
This should give the fish eyes an hour to adjust to the lower light setting before complete darkness. As I stated in the paragraph above, most tropical aquarium fish only need a maximum of 12 hours of light a day, followed by a period of darkness. Preferably, this should follow the daily light cycle. As such, most of your fishes may probably not need light at night unless they are nocturnal bottom-dwelling fish or inverts like snails that prefer to feed at night.
For purposes of your aquarium aesthetics, you can use moonlight aquarium bulbs to illuminate your tank at night. The calm lighting will accentuate your aquarium but still allow your finny friends to get some sleep. Most people will remember to feed their fish when leaving for vacation but fewer remember to schedule their aquarium lights for when they are away. While some aquarists are not even sure whether to leave the lights on or off while they have a good time away from home.
If anything, leaving the lights on could be a fire hazard and will encourage algae growth. But if you have plants in your aquarium, then you will need to leave the lights on with a timer recommended running a diurnal setting. Alternatively, if your aquarium room is properly illuminated, leave the tank near a window to take advantage of the natural day-night cycle.
This is especially true for smaller aquariums where the possible increase in temperature can be significant. Generally, metal halides and incadescent bulb produce a lot of heat and are therefore not the best for aquariums. Besides, incadescent technology is pretty much outdated. The more obvious and appropriate light source would, therefore, be either LED or fluorescent, but given the two, LEDs are the harder hitter.
A thing to note if you choose to go with fluorescent; T5 or T8 fluorescent lights are not synonymous with VHO-fluorescent, which like metal halides, will spike your aquarium water temperature. Also, T5 bulbs are preferable as opposed to T8 and T12 because of their skinny bulbs, narrow footprint, availability, efficiency, and low heat output. Each aquarium environment is different, thus the only sure way to know how long to keep aquarium light on is trying out different setting until you find the perfect fit.
Even so, consider variables like natural and ambient lighting since every home is inherently unique. Installing a timer or purchasing a unit with integrated timing can make lighting easier——just set it and forget it. Keep in mind algae loves light as well.
So if you notice algae growth starting, cut back on the duration. Another option is to leave the lights off while at work and have them on when at home. Do I need a glass canopy? There already is a lot of information available, for example at www. Well, LED lights are more expensive compared to fluorescent lights. This is a major reason why people do not buy LED lights. When you have LED lights, you are set for many years. Different sources say anywhere between 4 to 6 years before LED lights need replacing.
This is not the case for fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lights need to be replaced about once a year because they will decrease in strength gradually. While being initially cheaper, with all the replacements it might become more expensive.
Furthermore, LED can be aimed at the desired position, whereas fluorescent light also illuminates upwards. While the surface of the aquarium top is bright and reflects all the light, LED is way more efficient. And finally, LED is way more efficient and therefore uses way less energy. This is extremely beneficial for your energy bill, especially with larger tanks. Regulating aquarium lighting is crucial for multiple reasons. We want the light to switch on and off on the same time, and we want the brightness to be the same every day.
This is the same for feeding on the same times, but that is a small side note. To obtain this, make sure you are using a timer. Using a timer that you can program to switch on and off the lights for you seems obvious to so many people, and chances are that you are already using one already.
However, I have talked with a lot of people who turned on and off their lights every day by hand. Possible, but do it consistent or use a timer. Furthermore, lights need to be replaced. Especially when you are using fluorescent lights and they decrease in strength over time.
I replace my fluorescent lights once a year, and I really notice a difference every time I put in a new one. There are a lot of lights which have a dimmer, so you can actually change the brightness of you lights.
When you notice you have too much light but do not want to decrease the duration, you can also turn down the intensity. Whenever someone asks me what products I recommend buying, these are the first 5 items that come to mind.
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