What are the types of freshwater aquarium lighting used?

There is a number of different artificial lighting sold in the market today than can be used to brighten your fish tanks, although not all of the options can be used in all kinds of aquariums available, as each of them have specific features used for equally specific purposes.

Proper freshwater aquarium lighting generally omits the use of incandescent bulbs in fish tanks. This is because of their high energy consumption, coupled with the low luminous output of an incandescent bulb, followed by its disadvantage of getting hot too easily. Therefore, it is a light source far too inefficient for it to be properly used in a fish tank.

On the other hand, fluorescent bulbs are one of the most used kind of lighting for freshwater aquariums. Unlike the incandescent bulb, fluorescent lighting produces a relatively high luminosity at low energy consumption. The fact that they are readily available totally makes fluorescent lamps favorable for aquarium use.

Metal halide lamps are one of the better lighting sources to use in a fish tank, mainly because of the intense lighting that it can provide. The light emitted by a metal halide lamp is so intense that it can mimic the sun's actual light effect on earth, making it the best choice if you want to replicate a busy marine ecosystem. The downside is that it's quite expensive, and a bit hard to maintain.

What is the appropriate type of lighting to use?

You have to know the general state of marine life inside your aquarium, as well as the actual specification of the aquarium itself, before you can decide on what kind of lighting you can use. Other factors that you have to consider include the depth of the water, with its direct relation for the required lighting that can envelop the entirety of the fish tank, and the general population of the aquarium itself.

In a fish only aquarium, it is not really necessary to use any intense lighting, as fish usually survive at a medium amount of lighting. Aquariums of this type should have a general wattage of 2-3 watts per tank gallon.

In a fish tank with live plants in it, the more intense the lighting, the better. A 4 watts per tank gallon should be the minimum wattage for these fish tanks. Be wary of special types of marine plants that need a specific rate of luminosity, though. You can either research about them or ask an expert about the lighting requirements for these plants.

How do you install artificial lighting effectively?

A simple way is to place the light bulb at an area overhead, so that the light it produces is scattered evenly throughout the entire fish tank. Also, it is recommended that you try to focus the light towards the plants at the bottom of the fish tank, so that they can grow well.

Alternatively, you can simulate how time passes by regulating the light of your aquarium, lighting up brightly during the day and turning off at night. When you simulate the effects of night and day this way, you prevent the fish and plants from getting too stressed due to life in an artificial environment. Additionally, you also lighten the mood of the fishes and plants, as the feel like they are living in their natural habitat.