Aquarium Light Exposure for Your Fishes

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Posted by admin | Posted in Aquarium Light | Posted on 08-11-2009

Aquarium light exposure for your fishes is an important aspect that requires careful consideration when you are planning your aquarium design. You need to decide the amount of lighting you want to provide for them. If too little or too much light is given, there will be bad consequences for both your fishes and live plants in your aquarium.

The intensity and the period of lighting needed depend on the type of fishes you have in the aquarium. If your fishes are those that are more active in the night than day, then low lighting is recommended. If you have fishes which are already accustomed to bright light while in the wild, they would certainly prefer to have bright lighting when placed in a fish tank. Hence, you need to provide brighter aquarium lighting for this kind of fishes.

As live plants are dependent on lighting for their survival, there should be sufficient lighting provided for them within an appropriate length of time for a day. It is important to note that providing too little light can cause the gradual death of plant and corals. This is because too little light will inhibit the process of photosynthesis and the plants will turn yellow. On the other hand, providing too much light can cause the production of algae. The growth of algae would not only be found on the glass of the tank, but also on some of the plants as well. The plants will eventually be choked to death by the algae. Thus, it would be good that the aquarium light is connected to a timer and be switched on for about 10 hours a day. All fishes need a day and night light cycle to be repeated.

It is advisable to note that a fish has a biorhythm that responds to changing intensity of lighting. Initially, when you switch off the aquarium light, you should wait for about 10 minutes before switching off the room lights. This is to allow the fish some time to adjust. If they are plunged to sudden darkness, they may panic and swim wildly. After the fishes are well adjusted to the surroundings in the aquarium, you can switch off both the aquarium lights and room lights at the same time. Another point to note is that fluorescent tubes radiate light in all directions. In order to direct the light to shine on the aquarium, it would be good to fix a reflector to the lighting. That would help to maximise the use of light produced.

Aquarium light exposure for your fishes is an aspect you need to consider carefully. The above are some points for you to note when you consider the amount of lighting you wish to provide for your aquarium. Appropriate amount of lighting is necessary for them to live well.

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Aquarium Light Benefits

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Posted by admin | Posted in Aquarium Light | Posted on 04-11-2009

Aquarium light is an important feature of an aquarium. It provides benefits for both the fishes and plants in the aquarium. A common type of lighting used for aquariums is fluorescent tubes. It is considered as an appropriate type of lighting for a fish tank. Using this form of aquarium lighting has several advantages.

Many fishes are dependent on their coloration during signalling and courtship. As aquarium light helps to enhance the colours of the fish, it aids the fish in these activities. Fish aquarium lighting also enables the fish to see their surroundings better. In particular, it helps them to see their food as and other fishes. Plants depend on light to survive. They need light to photosynthesize and manufacture their own food. Furthermore, in the process of photosynthesis, they give out oxygen which is beneficial for the fishes. The best part of all is that lighting enhances the beauty and colour of the fish tank.

One of the most widely used forms of aquarium lighting is fluorescent tubes. However, you should only use aquatic fluorescent tubes which are specially designed for aquariums. One advantage of fluorescent lighting is that it does not produce too much heat and hence, do not have any bad effects on the water temperature of the aquarium. The low heat also allows the tubes to be placed inside a hood. Another advantage is that these tubes emit light from the red and blue portion of the spectrum which corresponds to that of natural sunlight. Thus, it serves as a good alternative to sunlight for the fishes. Besides, fluorescent tubes have a long life, an estimate of several thousand hours. Hence, you do not need to change the tubes very often. This saves you some costs. In fact, fluorescent tubes are not costly to buy and are easy to maintain. Furthermore, they are sufficiently bright for use.

Fluorescent lighting is available in different spectrums. For example, there are white, blue and pink light tubes. White light tubes are designed to replicate the noon sunlight while blue light tubes are meant to replicate the moonlight. Pink tubes are good in enhancing the colours of the fish and improving plant growth. You can have a choice of selecting the colour that suits your needs.

Aquarium light, as shown above, provides benefits for the fishes and plants in the aquarium. The best part is that it is able to transform your fish tank from a dark and dull one to a bright and colourful one. As seen from above, fluorescent lighting has several advantages. Most importantly, they are widely available, and are not costly to install and maintain.

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