Importance of Freshwater Aquarium Lighting
Freshwater aquarium is regarded as another manifestation of a real underwater world where live organisms thrive and developed such as fish and other aquatic plants. It is a concrete example of what a true marine ecosystem is though caged in a container but still actual moving fish can be found there. There are a number of factors to maintain the natural habitat of these aquatic creatures such as fish tank, cleaning methods and proper lighting. Lighting is very essential to everybody humans and animals alike. Fish do also need light to live longer and it is more beautiful to look at if your freshwater aquarium is properly lighted upon. These are the suggested types of artificial lighting necessary for your freshwater aquarium:
Fluorescent Lamps
Fluorescent lamps are the better option available for your freshwater aquarium since it can emit a better quality of lighting but not consuming a high amount of electricity. The famous kind of lamp in this type is the Compact Fluorescent Lamp which has a power range of about 10 to 100 watts. It has an average temperature of 4700°C to 9700°C and specially attached cooling fans purposely to regulate heating capacity in your freshwater aquarium. An energy saver at its best since it can emit light brightly as it can while maintaining its energy consumption at a minimum level.
Metal Halide Lamps
This type of artificial lighting is more expensive than the most conventional fluorescent lamps and is difficult to maintain as well. Since this is the upgraded type of fluorescent lamps metal halide lamps is a compact, powerful and more efficient light source. This is perfect for reef tanks that usually require high level of intense lighting. Its intensity can be almost compared of that of the sunlight and is great for light simulation for most aquariums. Simulation of light can be performed by putting on the light for a whole day time and putting it off on night time just like a normal sunlight does to create a more balanced marine life setting.
Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s)
Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) is considered to be the nest generation type of artificial lighting. It has more lighting features than any fluorescent types of lamp. Light emitting diodes are relatively smaller than fluorescent lamps and have low energy consumption. This is ideally recommended for your freshwater aquarium because of its controlled heat capacity.
Maintaining proper lighting for your fresh water aquarium poses a responsibility which one has to do willingly because this artificial lighting if not give ample attention may damage your whole aquarium set up. Ask yourself if you are willing to do your part and spare adequate time to secure its safety.
Properly check your aquarium at a given period of time at regular intervals. Different levels of lighting can be applied to aquarium with only fish on it compared to those with live plants and fish combined. If you planned to have fish only in your aquarium low lighting is appropriate then you have to use round 2 to 3 watts per tank gallon while for those aquariums with plants and fish combined more lighting is recommended. You may opt to use 4 watts per tank gallon. Still it is your duty to search for valid information on some plants that need specialized lighting since there are plants that requires so.
Fish can easily get stressed in a prolonged lighting condition that’s why simulated lighting is still very much recommended. This is done by copying exactly how a sun lights. For your freshwater aquarium it is best to turn on the light for the whole day just like the way the sun rises and put it off during night time. This creates a similar surrounding as natural as it can be to the fish and the rest of the marine life inside your aquarium.
