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 light bounces off their reflective scales. If you're going to pay good money for a nice fish and a healthy large aquarium then you want to make sure that you can see it!
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
