Does Your Aquarium Have The Right Lighting System?
Finding the best lighting for your aquarium should not be that difficult for you now since I have covered the four main types of lighting:
What you need to do now is to take your home aquarium to the next level—give your aquarium a complete lighting system. To do that, first we must understand what makes up an aquarium lighting system.
What Makes Up An Aquarium Lighting System?
The basic aquarium setup usually comprises a tank, hood and lighting. The lighting system alone comprises different components. These are sold separately or combined in various permutations. Before purchasing these items, consider carefully the purposes they are intended for, the options available, and the pros and cons of each item.
Hoods: As most aquariums require regular maintenance, a full hood that opens up with ease would be a practical choice.
Glass hoods are suitable for those using a more sophisticated mix-and-match lighting systems.
Metal halide lamps generally produce high emissions of heat and harmful UV radiation. If such lights are used, they are best fitted in hoods that come with built-in fans and UV-absorbent filters.
Hi-tech lighting hoods are sleek, compact and efficient in design—and more expensive, of course. Most are designed for customized bulb sizes that are not easily available.
Timers: Lighting hoods fitted with electronic ballasts can be operated by timers which automatically turn the lighting system on and off at the same time every day.
Reflectors: When light strikes the water surface, it enters the water and gets absorbed by particles or is reflected (depending on the angle of the light rays). This is where reflectors come in—these devices direct light where it is needed. There are two basic types of reflectors: divergent and convergent, which either scatter or focus light rays into the aquarium.
Shields: A shield is a useful piece of glass separating the bulbs and the aquarium surface. It keeps water away from the bulbs, which could shatter or explode if rapidly cooled while running. It helps prevent glass from falling into the aquarium if a bulb should break. It helps to keep heat away from the water and reduce the harmfulness of UV emissions.
Shields should be cleaned regularly as they reflect or refract light rays, thus affecting the direction and amount of light striking the water surface.
Ballasts: Hoods may be fitted with ballasts, which come in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs. Select one appropriate for the particular bulb and wattage used, otherwise a burn-out lamp or even a fire could result!
A ballast is necessary to regulate the voltage from the power source in your house levels that will enable the lighting to operate properly. It comprises a transformer and capacitor, and converts electrical energy from the power outlet into bulb energy. Ballasts and bulbs are rated in milliamps.
Mermaid Highly Recommends:
Jul 12th 2007
12:26 PM
There are a lot of aspects of aquarium lighting to consider, as this is one of the fastest growing area of knowledge and research in the aquarium industry.
Important aspects include; Kelvin, Nanomters, Wattage, PAR, Lux and more.
Also there are more types of bulbs available today including the efficient SHO and LED aquarium lights.
This article has a lot of up to date information about aquarium lighting: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html