Lighting your aquarium can be one of the most difficult tasks for the new hobby. Many people plan their first marine aquarium suffers from analysis paralysis. They get hung up, to discover what light is best for your aquarium. They advise their local store and online forums are fish, but often result in the wrong way.
In 2010, there are only a few types of lighting should be aware of. If you plan to fish only, and maintaincalled a fish only aquarium is well with the stock standard lighting, which comes with the tank. If you want to keep an aquarium with live coral, then you should consider the following options.
Compact Power was definitely the most popular lighting from 2000 to 2005. He delivered a major upgrade from the light output to normal. It 'still worth a lot of tanks today, but there are better ways and cheaper.
O Very high output VHO lighting. Noteven consider purchasing this type of light. The technology is obsolete. Parts and replacement bulbs are harder to find.
Metal halide lighting is still a very popular option. It offers a nice shiny that you can grow nearly every type of coral. The disadvantages of metal halide lamps are lamps, the amount of energy needed to produce the device and the amount of heat they run. These lights can be expensive, ten or more hours a day and youYou may need a cooler to keep your aquarium cool if you buy live in a warmer climate. Metal halide lamps should be every 6-12 months.
T5 lighting is rapidly becoming the first choice for most saltwater aquariums. The onion can be intense as the metal halide bulbs, but only half the energy. They also produce less heat, and each bulb must be replaced once a year. Another great advantage is that you can control the color of the light spectrum, becauseseveral lamps that are replaced for your aquarium can be blue or white.
Finally, it has LED lighting. In 2010, this technology is still too expensive for the average hobbyist. It delivers the performance and brightness of metal halide lamps without the heat, and the ability to paint like the T5 lamps for lighting control. In the next ten years, LED lighting standard in saltwater aquarium will be.
