Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: The Lights In Your Freshwater Aquarium Need Replacing!

Imagine if you lived in a world with no light. It
would be strange and people who live in the
northern most hemisphere, do actually go weeks
and sometimes a few months with little or no
light, and have constant arguments and stress. We
humans need light AND dark to remain healthy both
physically and mentally and so do our fish in our
aquarium. When fish are neglected and go without
the cycle of light and dark, they tend to fight
with each other and it can be fatal. They need
the cycle of light and dark, night and day just
like we do to remain healthy. To do this we
humans have created some ingenious lighting
technologies that can simulate the lights of the
real watery habitat where the fish have come
from. There are many varieties of lights for the
many varieties of fish, and do a great job to
give the fish in an aquarium the right light
quality, in the correct amount per day.
Freshwater aquarium lights have come a long way
and are growing as the varieties of fish keep
growing.

The same is true with fish. Fish need light for
approximately the same eight hours a day that we
need it and will have sensory and health problems
if the lighting in the aquarium either stays on
or off for too long at a time. What are the
different kinds of lights for aquariums? How do
you balance light and dark in the aquarium and,
what is best for your fish when it comes to the
brightness level of light?

Lighting an aquarium also does some minor heating
in the tank. Most species of fish in their
natural habitat live in regions with water
temperatures of up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thus, relocating them means providing them with
ample light and heat to de-stress them. It is
said that the best aquarium lights should stand
inside reflector hoods positioned on top of the
tank's glass cover. In other designs, they are
placed above the tank on a special frame. It is
also best to attach timers to these hoods to
monitor the so-called photoperiod exposure as
fish do not usually need more than 12 hours of
light each day. Believe it ir not, your fish will
get accostomed to your lifestyle and the use of
natural window lighting and sleep cycle of the
home owners or business manager. You use this
gadget to normalize or regularize the lighting in
the fish tank.

In freshwater, bright light stimulates plants and
algae to absorb harmful nutrients and produce
oxygen. Ammonia and Nitrates are produced along
with the many other toxins that build up. The
ratio of needed light is based on the following:
bulb lux, Kelvin PAR, lumens per watt, watts per
gallon and lumen focus along with amount of fish
and plants in the tank.

Full-Spectrum Fluorescent Bulbs enhance your
fishes color and beautify your tank and are the
most common types of lights available. These
bulbs do not produce too much heat and thus is
friendly to your pet and tank's temperature. On
the other hand, Specialized Ultraviolet aquarium
lamps aids the fish in successful breeding and
plants with plant growth in the case of live
plants. For others, an Aqua Glo Color Max or a
thirty-watt light is enough to light a tank of 60
gallons.

Fantastic alternatives for great and nonexpensive
lights are in the output range of 5500 to 8000
kelvin. Be cautious though that higher PAR lights
may kill needed nutrients in the tank, and the
disease immunity of the fish. T- High Output
Lamps like the T5 have a PAR that is good for
the health of your fish and discourages the
growth of Brown Diatom Algae. Other lighting
choices are Double-ended HQI Metal Halide,
Socket-ended HID Metal Halide and LED or Light
Emitting Diode type of lights.

Metal halide lights both HQI and HID, can usually
get extremely hot and thus it must be coupled
with auxiliary fans for peripheral ventilation to
maintain a balance in the tank. When changing
bulbs, use cloth to prevent skin burns and to
avoid oils from your hands from contaminating the
bulb. T5 High output Lights on the other hand are
very compact and way cooler than metal halide
lights. Its bulbs vary in wattage according to
the size of tank: 24 watts for a 24-inch long
tank, 39 watts for 36 inches, 54 watts for 48
inches and 80 watts for 60 inches. The rather
more advanced and most expensive LED Aquarium
Light is an energy and heat saver. It is known
for its higher energy output and longer life of
up to 50,000 hours. Other lights are way behind
with only up to 8,000 to 10,000 hours long life.
There is also inexpensive lunar LED lights which
are best for moonlight simulation.

The light and heat of your fish tank playa a
major part in the balance of health and
maintenance of creating a habitat like that of
the real world. Light and heat can create water
temperature instability that may cause stress to
fish if not well-balanced. A lights effect on
fish can be manifested in the beautiful
pigmentation of fish in full color. For other
species, light and heat are very well needed for
breeding. Sometimes certain lights can hurt the
offspring of some varieties of fish.

While hobbyists tend to worry about an algae
outbreak due to putting on bright lights in a
tank, it must be noted that algae is natural and
is mainly caused by nutrients in the tank and not
only by the lights. For tanks using live plants,
light and heat are relatively useful in
photosynthesis and coloration. Except for
incandescent lights that often need replacement,
make sure you replace your light once a year for
safety. A freshwater aquarium light can be
expensive in this hobby, but it is an expense
which is very necessary. It spells life. Can you
imagine a pre-mature baby with no proper
incubation?

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