Getting the right aquarium lights can be confusing. Due to the confusion it’s necessary to point out the types of lights and what their used for. Once you are finished reading this article you will have a clear picture on what light is for what environment. This might also save you from killing a few fish. There are freshwater fluorescent, plat bulbs, actinic fluorescent, halide bulbs, compact fluorescent, high output and more than high and finally the incandescant bulbs. Each of these have been created for a specific purpose and can help make a clear decision on what you’re looking for.

The Standard fluorescant Bulb
These fish tank lights are designed for the general tank. This means that if the tank has no special features and doesn’t require much light or heat, then this bulb is the one for the job. These types of lights can be made in various sizes and intensities. These bulbs are special specific to those animals who don’t need a lot.

The Freshwater bulb
These aquarium lights are designed for the fish who can only live in freshwater. The type of water ensures that the tank will stay healthy and long lasting. The plants in the aquarium need a lot of light in order to keep themselves healthy. They feed off of the light and it begins a process of feeding. It also makes a nitrogen based atmosphere which allows the plants to grow and become healthier.

Actinic bulbs
These bulbs are fluorescant bulbs that create a higher frequency than the original light. This is called the ultraviolet spectrum of light. It is blue in color and high in frequency and consciousness. This light is perfect for any fish that tends to lean away from low density light rays and gravitate towards a higher frequency. Most fish will prefer this type of light over another. This light has been known to carry some healing strength and most animals that lie underneath a light like this, generally get sick at a slower rate. Due to the frequency of this light, the plants and tanks that hold them are generally dark and ominous. Each animal prefers this light from the ones that I have observed.

The Halid Bulbs
This type of aquarium lighting is considered to be the most intense type of light you can buy that is designed to an aquarium. These are best for large tanks that are designed for show and will increase the production value of the visual. This is the light you will see when you walk into aspect store with a huge aquarium in it.

High Output bulbs
The aquarium lights that have a high output are going to cost more. Due to the rays they shine in on the tank the electricity will be higher. They are used for freshwater tanks that require more heat in deeper water.

All of these aquarium lights are designed for a specific purpose. We have outlined a few of these types in the hopes that it will clear up any questions you have.

T5 lighting is a type of fluorescent lighting that focuses more on illumination as oppose to heat generation. When used for aquarium lighting it can produce a very unique effect in relation to the water that creates a sort of mysterious vibe when you look at it.

By choosing T5 lighting you will have aligned yourself with the benefits that come with it. First and foremost, it last way longer than most , at a rate of 2000 every 2 feet of light depending on the amount of T5 lighting you have in place. You should be very well off when it comes to light. A very efficient light at about 54 watts can produce 5000 lumens which is about 83 lumens per watt. This means that you get a higher energy output for less costs to keep it maintained. So it’s cheaper and saves you money for your aquarium lighting in the long run.

T5 lighting has amazing maintenance and very little down time if any at all. This type of light whether it be T5 or T8 never loses its luminosity. There is very little difference between a brand new light and one that has been functional for over a year.

Those of you who know about fluorescent lights and some that of you don’t know that the colour of an old bulb is more pleasing to the eye than one that makes everything look dead. When you walk into a doctor’s office and they have T5 lighting, you instantly know it because everything is white and it almost feel empty. With the wide variety of T5 aquarium lighting available, it’s not a 1 glow fits all. Rather they are very customizable and can be changed for your own preference depending on how much you’re willing to pay.

Size does matter when it comes to fish tank lights and it’s always nice to know that with T5 lighting you can customize it to fit any angle and design that you have going for you. While they aren’t made of rubber, the slick potential behind every T5 light gives you the freedom to get creative with your own tank.

One of the main benefits of T5 lighting and one of the reason they have grown in popularity is because of the instant restrike ability with all of the lights. This means that if there is a power outage, your light swill automatically come back on when power is restored, if the switch is on. Unlike old Watson bulbs that can take up to 5 minutes to re-strike to let you know that power is back on.

T5 lighting is ideal for aquarium lighting, based on its functionality and its use ability along with its cost friendly approach to efficiency, there really isn’t another bulb like it. So to recap, you are saving money by choosing T5 lighting and you are able to customize it to whatever you want it to look like and be seen as.

LED Aquarium lighting is widely known and used for fish tank lights for many reasons and benefits that will be outlined in this article. First and foremost, aquarium lighting is not to be taken with a “I’ll just put a light beside and it and let it be” and this can’t be done for a few reasons.

With aquarium lighting you are pretty much building an isolated eco-system to which living organism depend upon you to create a habitable environment for them. So why are fish tank lights so important?
Fish tank lights can be considered what the sun is considered to us and continuous studies in regards to what the sun actually provides us still in a great part lies unsolved. However, the basics are that it provides lights and creates food for plants, allows the environment to grow and enrich itself and for us humans it allows us to see what’s actually going on.

So if we admit that the lighting in your aquarium is actually the sun to the environment below it, then a little bit more care should be put into deciding what type of fish tank lights you should be putting into your aquarium. One of the better type of lighting that creates heat is called LED aquarium lighting.
LED means a light emitting diode and it is a demi conductor diode that emits light when it is introduced with an electrical current. LED aquarium lighting is the exact same technology except it is used for aquariums.

LED aquarium lighting does produce heat and alters the makeup of the tank, but nothing compare to other forms of aquarium lighting. The greatest benefit of all is that it is the absolutely cheapest way for you to power your aquarium and to keep it shining all day if you’d like. While other types of light such as metal halide will be responsible for the foremost part of your electrical bill, this type of energy will not. I recommend LED aquarium lighting for those of you who are new to the aquarium game and just want to have something that works and that looks great.

LED aquarium lights looks absolutely beautiful. They shimmer off the water and it looks absolutely beautiful. I invite you to go take a look at what a finished product using LED aquarium lights look like although I’m pretty sure you’ve seen them before. They are the ones that make you think that the fishes are swimming in something other than water and gives it a very sleek and stylish look to it.
With most LED aquarium lights you can also add a driver to the lights themselves that make them dim or rise with the sunset. If you are one of the ones who always forgets about the fish and prefers to have it on some type of automatic system then LED lights would be the direction you would want to go. LED aquarium lights are the most popular fish tank lights on the market today.

Paying attention to aquarium lighting can be a daunting task but the results of a well prepared aquarium can mean less required cleaning and a happier life for whatever you choose to put inside. After all, how would you like it if you had no lights in your home?

Fish tank lights vary in form, size and price and most of all quality. It’s not like you can just pick up a desk lamp and tape to the inside of your aquarium and expect it to look beautiful, although I have seen it done and a quick note on that, masking tape does not stick to the inside of the water tank. T5 lighting has grown in popularity and is considered to be one of the greatest choices you can make for aquarium lighting.

One of the golden rules for aquarium lighting is to not exceed 2.5 watts per gallon, while it’s debatable upon the quality of the light you can use it as a measuring stick to ensure that you make the correct decision. Make sure you understand that there are other things to consider now, based of new types of aquarium lighting that a light can be the same size, yet its utility can be completely different and can also overwhelm the ecosystem of your aquarium.

The most important aspects to consider when choosing aquarium lighting, whether it be T5 lighting or LED aquarium lighting is the lumens per watt, the lumen focus, the PAR, the PUR of workable energy and as mentioned before the watts per gallon. It is important to pay attention to these characteristics because a watt is not a clear director on light. As watt , as some of us learnt in science class is simply the measure of the energy that it uses and creates. Which is why, the PAR,PUR and focus of the light, whether it be T5 or not have a very different output and focus of heat and as a result effects the environment in which it illuminates.

LED aquarium lighting has a much higher lumen output then a regular modern bulb at 20 inches, and as a result creates a higher temperature effect on the aquarium itself and it also lasts for over +40,000 hours so it will mean less money out of your pocket and more money into making your all-star aquarium.

T5 Lighting is a very bright fluorescent light. It has a lumen per watt rating of about 2000 per 2ft of light. That is astonishing when you consider the lumen output of an old lamp that creates a warmer temperature which is contrary to this type of light. Aquarium lighting that includes T5 lighting , does not raise the temperature as much as LED lights or any other kind of light. It is unique. However, they do have their disadvantages and especially in aquarium lighting. If they are not properly used or put in place, they do create a certain amount of glare and that could potentially get very annoying.