How to Set Up Aquarium Lighting
December 28th, 2009 by admin
Installing aquarium lighting is not just about using plain lights for your aquarium. It also requires knowledge on how to set it up. The goal of aquarium lighting is to duplicate the natural environment of your aquatic pets. You will also need to consider the different needs of different kinds of living things inside your aquarium. Fish-only aquariums, fresh water-planted aquariums, and marine reef aquariums each need their own type of aquarium lighting. All the lighting systems generate heat so you need to have your aquarium set up in a temperature-controlled room. The bigger the lighting system, the more cooling mechanisms are needed to control the temperature. You should also buy special bulbs specifically designed for aquariums because simple hardware store bulbs can lead to the growth of undesirable brown algae. Setting up the light fixture slightly away from the top of the aquarium is also advisable to provide more space for air to circulate and heat to dissipate.