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Use standard fluorescent bulbs for a freshwater tank and saltwater reef. Incompatible with photosynthetic plants Verdict.Actinic bulbs are available in this style. These bulbs come in a range of 15-40 watts and a K-Rating of 3,000-20,000K. Incandescent bulbs are great for a small, freshwater fish tank or starting a beginner’s aquarium. These are the most basic bulbs in our lighting guide. The K-Rating depends on the color of the bulb. Use this guide as a reference when creating the appropriate lighting for your freshwater fish tank or saltwater reef.
#AQUARIUM BLACK LIGHT FIXTURES FULL#
Here’s our full aquarium light bulb guide featuring the properties, pros and cons, and compatible uses for each of the different types of bulb style. The deeper the natural habitat of your aquatic life, the higher K-Rating bulbs you’ll need to light your freshwater fish tank or saltwater reef. A bulb with this same K-Rating would be suitable for a shallow freshwater water aquarium or reef. Most fish tanks typically range between 5,000 to 20,000 Kelvin.Īt sea level, we measure sunlight at around 5,500K. Bulbs with a higher K-rating gives a cooler, blue light.ĭaylight around noon would equal about 5,500K. Lower K-rated bulbs give off a warmer, reddish hue. This K-rating tells us the color temperature of the bulb. When describing the spectrum of aquarium light, bulbs are scaled by a Kelvin, or K, rating. You have more flexibility with fish than plants when doing so.
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#AQUARIUM BLACK LIGHT FIXTURES HOW TO#
When choosing how to light, the main goal for your freshwater or saltwater reef fish tank is to make your aquatic pets feel like they’re in their natural environment. Spectrum and intensity depend on varying factors such as: The most important factors to lighting are light spectrum and light intensity. Freshwater and saltwater fish and plants have different needs, so use our saltwater and freshwater guide below to know what to look for. When shopping for lighting, pay close attention to the color spectrum and needs of your specific aquatic life. Even for a beautiful fish tank, if the tank lighting isn’t right, the plants and fish won’t develop as they would in their natural environment. Why Is Aquarium Lighting So Important?Īquarium lighting is an investment nobody should neglect. In our guide below, we’ll go into the requirements of a healthy aquarium and the right bulbs needed to create one. That’s why, when building a healthy aquarium, you must mimic the natural lighting conditions of the environment, to guide your fish to healthy life and development.īecause aquarium lighting is so important to the health and hygiene of your fish tank, you should research all your options, so you choose the right spectrum of light. Aquatic life forms experience a fluctuating amount of darkness and light in their natural habitat. You may be wondering, do fish tanks need aquarium lights? The answer is yes.
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