photo credit: nate steiner
One essential piece of kit for most aquarium owners is a lighting setup which most commonly comes in the form of one or more electric strip lights (tubes) fitted to a suitable starter unit and perhaps a timer to control the period of time that the lights are on for each day.
Lighting in aquariums serves a number of purposes. First and foremost, aquarium lighting serves to create a more natural environment for your pet fish than they might otherwise have if kept in a dark corner of the room.
This simulated sunlight will help keep fish fit, healthy and stress-free though it is equally important to ensure the lights are turned off at night to create a clear day/night differentiation.
Also appreciate that fish may prefer different light levels depending on where they come from. For example fish coming from the typically silty-waters of the Amazon may be used to more subdued light than those from clear, brightly-lit streams and rivers.
Secondly, aquarium lights can simply help your fish tank to look more attractive. Various lights are available to create different effects such as to create a “moonlight” effect in your tank or to bring out certain colours of your fish such as reds or blues.
Lastly, for those who opt to use live plants in their aquaria, the light serves as a source of nourishment enabling aquarium plants to photosynthesize and so grow strongly as well as produce oxygen for your fish to breathe and so without this artificial light aquarium plants are unlikely to survive let alone thrive.
