Approaches to Aquarium Lighting

Aquarium light fixtures range from a single plain fluorescent tube to combination metal halide and very high output VHO fluorescents with very high price tags. For your first tank you can get by with the simpler equipment. Here is an overview of the available lighting options for your aquarium.

Fish-Only Aquariums
An aquarium that is not going to house any live plants can be illuminated with a standard aquarium light fixture, usually housing a normal output fluorescent tube that enhances the natural beauty of the fish.

Low-Light Plant Aquarium
If you wish to have live plants but do not wish to spend too much for your aquarium lights and the electricity to run them, you can have an attractive aquarium with light as low as 2 watts per gallon. The light can be provided in most cases with dual-tube fluorescent fixtures, which are available to fit in the same space on the hood as the regular single-tube strip lights. Use the full-spectrum bulbs specifically designed for aquatic plant growth.

Reliable aquatic plants that will do well in this low-light setup include Java Moss, Java Fern, and several species of Anubias, which are richly green and share the Java Fern’s dislike of being planted in gravel. Such plants can be grown anywhere in the tank- on the bottom, on rocks, and up on driftwood.

Aquatic Gardens
For additional variety in the type of aquatic plant life more light is needed. There are several ways to achieve the necessary wattage. This enhanced lighting is more expensive to purchase and to operate. It is possible, however, to have a veritable garden in your fish tank with plants of all types, including flowering varieties and emerging plants, which can grow right up out of the water.

Brilliant and beautiful gardens can be created in uncovered tanks fo almost any depth over which metal halide fixtures are hung.

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