Aquarium lighting is one aspect of fish keeping that serves a dual purpose. It is used for both decorative purposes and as life line support for aquarium and fish tank inhabitants. There are actually many models of aquarium lighting that you can mix and match, but if you are planning to install one or more lights for your salt water aquarium or fish tank, it may be best to first consider the lighting needs of the inhabitants. Installing lights for decorative purposes should be a secondary consideration especially if you want to maintain the health of your water living residents.
Some marine fish and invertebrates require ultimate forms of lighting. They thrive in strong lights and wither away in prolonged darkness. Others prefer low lights and literally shrivel when over exposed to too much white light. As with the cases of Corals, these living things prefer a darker spectrum of lighting, and thrive better in a reef setting that is set in shades of blue, with the occasional white light break. Very High Output Lighting or VHO Lighting
Salt water aquariums and fish tanks almost always require aquarium lighting that is classified as VHO. These Very High Output or VHO fluorescent tubes provide lights better than ordinary fluorescent lambs by almost 50% to 200% - and they also come in different color spectrums. Some of them are in shades of blue and red. It is not unusual in large aquariums or fish tank settings to see two or more VHO spectrums being used alternately. For example, in an enclosure where there is a mixture of coral growths and a host of sea slugs and sea hares, the deep blue spectrum is used for about 80% of the time; and brief interludes of white spectrums of light is switched on as a means to help the other inhabitants of the enclosure to grow as well. This slight break in lighting coloration also offers a form of reprieve for blue spectrum dwellers, allowing them to rest and recharge. Metal Halide Lighting
VHO lights are not limited to fluorescent lights only. The metal halide lighting system is quickly gaining its set of ardent admirers from salt water aquarium and fish tank enthusiasts. The reason for its apparent popularity stems from the fact that this lighting system can accurately recreate the shimmering and broken effect of natural light; it looks very much like the sun’s afternoon rays playing teasingly over shallow waters. Salt water aquarium and fish tank enthusiasts are now using this kind of lighting system as a supplement to the blue spectrum light that the corals love.
The other disadvantage of the metal halide lighting system is that, since it uses up that much power, it also tends to produce a lot of heat. It is usually advisable to keep the lights almost a foot away from the aquariums or fish tanks. In some cases, people even install chillers to the enclosures so as to maintain the correct balance of light and heat. Needless to say, adding chillers to the whole package is bound to increase your utility bills more. We can offer you a large selection of aquarium lighting fixtures: from standard white fluorescent lamps, to a complete metal halide lighting system, and even single lamps and lighting accessories. We have ballasts and bare reflectors. We have moon lights and light pendants. We even have all possible retro light kits for unique uses. We also carry prominent aquarium lighting brand names like: BlueLine, Coralife, Current USA, Hamilton Technology, SeaStar, etc.
