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{"id":1488,"date":"2020-04-13T15:32:14","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T15:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/?p=1488"},"modified":"2020-04-13T16:58:57","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T16:58:57","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-lighting-a-fish-tank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/fishkeepup.com\/a-beginners-guide-to-lighting-a-fish-tank\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beginner\u2019s Guide to Lighting a Fish Tank (3 Things You Need)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lighting a fish tank well can mean the difference between a fish tank that is merely serviceable versus one that ends up as the focal point of the room. While lighting isn\u2019t crucial in a tank, the right lighting can be the difference in being able to sustain live plants and having all of your aquatic plants die on you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So how do you light a fish tank? <\/span>There are many kinds of lighting available for fish tanks, but LED lighting has quickly become the lighting of preference in aquarium setups due to their energy efficiency. The supplies needed to install lighting in a fish tank are an aquarium hood<\/a> or cover, the lighting fixtures, and a power source. <\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/span>Aquarium lighting not only makes the difference in how aesthetically pleasing your final aquarium looks but also how well you can grow live aquatic plants and how happy your fish ultimately are. Read on to find out more about how aquarium lighting affects fish and what kind you need to really show them off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do Fish Tanks Need a Light?<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Do<\/p>\n

Many beginners to the world of keeping fish tanks are surprised to learn that technically fish don\u2019t even need artificial light at the top of their tank. Since fish are used to swimming in murky waters that are dark and deep, they are used to dim lighting conditions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Most fish can see perfectly well in an aquarium that is lit only by ambient light and has no lighting of its own.\u00a0<\/span>In fact, for some more shy or nocturnal species of fish, bright overhead lighting encourages them to hide and can prevent them from being as active or happy as their owner would like. <\/span><\/p>\n

Under bright lighting, some types of fish can feel exposed. Most small fish are naturally prey to larger fish as well as overhead threats above the water (such as hunting birds) and do not like to feel like they are out in the open.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Artificial lighting in aquariums has evolved largely out of the needs of those viewing the aquarium, rather than the animals themselves. Without some kind of lighting scheme in the aquarium, it can be difficult to see smaller or more camouflaged animals within the tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits of Putting a Light on Your Fish Tank<\/b><\/h2>\n

While fish don\u2019t technically need an overhead light on their tanks, there are many other advantages to having one. Here are some of the reasons why overhead lighting has become so commonplace in keeping aquariums:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It shows off the fish.<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Different spectrums of aquarium lighting can make different colored fish pop by sharpening visual contrast according to the coolness or warmth of the lighting scheme. By combining lighting with substrate color choices and backdrops, it is easy for aquarium owners to use lighting as a way to easily accentuate their tank\u2019s inhabitants. <\/span><\/p>\n

It helps live plants grow.<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Providing full-spectrum lighting such as the lighting found in LED aquarium lamps allows live aquatic plants to grow and look their best. Since aquatic plants in turn help keep fish healthy and happy by filtering the water naturally and providing oxygen, artificial lights in fish tanks can be the difference between failure and success in a planted tank.<\/span><\/p>\n

Replicate the day-night cycle.<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Chances are you don\u2019t turn all your lights off when the sun goes down, but fish in an aquarium still need some semblance of light and dark cycle in order to sleep. While they have no eyelids, fish need to sleep just like people do! Turning artificial lights off at night and on in the morning helps fish live a normal day-night cycle. <\/span><\/p>\n

It helps you spot aquarium problems more quickly. <\/b><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many of the issues that crop up in an aquarium are small and difficult to see\u2014fish parasites or brown edging on an aquarium plant. Having good aquarium lighting makes it easier to do a regular inspection of your fish to make sure that none of them are sick, injured, or missing.\u00a0 <\/span><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

It gives the aquarium a versatile look.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Changing up the lighting colors or type can drastically change the overall look of an aquarium and lighting gives the aquarium owner a lot of different options in visually customizing their tank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though an aquarium can operate just fine without artificial lighting, there are many benefits to installing them. This is especially true with any kind of planted tank since artificial lighting is much more important for making sure plants have the lights they need to remain healthy and vibrant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can Fish See in the Dark?<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Can<\/p>\n

When wondering whether or not fish can see in the dark, it\u2019s important to remember that much of how fish \u201csee\u201d is through vibrations in the water that are picked up through the lateral line<\/a> or a line of sensors in the fish\u2019s skin that run along the length of its body.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fish (and other animals that live beneath the waves) also see completely different than their terrestrial counterparts. Most red and orange colored light is reflected off the first few meters of water; only blue and green light make it through to murkier depths. This means that objects which appear red or orange to use underwater appear black to fish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The dense, spherical lenses of fish eyes give them <\/span>sharper peripheral vision<\/span><\/a> to evade predators and more visibility in dim lighting conditions, which means that even without artificial lighting on the fish tank, fish are capable of seeing perfectly fine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Different fish live at different levels in the water column, and the deeper a fish habitat is, the more sensitive those fish typically are to even the smallest increments of light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Color Light Do Fish Like?<\/h2>\n

As far as scientists have been able to tell, fish don\u2019t really have a preference for spectrums of light and can be kept safely under any lighting color. However, different types of lighting can accentuate the coloring of fish in different ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fish tank lighting spectrums are often measured in units of K, or Kelvin. For example, you can get lights that are 8,000K or 10,000K, with the main difference being that the 10,000K lighting has the blue end of the spectrum slightly turned up in comparison to the 8,000K lighting. This can make some fish colors appear sharper and more vibrant.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is It Okay to Leave a Fish Tank Light On?<\/h2>\n

Leaving a fish light on overnight once in a while shouldn\u2019t do any real harm to your aquarium. However, fish do prefer to have a day-night cycle\u2014like all animals, they naturally sleep during part of the day and many prefer to do so in the evening when lighting conditions are dim.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another annoying side effect of leaving a light on in an aquarium perpetually is that this tends to cause an explosion of algae growth<\/a>, or cyanobacteria, in the tank as algae takes advantage of the excess light to feed and reproduce itself. Once algae or cyanobacteria grows rampant in a tank, it can be very difficult to get rid of, even forcing the tank owner to cover it and leave it in darkness for days to kill the algae<\/a> off.<\/span><\/p>\n

The best option is to turn your tank lights on every day and turn them or switch them to a dimmer or \u201cmoonlight\u201d setting in the evening if you still want to observe their nocturnal activities. Some fish are more active after lights-out, so this can be a good choice for people who want to observe species such as plecos or other catfish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If turning the aquarium lights off each day manually isn\u2019t an option, there are many aquarium lights available that are equipped with automatic timers that either turn the lights on or off depending on the time of day. This is especially convenient for those aquariums that are not available for tending every day, such as aquariums in office buildings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Long Should the Light Be Left On in a Fish Tank?<\/b><\/h2>\n

There is some variation in how long lights should be left on in a fish tank, and it depends on these factors:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n