LED Aquarium Lighting – Which Types Of Lights Should You Pick?
With their superior efficiency, high brightness and very exact wave length outputs, LED aquarium lighting has quickly become a favorite choice among aquarium owners.
Aquarium LED Benefits
The benefits of choosing aquarium LED lighting over other light sources are many. LED aquarium lights feature very high energy efficiencies, requiring only around 15% energy to produce the same amount of light as regular incandescent light type of bulbs, and around 30% of fluorescent lights. The low heat generation resulting from this also reduces the need for fans and water chillers for maintaining the right temperature of your aquarium.
LED aquarium lighting is highly durable. You will find LED aquarium lights rated up to and over 50,000 hours, equivalent to 6 times that of fluorescent lighting, and 50 times a regular household bulb. That is almost 6 years of continuous light without having to worry about replacing your light bulbs. Being total waterproof and lacking glass material makes them even harder to break.
With modern emitter technology, LED aquarium lights can produce very exact light wave lengths, making it easier to include those important nanometer PAR spikes for plants and for symbiotic zooxanthellae algae found in corals, while excluding unwanted wave lengths as well as dangerous UV-B emitted by some older technological aquarium lights.
The Importance Of Correct Light
Having proper aquarium LED lighting is essential for any system containing photosynthetic organisms such as anemones, corals and plants. Lighting also influences fish behavior and physiology and plays a vital part for the overall health and well-being of your aquarium.
The type of LED aquarium lighting you should buy depends on what type of aquarium setup you have got.
Fish-only Aquariums
Since fish are non-photogenic organisms, light spectrum and intensity may not seem as important as for planted or reef aquariums. Recent studies have however shown the importance of full spectrum lighting for overall health and disease prevention in fish. By equipping your tank with full spectrum/high PAR lights (generally 6,500K) your fish will show better mental and physical health.
LED For Freshwater Aquariums
The choice of aquarium LED lighting gets a little more complicated with the addition of plants. Plants demand specific lighting for their photosynthesis to function properly. Plant chlorophyll absorbs light at wavelengths of 300 to 700 nm.
According to observations of people in the professional aquarium maintenance community, 6500 Kelvin lights produce the best freshwater growth. The reason being that these aquarium LED Lights generally emits more of the infrared nanometer PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) spike required by higher plants, while still including some of the 425 to 500 nanometer blue light.
LED For Reef Aquariums
Reef aquariums require high brightness and correct color temperatures to promote growth and sustainability for its inhabiting species of corals and invertebrates. Poor lighting can have adverse effects for these life forms, ultimately leading to their death.
It’s recommended that most photosynthetic invertebrates be kept with daylight aquarium LED lights with 6,400 to 14,000 Kelvin. Higher up on the scale with deeper specimen placement and tank depth. For deeper tanks you can supplement your 14,000 K daylights with more blue (400-550 nm) for better water penetration having more light reach the bottom of your tank.
It’s worth to mention that most symbiotic zooxanthellae algae (as well as other green algae) need more of the PAR spikes found in actinic lighting (400-550 nm wavelength) for their photosynthesis than higher plants. The optimum nanometer range is about 465-485 nm, and aquarium LED lights tend to have more precise ranges than other light sources.
Also keep in mind that most corals in reef aquariums require high brightness. When light intensity (LUX) gets too low, zooxanthellae (algae inside of coral tissue) fails to produce enough oxygen. It’s recommended that you aim for LED aquarium lighting fixtures capable of providing a minimum intensity of 3,000 LUX in the deepest part of the aquarium, and no more than 120,000 LUX.
