In order for the range of domestic fish to be saturated with plants that could grow and develop normally, appropriate lighting of the aquarium is necessary. Lamps should be selected taking into account what fauna and what species of fish live in this tank. Their type affects the color of the latter, their he alth, the intensity of flora growth.
Reasons for choosing lighting lamps
Different plants may react differently to aquarium lighting. Some of them have a hard time with intense daylight. Others live in natural conditions at shallow depths and are light-loving. Some species of coral and deep sea fish require blue spectrum actinic radiation.
Therefore, lamps for aquarium lighting must be selected responsibly. The negative points of the location of this container near the window are the following:
- algae outbreak;
- overheating of water in the warm season.
Classification of aquarium lamps
Incandescent lamps are not recommended for these containers. This is due to the fact that they have a high heat transfer. In addition, they do not produce actinic-type light, which is required by some fish and algae. Halogen lamps, one of them, have a spectrum of 2700-3000 K, which provokes outbreaks of algae growth. Therefore, they are used if it is not possible to purchase others, but only for a short time.
Fluorescent lamps have the following advantages:
- some of them have high heat dissipation (labeled NO and VHO);
- their spectral composition includes actinic light;
- with their help a large area is covered;
- small heat dissipation;
- a fairly large spectral range (5500-10000 K).
The first of these types of aquarium lighting sources are used for tropical freshwater and marine aquariums, which contain a large amount of flora. T5 lamps are widely used, which have high luminous efficiency, small diameter and spot light emission.
Metal halide lamps can create a "sparkling light" effect in an aquarium, similar to that created by the sun in shallow water. They need appropriate fixtures and ballast. At the same time, they are characterized by high heat transfer and to prevent overheating of water in aquariums, you need to use special cooling systems and turn offlamp for at least one hour a day. They are used in reef aquariums with sea anemones, corals and shallow-water clams. These lamps are quite expensive and require special installation conditions.
The closest thing to natural sunlight is LED aquarium lighting. When using such lamps, the optimal temperature regime of the aquatic environment is maintained. Their resource exceeds that in comparison with other similar ones. There are special underwater varieties of these lamps that you can use to adjust the color and brightness of the light, which can create beautiful pictures of life in the aquarium.
Advantages of using LED bulbs
If you decide to opt for these aquarium lights, you can purchase them at the store, and then assemble the necessary tapes for this habitat of fish and algae.
The main advantages of these lamps:
- the possibility of direct location in the water, which is ensured by safety for the flora and fauna inhabiting the aquarium (IP65 marking);
- Ease of installation - Requires self-adhesive tape with a protective layer that is removed when it is glued, which is placed under the cover;
- possibility to install multi-colored lamps, but it is better to use white light;
- adjusting the intensity of the brightness of the LEDs using special knobs;
- safety for the inhabitants of the aquarium is ensured by the fact that the current from the outlet whenusing the power supply is converted to 12-volt;
- these types of lamps are the most economical, they are equivalent to incandescent lamps at a ratio of about 1:10.
DIY LED Aquarium Lighting
To do this, you need to purchase a 12-volt power supply and an LED strip of the required length. If you bought a slightly longer length, then you need to shorten it, after which the junction of the cable from the power supply, the junction of the tape and the cut end to avoid water ingress must be filled with silicone sealant, after it dries, mount the tape under the cover and plug it into an outlet.
When connecting them, you must observe the polarity. Please note that LED lamps cannot be directly connected to sockets, but it is mandatory to use a power supply that transforms alternating current into direct current with a voltage of 12 volts.
Zero and phase are connected to two wires at the input from a junction box or a 220-volt outlet. The output must be properly polarized. In the phase in front of the power supply, a break is made using a switch, which will allow you to adjust the lighting from the LED strip.
When purchasing, you need to calculate the lighting of the aquarium. To calculate the power of the power supply, it is necessary to multiply the power of the LED strip per unit length by the last one. In this case, you need to add 20% for the stock.
You do not need to connect the beginning of the other to one end of the LED strip, as it will shine more dimly,power paths will overheat due to current flowing above the rated values.
If you need to connect two such tapes, it is better to purchase a more powerful power supply and start connecting both of them to the output of the latter, observing the polarity.
A dimmer is used to turn the light on/off without having to turn off the power supply and smoothly adjust the brightness. It is mounted in front of the LED strips. This is done at the output of the power supply, while paying attention to polarity.
RGB ribbons are used to illuminate the aquarium with LED lamps with the ability to change colors. To do this, you need to mount a special controller to control the brightness and color of the LEDs. Its inclusion/switching off is carried out from the control panel. The wires coming out of the power supply are connected to the input of the controller, at the output of which there will be one positive wire and three for color management.
This way you can create DIY aquarium lighting.
Selection of lamps by color temperatures
This parameter determines the emission spectrum of a particular lamp:
- 5500-6500K - used for lighting tropical freshwater aquariums of shallow depth;
- 10000-20000K - used to illuminate deep sea fish and marine life in reef aquariums;
- 20000 K and more - are used in deep water tanks, because they have a high intensitycolor reproduction.
Lamps with actinic spectrum are used for tropical coral aquariums. The unit of measurement for their light is nm, not Kelvin.
What is the lid for?
It is necessary to create a microclimate and isolate the container from foreign objects getting inside. Lamps are attached to the cover for lighting the aquarium. You can make it yourself, since the factory ones are often designed for a certain size of container and allow you to place no more than 2 lamps.
Tool and materials for creating a lid
Before proceeding directly to the assembly work, you need to stock up on the equipment and material that will be needed in the creation process:
- pencil and ruler;
- acrylic paint;
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- furniture corners (4);
- glue for plastic;
- mounting knife;
- plastic having a thickness of 5 mm.
Creating a lid
To perform this action, you need to take the following steps:
- The dimensions of the aquarium are determined, after which the plastic is cut with a knife into the side walls and the top of the lid.
- They are fastened together in a circle. You can use instant glue.
- There is a 3 cm indent from the edge to secure the plastic corners to fix the lid in a certain position and ensure that it cannot fall into the aquarium.
- For more stabilitynext to them, you can glue one more piece of plastic.
- Fix the electronic ballast required for the lamp.
- In the lid you can make a hole for falling asleep food.
- Cut a hole for the outside filter.
- After that, the inside is glued with food foil, and the outside is covered with acrylic paint.
In conclusion
Illumination of the aquarium can be carried out by various lamps, but it is better to use LEDs for this purpose. If this is not possible, then they can be selected depending on the temperature range of the emitted light or wavelength. Lighting and lid for rectangular aquarium can be made by yourself. For the round, the latter is more difficult to create, it is better to purchase it together with the appropriate capacity.
