Aquarium lighting

Freshwater aquarium lighting is commonly provided by screw-in incandescent bulbs, fluorescent tubes and LED lamps.

[1] Compact fluorescent lighting with a compatible screw-in base is frequently used as a direct replacement for incandescent bulbs.

Typical light sources types include LED, fluorescent, metal halide, and sometimes plasma lamps.

These high output lights closely recreate the shimmering effect of bright tropical sun over a patch of coral reef.

While very useful to reef aquarium keepers, halide lighting also uses a lot of electricity (150-400 watts being common) and produces copious amounts of heat.

Most reef keepers mount halide bulbs at least one foot above their tank and some, due to the lights' heat output have had to add chillers to keep aquarium water cool.

For this reason an array of different colored LEDs is required to be used in combination to simulate spectral coverage that is suitable for coral growth.