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 which fauna and what species of fish live in this tank. Their type affects the color of the latter, their health, and the growth rate of the flora.
Reasons for choosing lighting lamps
Different plants may have a different attitude to aquarium lighting. Some of them can hardly tolerate intense daylight. Others live in natural conditions at shallow depths and are photophilous. Some species of coral and deep-sea fish require actinic blue spectrum radiation.
Therefore, lamps for lighting an aquarium need to be selected responsibly. The negative moments of the location of this container near the window are the following:
- algae growth outbreak;
- overheating of water in the warm season.
Classification of aquarium lamps
For these containers it is not recommended to use incandescent lamps. This is due to the fact that they have high heat transfer. In addition, they do not produce the type of actinic light that some fish and algae require. Halogen lamps, related to their number, 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 HO and VHO);
- their spectral composition includes actinic light;
- with their help covers a large area;
- low heat dissipation;
- a sufficiently large spectral range (5500-10000 K).
The first of these types of aquarium lighting sources are used for tropical freshwater and marine aquariums, in which there is a large amount of flora. T5 lamps are widely used, which have a large luminous efficiency, a small diameter and spot light radiation.
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 lights and ballast. Moreover, they are characterized by high heat dissipation and to prevent overheating of water in aquariums, it is necessary to use special cooling systems and turn off the lamp for at least one hour per day. They are used in reef aquariums with sea anemones, corals and shallow mollusks. These lamps are quite expensive and require special installation conditions.
Closest to natural sunlight is the LED lighting of the aquarium. When using such lamps, the optimum 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, with which you need to adjust the color scheme and brightness of lighting, which can create beautiful pictures of life in the aquarium.
Benefits of Using LED Lamps
If you decide to opt for these aquarium lighting sources, you can purchase them in a store, and then independently assemble the necessary ribbons for this fish and algae habitat.
The main advantages of these lamps:
- the possibility of direct location in water, which is ensured by safety for the flora and fauna inhabiting the aquarium (marking IP65);
- ease of installation - you need a self-adhesive tape with a protective layer that is removed when glued, which is placed under the cover;
- the ability to install multi-colored lamps, but it is still better to use white light;
- adjusting the intensity of the brightness of the LEDs using special controls;
- safety for the inhabitants of the aquarium is ensured by the fact that the current from the outlet with the help of a power supply is converted to a 12-volt;
- these types of lamps are the most economical, they are equivalent to incandescent lamps in about a ratio of 1:10.
DIY LED aquarium lighting
To do this, you need to purchase a 12-volt power supply and LED strip of the required length. If you bought a slightly longer length, then you need to shorten it, after which the connection point of the cable from the power supply, the connection point of the tape and the cut-off end must be filled with silicone sealant to avoid water ingress, after drying, mount the tape under the cover and plug it into a power outlet.
When connecting them, observe the polarity. It must be borne in mind that LED lamps cannot be directly connected to sockets, but it is mandatory to use a power supply unit that transforms alternating current into direct current with a voltage of 12 volts.
Zero and phase from a junction box or a 220-volt outlet are connected to two wires at the input. The output must correctly observe the polarity. 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.
Upon purchase, 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. In this case, you need to add 20% for the stock.
It is not necessary to connect the beginning of the other to one end of the LED strip, since it will glow more dimly, the power tracks will overheat due to the fact that the current will pass above the rated values.
If you need to connect two such tapes, it is better to purchase a more powerful power supply and connect both of them to the output of the latter, observing the polarity.
To turn on / off the light without the need to turn off the power supply and perform smooth brightness control, a dimmer is used. It is mounted in front of LED strips. This is done at the output of the power supply, while paying attention to the polarity.
To illuminate the aquarium with LED lamps with the ability to change color, use RGB-tapes. For this, it is necessary to mount a special controller to control the brightness and color of the LEDs. Its on / off is carried out from the control panel. The wires leaving 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 management over the colors.
In this way, you can create your own lighting for the aquarium.
Selection of lamps according to color temperatures
This parameter determines the emission spectrum of a particular lamp:
- 5500-6500 K - used for lighting tropical freshwater aquariums of small depth;
- 10000-20000 K - used to illuminate deep-sea fish and marine fauna in reef aquariums;
- 20,000 K and more - are used in deep-sea containers, as they have high color rendering intensity.
Actinic lamps are used for tropical coral aquariums. The unit of measurement of their light is nm, not Kelvin.
What is the lid for?
It is necessary to create a microclimate and isolate the tank from getting inside foreign objects. Lamps are attached to the cover for lighting the aquarium. It can be made independently, since the factory ones are often designed for a certain size of the container and allow you to place no more than 2 lamps.
Tools and materials for creating a cover
Before proceeding directly to the assembly work, it is necessary to stock up with the equipment and material that will be needed in the process of creation:
- pencil and ruler;
- acrylic paint;
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- furniture corners (4);
- glue for plastic;
- mounting knife;
- plastic having a thickness of 5 mm.
Cover making
To complete this action, you must complete 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.
- A 3 cm spacing is made from the edge to fix the plastic corners to fix the cover in a certain position and to ensure that it cannot enter the aquarium.
- For greater stability, another piece of plastic can be glued next to them.
- Fasten the electronic ballast needed for the lamp.
- In the lid you can make a hole for falling asleep.
- A hole is cut out for the filter located on the outside.
- After that, the inner side is glued with food foil, and the outer side is covered with acrylic paint.
Finally
Aquarium lighting can be carried out with 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. The lighting and lid for a rectangular aquarium can be done independently. For a round, the latter is more difficult to create, it is better to purchase it together with the corresponding capacity.