The Lighting
In an aquascape you will need to correctly fill this requirement as it will be the heart and soul of the health and growth of your plants. 2-3+ watts per gallon will provide the best growth anything above is a bonus. There are two main types of lighting that are used.
- Metal Halides – These a
re very bright and give a very nice lighting effect but can become very hot and need to be hung or placed above the tank. New clip on style halides provide the brightness and make it easier to attach, they are a good choice. For large tanks these are a must, anything around 2 foot deep or 4 foot long will need Halides over T5’s, it will prove to be more effective. - T5 –Fluorescents –these are a newer technology and are smaller and brighter than
T8 fluorescents, they provide great light fortheresize and can be attatched directly ontop of the tank, they provide even lighting which can be good and bad –you will lose the ripple effect of the water but all areas will be provided with equal brightness improving the overall healthiness and growth of your plants. - Bulbs/tubes – You now have a light, you will need to choose the right type of bulb, this is important to give both the best aesthetic look and the growth needed. The sun is around 6500kelvins (colour rating), so anything above this is good. Below about 6000k will give a very yellow colour and doesn’t look so nice. 10, 000k is the most popular and gives a crisp white colour, if you are using T5’s a mix between 6700k and 10000k will give the best spectrum and a colour that is not too yellow. For Halides, 10,000 is the best choice, above this and the lighting will have reduced to no affect on growth. Avoid blue/actinic lighting this will have no effect.
