What is the best way to light up an aquarium? How to make aquarium lighting with LEDs
As an alternative to purchased rather expensive light sources, you can choose another solution - organize LED aquarium lighting with your own hands. This option is quite easy to implement. And there are more advantages from using it than from lamp lighting fixtures.
About the features of LED lighting
The importance of light for aquarium plants and animals is not exaggerated, since normal living conditions in water cannot be ensured without oxygen. Just for its production, algae are used, which need light in sufficient quantities, on which the process of photosynthesis depends. Such a chain allows all living things in the aquarium to develop.
But the backlight must be characterized by the correct spectrum, and, in addition, be economical and efficient (provide the required level of illumination). Therefore, in recent years, LED lamps have become more often used in the organization of the system. One of its advantages is the almost complete absence of case heating during operation. This means that there will be no need for an additional cooling system.
LED devices, whether it is a tape or a light source of another kind, work ten times longer than lamp counterparts (fluorescent, incandescent lamps). This advantage avoids regular maintenance of the lighting system, including the need to replace lamps.
Also, the diode-based luminaire provides directional, and therefore more efficient lighting, without the need to install reflectors to increase the intensity of the glow, as required by the lamp lighting system.
Among the shortcomings, one can single out only a not too wide range of LED aquarium lighting devices, since they have only recently appeared on the market and are offered at a relatively high price. But craftsmen can make a lighting device based on diodes with their own hands. The cost of such structures, as a rule, is small and the installation work is simple.
Lighting devices based on diodes
There are two main ways to illuminate an aquarium with LED light sources:
- using a lamp;
- using a strip with many LEDs.
Each of the options is characterized by individual characteristics, which allows the use of different types of light sources for different purposes. For example, lamps are usually used in the organization of the lighting system as the main lighting fixtures due to the sufficient intensity of the glow and the correct spectrum. And the tape is most often used as an additional element of the lighting system, due to the lack of a spectral range.
For these reasons, strip lights are recommended to be combined with other light sources. But in order to choose the right lamp correctly, it is necessary to calculate the sufficient level of illumination of the aquarium. In the case of LED devices, the luminous flux (lm) is taken into account.
The value of this parameter can vary from 20 to 60 lm, depending on the characteristics of the development of plants of different types. A lamp fixture is always selected based on its power.
How to arrange aquarium lighting
The most suitable options for the lighting system: in the area of \u200b\u200bthe cover and the front wall. Under natural conditions, the only source of light for the inhabitants of the reservoirs is the sun, which, as you know, provides overhead lighting.
Therefore, the most natural conditions for the life of aquarium animals and plants are provided by the lighting system located in the area of the cover glass and in the upper part of the facade glass.
But already at a depth of more than 10 cm from the water surface, the light is significantly scattered (which is affected by the lid of the aquarium, the water column), so reflectors are often used to increase efficiency. With their help, the lamp can also highlight the walls. The following designs are popular solutions based on the use of LEDs:
- ribbon lighting;
- the use of spot LEDs and the installation of a full-fledged lighting system.
In the first case, only the tape itself is required, its quantity should be calculated based on the dimensions of the aquarium. You will need a 12 V power supply to connect. To make the structure safe, you will need a sealant. Double-sided tape is used to attach the LED strip.
Placing a diode tape in a container
The second option is more difficult to install, more materials are used for its implementation: spot LEDs, the number of which is determined by the volume of the aquarium; plastic chute (will serve as a body); power supply 12 V; wires, connector sockets for installing LEDs; coolers may be useful if necessary.
Work in stages
First, a simpler solution will be considered - with a tape. Installation in this case can be performed even by a person without experience. You need to cut the LED strip to the desired length. Illumination is often done around the entire perimeter of the lid.
The first step is to connect the wires of the power supply and the tape. Then the cut of the plastic strip and the wire connection area are filled with sealant to secure the structure. By the way, today you can purchase a waterproof version of the tape (IP68), which will allow you to install it in water. The last stage of work is the installation of the resulting structure. This can be done with double-sided tape or silicone sealant.
The second option involves the use of spot LEDs. If you install them in a plastic chute, you can get a full-fledged lamp. To work, you will need one or two pieces of plastic gutter, at the base of which you need to drill a series of holes. Their number should correspond to the number of LEDs. Connector sockets are used for fastening.
The finished luminaire must be connected to a 12 V power supply. Moreover, it is advisable to choose a parallel option for connecting LEDs, which will allow the structure to function even if one of the LED elements fails.
The lamp is installed above the cover. LEDs are characterized by a small heat transfer during operation, but you can still play it safe and install the finished structure on the slats. If the aquarium is quite large, then several coolers will allow you to avoid heating the lighting cover from a large number of working LEDs.
Nuances of installation and connection
Regardless of whether you plan to install a lamp or mount an LED strip, you need to determine how resistant the aquarium is to high temperatures. If the cover can withstand heating up to 150 degrees, you can install a light source directly on it. Otherwise, you should still pre-fix the aluminum profile.
Luminaire layout
The wires are connected according to the polarity. So, blue / black corresponds to a minus, red - to a plus. If connected incorrectly, the tape will not work as a result. The LED lamp and the tape must be connected exclusively through the power supply, and not directly to the mains (220 V). This will lower the supply voltage to the desired level.
The power supply is connected to the network by connecting the appropriate wires with phase and zero. To be able to turn the lamp on and off, a switch is installed in front of the power supply. When choosing an element that lowers the voltage, the power of the light source is taken into account.
To calculate the value of this parameter, you need to multiply the power of one point LED by their total number. Plus, you need to take into account a small margin (up to 20% of the obtained power value).
If you plan to connect an LED lamp, then you can make it not only using a plastic chute, but also on the basis of a conventional aquarium lamp in a housing with reflectors. In this case, you need to carefully remove the light source and also fix the required number of spot LEDs away from the installation site of the aquarium lamp, which must be returned to its place after all work is completed. The result is a lighting system with additional light sources.
Thus, it is quite possible to independently install the backlight in the aquarium. For this, a minimum amount of materials is used. The process of installing wires is the most time-consuming stage of the whole work, but it will not be difficult to complete it, guided by the connection instructions.
To date, there are many options for how to make aquarium lighting with your own hands. There are no problems when connecting light bulbs, it is much more difficult to choose the right power and type of lamps, as well as to choose a suitable location for light sources. Further, detailed instructions will be provided for readers of the site on how to make the backlight in a home aquarium yourself.
What difficulties may arise?
In fact, there are not many factors that can affect the lighting in an aquarium. Among the most important are:
- Over time, any light bulbs lose light output, so you need to replace them in time. For example, LEDs degrade over time, so after 3-5 years it is already desirable to replace them. At the same time, the luminous flux decreases after six months of operation.
- As it passes through the water, the light is scattered and absorbed by the plants on its way to the bottom. For example, at the bottom of a 50 cm aquarium, the intensity of the light flux will be reduced by more than 4 times. The situation is the same with protective glass, which can be installed on lamps - when passing through the glass, the lighting loses its intensity.
- and metal halide light sources emit a large amount of heat, which in turn adversely affects the flora and fauna. If you decide to choose powerful bulbs for lighting a deep aquarium, be sure to consider a heat dissipation system.
- It is impossible to recommend with 100% accuracy the power and color spectrum that will suit your individual conditions. Each type of plant and fish needs its own specific characteristics of light sources, so below we will only provide general tips on how to properly make lighting in an aquarium with your own hands.
As you can see, there are difficulties in organizing the backlight, but all of them can be avoided if you correctly approach the selection of lamps according to their characteristics. We will talk about this further.
Lamp selection technology
To make the lighting of the aquarium at home, you must first of all correctly select the bulbs according to power, type and luminous flux. Consider the features of each of the characteristics of household lamps.
Type
The first thing you need to choose is the type of light source. To date, fluorescent, metal halide and are used to illuminate the aquarium. Incandescent and halogen products are already a thing of the past, because. they get very hot, have a short service life and, moreover, low efficiency. Consider the most popular of the devices:
LED aquarium lighting is the most modern and most commonly used in recent years. A few more advantages of such products are that they do not heat up too much, they can operate from a safe voltage (12 Volts) and, moreover, they have high strength properties (the case is difficult to break).
You can learn a lot of useful things in this video:
Video review for beginners
By power
To date, there is a wide range of household lamps, ranging from 5 watts to hundreds. To correctly select this technical characteristic, rely on the following recommendations (in relation to the most popular - energy-saving lamps):
- for moderate aquarium lighting, it is enough to calculate 0.2 - 0.3 watts per liter;
- to make a bright backlight, the power should be 0.5 - 0.8 W / l;
- if there are a lot of plants and fish in the tank, it is better to calculate the power from 0.8 to 1 W / liter.
This calculation is generally accepted, but you should not rely on it alone. It is better to take into account a more important characteristic - light output.
By light output
It is most correct to calculate the lighting of the aquarium by light output. For a standard tank height (50 cm), you need to calculate the luminous flux of approximately 30-50 lumens per liter. In total, for the most popular volumes of aquariums, choose the following total light output depending on the dimensions:
- 25 l: from 750 to 1500 lm;
- 60 l: from 1800 to 3000 lm;
- 70 l: from 2100 to 3500 lm;
- 100 l: from 3000 to 5000 lm;
- 120 l: from 3600 to 6000 lm;
- 140 l: from 4200 to 7000 lm;
- 200 l: from 6000 to 10000 lm;
- 300 l: from 9000 to 15000 lm.
As you understand, to illuminate a large deep aquarium, you will need to select powerful lamps with high light output. In this regard, the housekeepers, of course, are in an advantageous position, because consume less electricity while emitting the same luminous flux as alternative options, as can be seen from the table: 
You also need to correctly select the light bulbs according to the color spectrum. There is a theory that it is best for flora to buy light sources that emit yellow and red in order for the plants to grow well. However, this point is rather controversial and most experts recommend installing several different lamps at the same time. From the design side, it can affect the backlight as follows: 
How does the color spectrum affect the backlight?
Choosing a place to install lamps
When you decide on the required power and type of lamps, you will need to correctly create a diagram on which the installation locations of all lamps will be marked. It's up to you how to place them inside the container: in front under the lid or to make side lighting of the aquarium by fixing the lamps on the sides of the lid. Colored lamps are also recommended to be installed in front to organize the overflow of light on plants and fish. 
Above an open aquarium, you can hang a fluorescent lamp from above, which will brightly illuminate all the flora and fauna under water. If the aquarium is without plants, you can, which will make the original color illumination, as shown in the photo. A single-color diode tape is also often used, but its brightness may not be enough for high-quality high-capacity lighting. Such lighting fixtures are best mounted around the perimeter for additional decorative illumination of the water. 
Correct connection of homemade backlight
Well, now we have moved on to the most important issue of the article - how to make aquarium lighting with your own hands. Consider a simple instruction for connecting a homemade LED strip that will create a backlight under water.
First of all, we prepare all the necessary materials. In our case, this is a LED strip of 12 diodes, a plastic bulb of a suitable length, a 220/12 Volt power supply, a soldering iron, silicone and an awl. Since our power supply has a male connector, you need to additionally buy a 12-volt female power connector to connect the tape itself. In addition, a piece of foam rubber and a two-wire wire for connecting the tape will come in handy. Having collected all the materials, let's get down to business. 
Using an awl, punch a small hole in the lid in order to pull the wire through, as shown in the photo. 
You need to solder a wire to the tape, which on the other hand will be attached to the "mother" with clamping screws. 
When you do this, you need to glue pieces of foam rubber on the back of the LED strip in three places so that the material does not hang out in the bulb. In our case, soundproofing from the car was used, because. foam rubber was not at hand. 
Next, the homemade product must be placed in a flask and all joints must be carefully sealed with a sealant to prevent water from entering inside. The advantage of such a flask is that if it is necessary to repair the lighting in the aquarium (in particular, the tape itself), it will be possible to get it out of the water without any problems, unwind and replace it. We provided another idea in a separate article. 
Finally, the tape is connected to the network and tested for functionality. As you can see, making LED lighting in an aquarium with your own hands is not so difficult, the main thing is to want to! 
We recommend that you connect the lamp not directly to the socket, but through a timer socket. In this case, you can program a specific time to turn on and off the lamps so that they do not work in bright natural light. Normal daylight hours for plants should vary from 11 to 14 hours per day, so you will need to calculate the time and set the setting on the outlet. This idea will make the lighting of the aquarium automatic. Another important point - do not buy Chinese LEDs, because. they wear out faster in use.
Do-it-yourself aquarium lighting
aquarium led spotlights
LET'S CONSIDER ALL THE QUESTIONS IN ORDER:
- What is mixed lighting, why is it needed?
- Why the LED projector?
- Why in the lid?
- Why do I need a T5 lamp?
- Choice of LED projector?
- What do you need to create lighting with your own hands?
- The process of assembling aquarium lighting on your own.
- How much is it?
- Is it worth the bother? What is the effect?
What is mixed lighting, why is it needed?
MIXED LIGHTING is a combination of different light sources. A good example of such lighting is the ADA Solar I luminaire, where Takashi Amano combines a 150W MH-HQI metal halide spotlight with two 36W LL T5 lamps.
Agree, the Sun does not shine 24 hours a day, the maximum intensity of sunlight is observed only during the day, at lunchtime. The rest of the time the Sun either rises or sets, the light intensity gradually increases and then decreases.
Approximately the same effect can be achieved in the presence of a mixed lamp (lighting), when LL T5 (sunrise) is first turned on, then a spotlight (zenith) is added for 3-4 hours, and then (sunset) only LL T5 work again.
The advantages of such lighting are clear:
1. Aquarium plants get the most natural light. A certain rhythm is established.
2. Algal outbreak warning. Powerful, prolonged, and even more so incorrect lighting is a direct path to an algae outbreak. It is only necessary to create a peak of lighting activity, and not shine, "burn out" the aquarium 12 hours a day.
3. At the same time, the presence of powerful, directional and high-quality lighting in sufficient quantities is the key to success!
Why LED spotlight?
Why in the lid?
The only significant disadvantage of a metal halide lamp is that it gets very hot!!! Alas, such lighting can only be used in open aquariums (without a lid), at a distance of at least 30 cm from the surface of the water, using suspensions or a lamp stand.
When the question of what kind of lighting would be in our aquarium was decided, I proceeded from the fact that the aquarium would be closed (with a lid). Firstly, my wife wanted it so much =), secondly, I agreed with her that an aquarium with a lid looks at home, somehow more comfortable, plus cats “roam” at home, watching “AquaTV” every evening, and that's all after all, the house is not an exhibition center or an ADA laboratory ... metal halide spotlights in the house are too much! Really, here everyone decides for himself ... my opinion is not a dogma.
So, an analogue of a metal halide spotlight is an LED one. I’ll immediately notice the word “analogue” in quotation marks ... nevertheless, there is a significant difference. Firstly, LED lighting, unlike MG, is discrete. discreteness(from Latin discretus - divided, intermittent) - a property opposed to continuity, discontinuity. To explain on the fingers, below is a photo example of what a continuous and discrete spectrum looks like.
Thus, we see that the spectrum of LEDs is not the best. And the point here is not even in the peaks of red and blue, but precisely in the fact that aquarium plants actually, in the process of photosynthesis, absorb the entire visible spectrum, and it is incomplete in SD.
What are the similarities between MG and SD? Why initially make such "poor-quality" lighting? The answers to these questions will reveal the advantages of LED spotlights.
1. Like the metal halide spotlight, the LED spotlight has a directional light. That is, the efficiency of LEDs is much higher than, for example, that of fluorescent lamps, the effective use of which is possible only with reflectors. Speaking in everyday language, then LED and MG projectors "hit" in one direction, and do not "spray" at all. It is this property that allows MG and LED spotlights to “pierce” the deepest aquariums and the water column of 60 or more centimeters.
2. Unlike MG, LED spotlight does not emit excessive heat. Checked! From the front side, the LED spotlight does not heat up at all, and the back part heats up, but tolerably (tolerant for the hand and the plastic cover). Some aquarists advise to put a cooler on the SD to remove heat, but so far even now, when it is +36 outside, I do not see the need for this. Again, this is not a constant, everyone has their own specifics.
3. LED lighting is by far the most economical lighting. You will save 3, 10 times on electricity.
4. A significant drawback of fluorescent lamps is their flickering with a frequency that is noticeable even for the human eye. In this connection, with prolonged exposure to LL on a person, his eyes get tired very quickly. LED sources are powered by direct current, so they do not flicker.
5. Other positive aspects of SD: safety (operate at low voltage, which is important for aquarium business) and long life (up to 100,000 hours).
Why do you need a T5 lamp?
From the fact that T5 fluorescent lamps are better than T8, I think they already know a lot, so I will not focus on this here.
I used LL T5 in my case, firstly, to create mixed lighting, and secondly, to replenish the discreteness of the LED spectrum.
Namely, the so-called "Full Spectrum" lamp was used.
Aquarium fluorescent lamp designed to provide intense illumination. The JBL Solar Ultra Color T5 lamp has more power than standard T8 lamps and has a full spectrum of colors.
When used in an aquarium with a JBL Solar Ultra Color lamp, you will get an increase in the red and blue colors of aquarium fish and other aquarium inhabitants.
With an increased proportion of red and blue colors in the spectrum, the JBL Solar Ultra Color aquarium lamp stimulates the synthesis of chlorophyll, which in turn accelerates the process of photosynthesis.
Choosing an LED Spotlight
The choice and purchase of an LED spotlight should be treated with particular scrupulousness. This is a very important and expensive point, without paying due attention to which, you can simply throw money away.
Since I am a pioneer on FanFishke, I had to subtract a lot of information, review a lot of characteristics of various spotlights and LED panels, collect scarce information on forums and chat with a few LED experts.
And so, what a conclusion was made! For 100-110 liters. aquarium, net volume you need:
If the cover allows, you can also install three spotlights (of lower power), which will give you more confidence that the spotlights will not burn out quickly. Alas, LED floodlights cannot be repaired. Less powerful spotlights heat up less, respectively, the risks are reduced. At the same time, the smaller the Watts of an LED, the lower its "penetrating" ability and its other characteristics too. In general, everything needs to be calculated and estimated.
2. Everyone knows that LED lighting is much more powerful than the nominal one. That is, the power of LEDs in Watts is at least not correct to measure.
So I asked myself the question, but then how many watts do I need for my aquarium. To believe the sellers in the market who say: "Multiply by three daragoy and there will be those real WATs" is stupid! In general, I had to dig in this issue and find more clear information.
And the truth is quite simple, lighting, in addition to Watts, has a lot of characteristics, including: Lumens is the amount of light emitted/emitted by the light source. A light source with a luminous flux of 1 Lumen, which uniformly illuminates any surface with an area of 1 square meter, creates an illumination of 1 Lux on it (surface).
Empirically, aquarists have found that for a good herbalist, for the Dutch and Aman aquariums, 50-70 Lumens per liter of pure water volume are needed.
The task was solved and the choice of spotlights became extremely specific - you need two spotlights so that in the sum of their Lumens they give 50-70 Lm / l.
3. And the last two important points when choosing an LED projector are still: spectrum and Kelvin.
As it turned out, the spotlights were full of variety: they had a warm glow, a cold glow, I even stumbled upon RGB spotlights (and figured out for a long time what kind of thing this was))). But we only need one searchlight - with a spectrum as close as possible to daylight. Such an SD has the most optimal characteristics.
Kelvin (K) is the color temperature of any light source. This is a measure of our impression of the color of a given light source. For the maintenance of aquarium plants, from 6500 to 8000 K is recommended.
Note: This article was written in 2014. Since then, much water has flowed under the bridge. Outside in 2017 and now there are no problems at all with LED spotlights and LED strips. What's more, LED spotlights have become flatter and more compact. And as practice shows, they can be perfectly used in aquascaping, for example: . Yes, of course, you can argue and find fault with PAR LED spotlights for a long time, nevertheless, this is a budget option that works great.
Note 2: The average Lumen for a good herbalist is 50-70 Lm/l. However, I ask you to take into account the individual specifics of your aquarium: the height of the water column, planting density, species characteristics of a particular plant. That is, the above figures are an approximate guideline. If you have a dense, super-scape, then you can easily accelerate to 100 Lm / l and 150 Lm / l.
What do you need to create lighting with your own hands?
How much is it?
First, you need skillful hands, without them in any way. As well as tools: drill, electric jigsaw, grinder, other small tools (screwdrivers, keys, pliers, etc.). If you do not have a jigsaw or grinder, do not despair. You just have to do everything with your hands, for example, with a hacksaw or a saw.
I "modernized" the aquarium cover of TM "Priroda"(plastic, with two built-in LL T8, ballast and starters), like this:
Acquired two LED spotlights 30W each, TM "Feron" model LL 730. Characteristics: daylight 6500K, 2850 Lumens (by the way, 2 LEDs * 2850Lm = 5700Lm / 110 liters of water = 51.8 lm / l).
Acquired Aquael electronic starter for LL T5. This choice was made in order to minimize the "stuffing" of the aquarium lid, the place under which is worth its weight in gold. P.S. you can make such a starter yourself.
Socket - voltage relay. Necessary for safety and prevention of power surges. In such an outlet, voltage limits are set, after which the equipment is de-energized.
You will also need: silicone sealant, fasteners (bolts, nuts, screws), coupler-holders for spotlights (preferably stainless steel, so as not to rust), wires (two-core and three-core), needed to connect spotlights, coolers, plugs for spotlights with grounding.
The process of assembling aquarium lighting.
The process of assembling and installing aquarium lighting with your own hands is different for everyone, since everyone has different covers. I will describe my process.
1. First, connect the cord and plug to the spotlights. A three-wire wire (with grounding) comes from the spotlight, respectively, you need to connect the same wire to it. Do not listen to "smart salesmen" in building supermarkets. When I bought the wire, I was told, they say: “What are you ..... /censorship/, ground the spotlights”. In general, believe only yourself and reliable information, and not "woe to the specialists" who, perhaps, understand only cheap but strong drinks.
Why is proper aquarium lighting important? The main role of lighting is to be able to observe the inhabitants of the aquarium, but more importantly, the right lighting provides the necessary vitality and normal photosynthesis in plants and animals. As the main source of light, aquarium lighting is essential for any system containing photosynthetic organisms such as plants, sea anemones, or corals.
Lighting affects the behavior of fish, their physiology, and is also vital to the overall health of the entire aquarium.
Aquarium lighting options There are many options for lighting aquariums, the variety of which makes it possible to provide the right lighting for the life of specific inhabitants.
Aquarium lighting is grouped into four main categories, ranging from legacy to innovative technologies - general purpose fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, metal halide, and LED.
- Fluorescent Lamps - These versatile lighting systems are the easiest way to light up an aquarium.
Fluorescent lights are an excellent choice for freshwater and marine aquarium fish. A huge variety of these easy-to-use, inexpensive and energy-efficient lamps will allow you to perfectly customize your aquarium lighting.
Actinic lamps for aquariums - emit blue-violet light in the 400 nm wavelength range, which is especially favorable for the photosynthetic growth of corals and invertebrates. Ideal for use in deep reef aquariums when combined with a 10000K (Kelvin) T5 fluorescent lamp.
Nanometer - nm, a sub-multiple unit of length in the International System of Units (SI) = one millionth of a millimeter, or one billionth of a meter.
The most commonly used unit of measure for the wavelength of visible light.
Full spectrum fluorescent lamp (T5 or T8) - visually close to natural sunlight, contains a mixture of different colors of the color spectrum, ideal for all types of freshwater and marine aquariums.
Due to the full spectrum, the lamp inhibits the development of algae, color temperature = 9000 K.
Fluorescent lamp daylight (T8) - designed for an aquarium with marine life, as well as corals and other invertebrates, the lamp has a cold white spectrum with a color temperature of 15,000 K (kelvin).
Full spectrum lamp for intense light in freshwater aquariums (T8) - stimulates the synthesis of chlorophyll and the photobiological processes of plants, enhances colors in freshwater aquariums, provides plants with light; color temperature 10000 K.
Designation T5 and T8 for fluorescent lamps.
T - the diameter of the tube, the so-called T-size, the number following the letter is the value of the diameter in eighths of an inch. So marking T8 indicates the size of 26mm, and T5 - 16mm.
T5 lamps are a new generation of lamps, and have some advantages compared to the T8 lamp, namely increased light output, up to 30% energy savings, extended service life, 5% drop in luminous flux after 10,000 hours of burning, smaller size.
- Compact fluorescent lamps - the light output in this type of lamp is higher than in general-purpose fluorescent lamps.
Instead of a single-tube incandescent lamp, compact fluorescent systems include double-tube or four-tube bulbs for greater light output.
The compact fluorescent luminaire is able to replace two standard fluorescent lamps, it is also easy to use and maintain, and it has all the advantages of daylight lamps: it is low heat generation, and a wide choice of lamps with different color temperatures, which will be ideal for both freshwater, as well as marine aquariums.
- A metal halide lamp is a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp with an efficiency of over 100 lm/W and a lifespan of approximately 20,000 hours.
Unlike other types of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps such as sodium or mercury, the light spectrum and color rendering make metal halide lamps suitable for aquarium lighting. This type of lamp is ideal for reef aquariums with inhabitants that require high light levels.
How to make light in an aquarium
In addition, lamps are used for very large aquariums, deeper than 60 cm, where other types of lamps do not have enough power to provide sufficient lighting.
- LED lamps - and as a relative "newcomer" to lighting the aquarium world, are often the subject of various misconceptions. Read more about LED aquarium lighting here.
Calculation of lighting for an aquarium
The calculation of LED lighting is calculated in lumens (a unit of measurement of the luminous flux lm or lm), for unpretentious plants, 20-40 lumens per liter are needed, for more demanding 40-60 lm.
The lighting of aquariums with fluorescent lamps with reflectors is calculated in terms of W / l, according to the following scheme:
- Aquarium without plants - 0.1-0.3 W / l
- Aquarium with few plants - 0.3-0.5 W/l
- For shade-loving fish - 0.2-0.4 W / l
- For lighting a decorative aquarium with live plants - 0.5-0.8 W / l
- Aquarium with a high density of planted plants - above 0.8 W/l
Optimal color temperature for aquarium inhabitants:
Deep aquariums need to be provided with actinic light, especially saltwater aquariums.
- Fish - 5500 - 20000 K (kelvin), depending on the species.
- Reefs - 9000-20 000 K, as an addition actinic light.
- Plants - 6500-18 000 K, depending on the species
- Lamps with a color temperature of 10,000 K have bright white light and are suitable for any aquarium.
The duration of aquarium lighting should not exceed 12 hours (can be varied within 9-12 hours).
Of these, continuous lighting can be at least 4 hours, with a 2-3 hour break during the daylight hours.
As a rule, the average aquarist turns off the lights in his aquarium at night.
Well, yes, you say, you yourself write in articles about the need to maintain daylight hours in an aquarium.
Quite right, my inquisitive reader. Some of the beginners tend to think about the question: what are my fish doing at night in the aquarium!? How are they behaving? Can you put up a night light?
However, nature has provided for everything before you, creating the Moon and moonlight, respectively. And the task comes down to simulating moonlight in an aquarium.
This is where LED aquarium lighting can help.
How to make LED lighting
The blue color of the LEDs was chosen, although there is not the slightest difference which one to choose.
I did all the work on my own aquarium lid with lamp.
You may have a completely different design, which you need to consider.
Also consider the need to limit the current to the operating value of the LEDs using resistors. I was too lazy to calculate, and I used this site to calculate the circuit and the number of LEDs.
Once you decide to add LED lighting to your aquarium, determine which and how many LEDs you will use.
You will also need a slightly different tool and spare parts, namely:
- The blue light LEDs themselves, I opted for 2.8V / 20mA
- Resistors (resistors)
- Connecting wires
- Power supply or other voltage source. I used 6V/100mA
- Soldering iron and solder
- Screwdriver
- glue gun
- Hands growing from the right place
(From the translator and editor: In a specific case, the list of equipment will vary.
DIY aquarium LED lighting
On given in the article, you can navigate as a basis).
We disassemble the existing aquarium lamp, we need to get to its casing.
In the process of dismantling, do not damage the lamp itself and its reflector.
Since the aquarium lamp runs on 220V, it makes sense to hide the LED power supply under the lamp cover and connect it there.
LEDs on the casing, we fasten with a glue gun.
Avoid getting glue on the LED head. You have to glue it, not glue it completely.
In the case of a metal housing, do not let the LED contacts touch the metal of the cover. Yes, you will get that short circuit.
All wires, LEDs and other connection points are carefully soldered and insulated.
It remains only to collect everything back and turn it on.
As you can see, DIY LED lighting is workable.
aquarium night lighting
For the full effect of changing day and night, all that remains is to add a timer. But, it is optional and optional.
Video: Moonlight in an aquarium
May the current and brightness of the LEDs be with you. 🙂
How to DIY Aquarium LED Lighting
For beginner aquarists, the question often arises - how much light is needed in the aquarium and how to correctly calculate the level of its illumination. The issue becomes especially relevant for aquariums with live plants.
As a universal method for calculating illumination, the ratio - lumens per liter of water (Lm / L) is used. Lumen is a unit of measurement of luminous flux, the higher this value of a lamp, the brighter it is, which means it can illuminate a larger volume.
Aquarium lighting levels
Low - 15–25 lumens per liter
Medium - 25–50 lumens per liter
High - more than 50 lumens per liter
Knowing the need for light of one or another hydrobiont, as well as the volume of the aquarium, you can choose a lighting system that is suitable in terms of power.
For example, for a 50 liter tank with shade-loving plants (low light level) a 10 W LED bulb will do, which gives 935 lumens, so you get 18.7 lumens per 1 liter of water.
Attention, often there are erroneous tips, where the ratio of the number of watts per 1 liter of water (W / l) is taken as the calculation for aquarium lighting, which is completely unacceptable, since at the same power, different types of lamps will give different amounts of light.
A simple example - the brightness of a modern LED is ten times greater than the brightness of an incandescent bulb of the same power.
LED lamp in 10 W = 935 lm
Incandescent lamp at 10 W = 50 lm
The dependence of the illumination on the location and height of the lamp above the water
The level of illumination of the aquarium is determined not only by the power of the lamps (lamps), but also by their location and height above the water surface, which must be taken into account when placing plants in the aquarium.
For example, if the light source is located in the center of a rectangular aquarium, then the most illuminated place will be directly under the lamp, while on the sides the light level can drop by 5 or more times.
The dependence of illumination on the location and height of the lamp above the surface of the aquarium
Options for the location of the lamp above the aquarium and the degree of illumination of the water surface depending on the height
Light regime in the aquarium and the spectral composition of light
Without lighting, the aquarium looks dull and dull.
Do-it-yourself aquarium lighting
Only with the help of light can you "bring it to life", create favorable conditions for plant growth and think about fish and water landscapes.
When lighting must comply with certain rules. The choice of equipment takes into account the needs of the inhabitants of the aquarium, and its size and shape do not play a key role here.
To enhance the beauty of the aquarium and its inhabitants, you need to calculate the intensity of the light.
The true direction of the rays will show the most interesting aspects of underwater life, and the right range of lights will make the aquarium attractive. The blue and red parts of the spectrum are poorly perceived by human eyes, and the sensations of the rays of the yellow and green zones are most pleasing to the eye. For lighting it is better to use full-color lamps. A sufficient flow of light is also needed: for a person, this is the amount of absorbed energy.
Consequences and causes of irregular light
Plant growth directly depends on the number of photons or active photosynthesis (PAR in English, which is present in the figure).
Lack of, or lack of, light in an aquarium causes the plant to wilt and lose its natural color to pale green or even yellow leaves. The stem will stretch, the distance between the leaves will increase, and the leaves will become smaller. If part of the stem of the same plant is placed closer to the light, the leaves will become larger and the internodes will be shortened.
A signal of insufficient brightness of the aquarium is the death of plants with brown and red leaves (this does not apply to Cryptocorynes).
Plants with thinner, longer stems are more likely to receive the excess red light that many artificial light sources provide. Fluorescent lamps that produce blue colors cause a short voltage. Such defects in the lighting of the aquarium lead to deviations in the growth and development of plants.
light and fish
Fish are no less sensitive to light. The normal light time in an aquarium is 12 hours, then 12 hours at night.
This photovoltaic value corresponds to most fish, allows them to be completely durable and positively affect all life processes, including reproduction. If they need light no less than plants, they react sharply to the absence of light.
When choosing a lamp, do not forget about its effect on the health and appearance of the fish: only in good light the fish will have a rich natural color.
Respect for the required duration and power of light is very important for the timely sexual maturation of fish, as well as for their reproduction. To get some types of fish, they need specially created lighting conditions.
The role of light in the life of fish can hardly be overestimated: it helps to look for "themselves among strangers" in order to find a sexual partner, discover food, hide from enemies, navigate in space, and adapt to the environment.
For some fish species, the light flux has a special effect.
Synodontics plays an important role in life. The physiology of the soma is regulated in such a way that the period of their activity is inseparable from the darkness of the day. Most characinids are found in a shaded area or in diffused light.
Poor lighting also activates predators because food is more available in the dark. This is due to the poor visual orientation of many fish in the dark. The quiet, plankton-eating people try to rest during this time, and their activity grows only in good light.
The aquarium with the Malawian Cyclides in the picture is a good example of bright lighting.
Interestingly, here on the pages Uses LED lighting, about what will be a separate conversation on akvamore.ru in the future.
Most of the fish are light. Depending on the mode of exposure in the natural environment, there are also shadow worshipers. Fish that have lived in abundance of sunlight (such as live toothbrushes or Donaciinae) never acquire the light of light into humble light.
But these types of fish can fully exist with an excess of light in the aquarium, which will not affect their color in any way.
What to do for Shadowfish
The location of fish whose ancestors lived in shaded tanks is quite different. A nocturnal or twilight lifestyle requires a reduction in the amount of light during close hours. If a plant-caring aquarium, too strong lamps are installed, this leads to inconvenience of existence and disruption of the natural rhythm of the fish that sets off.
Experienced owners warn that they have dirt separators, loss of clarity in structure and color intensity. Most of the time these fish will need to hide and not be pleased by aquarium spectators. Creating the most comfortable conditions for all the inhabitants of the aquarium requires the allocation of shaded areas. This can be helped by decorative elements, large stone construction, artificial grottoes, as well as plants. The number of such shelters should correspond to the number of fish.
In this aquarium, which imitates a volcanic biotope, diffused point light is organized.
There are shelters for shadow fish and good plant growth - bright areas.
In the absence of plants in the aquarium, it is enough to simply reduce the power of the bulbs while maintaining the duration of the lighting. The condition is more difficult with a deep aquarium or plants, i.e. when bright light is required. You need to accurately calculate the correct amount of light and find a solution that does not significantly violate the right to exist for fish and plants.
These are average flow parameters for aquarists.
- Use the powerful light that plants need when choosing light-loving fish whose home is shallow, well-lit ponds. This option is suitable for those who keep the vegetation in the aquarium.
- Fill aquarium plants that don't need a lot of light - they can co-exist with most fish.
An excellent solution for aquariums "fish", in which the plants will not remain in sadness.
- Create a "hedge" of tall plants that grow on or stretch across the surface - in their shade fish can hide from the light. Water birds can also be used for these purposes.
- Cultivate in an aquarium and low plants and those that grow near the surface of the water. The fish themselves can choose the best living conditions in open space or in the shade of the leaves of tall plants.
This decision extends to large quantities, as small aquariums do not allow you to create a full area.
- Another solution for a large aquarium is to install directional lighting equipment so most of the light hits the plants.
This coating provides an excellent base for forming an aquarium under a natural water body: in shaded areas, the ridge can be stained with oak, as if over wrapped roots that resemble the landscape of a river or lake.
A few words about lamps
All aquarists can be divided into lovers of bright and dark aquariums. First, strong lighting equipment (lamps) should be installed.
The latter is a light twilight and bright light to accurately see the fish. However, in addition to personal requirements, he should be guided by the purpose of the aquarium and the preferences of its inhabitants.
African cichlids dig and destroy plants, so they may not even be on a "bike". In this case, light is needed only for the convenience of the aquarist.
Too much lighting does not like the fish, it even harms them, which causes a stressful state. Therefore, you can place a lamp from any spectrum in this aquarium. They do not require special lumens calculation and artificial plants - they are suitable for ordinary bulbs equipped with an aquarium.
The choice of equipment for other fish and live plants must be taken more seriously.
To get rich, close to natural shades, color, install a full spectrum fish lamp (with a wide range of radiation colors) or TRICHROMATOGRAPHIC / triphosphate (triphosphate). In the following materials, we will consider the choice of lamps in more detail.
This photo shows the version of the aquarium without the lid.
used zetlight
Natural sunlight is also the possibility of illuminating the aquarium. However, it may not always be the only source that meets the needs of plants and animals. The problem with using natural light is that the brightness of the aquarium becomes dependent on its location.
But even the correct installation of the aquarium against the sun does not allow you to control the length of the light period and the intensity of the light output due to weather conditions or seasons.
The directed work of the sun's rays does not allow an even distribution of light across the water table: some areas of the aquarium may suffer from lack of light, while others from excess. Excess sunlight will cause active algae growth, aquarium walls and plants will be redistributed, and light transmission will deteriorate. The amount of light can cause the water to "bloom" due to the reproduction of phytoplankton.
Along with lighting, the sun's rays heat the water, which often leads to the death of fish.
In summer and spring, the aquarium is best located near south, southeast, or southwest windows. In all other cases, additional lighting is required for the growth of ornamental plants.
It should be noted that direct sunlight can cause damage for a long time (more than two hours) belonging to the aquarium. You should also not place containers in close proximity to radiators: sudden temperature fluctuations will adversely affect fish and plants. The best position is on the opposite side or side of the sun at the back of the room.
Good natural light will contribute to the beauty of the aquarium and its inhabitants.
aquarium lighting
Good lighting will help reveal the beauty of the underwater world. It is important for residents.
aquarium: the intensity and duration of daylight hours affect the growth and development of plants and fish. Unfortunately, not all aquarists pay due attention to this.
Lighting in the aquarium should not be made too bright - this can cause the rapid growth of microscopic plants.
It is recommended to set a certain period during which you will turn on the light for the aquarium. Usually it does not exceed 13 hours a day. For both plants and fish, it is necessary to alternate periods of darkness and light, just as it happens in nature. You can set up automatic lighting control: light-sensitive photocells will turn on the light only when necessary.
It is important to remember that continuous lighting is detrimental to some species - it happens that the fish lose their ability to
multiply.
Care must be taken to ensure that the lighting is sufficient for all the inhabitants of the aquarium.
Most aquarium plants require a lot of bright light, but fish usually live in shady waters. Aquarists often think only about the needs of plants and install lamps that are too powerful. For fish, such lighting can cause discomfort, they will look for an opportunity to hide.
Under such conditions, over time, the bright color of some species may turn pale, become fuzzy. Sometimes a lot of lamps are installed in aquariums, even if there are no plants there - this is not at all desirable. If you also prefer to use several lamps, make sure that they have a low power.
The intensity of lighting should also depend on the depth of the aquarium. The greater the depth, the better it needs to be illuminated.
If there is not enough natural light in the room, more powerful lamps are selected for the aquarium.
The following data can be used for the calculation. For 1 dm2 of the bottom area of the aquarium, 2 W is sufficient when using incandescent lamps and 0.7 W when using fluorescent lamps. With krypton lamps, it's a little more complicated.
For a depth of more than 40 cm per 1 liter of water in the aquarium, 1 W is needed, for a shallower depth, 0.75 W is enough.
For normal growth, aquatic plants need the entire spectrum of visible radiation. It is worth noting that each spectral range has its own role: long wavelengths of visible rays affect growth, short wavelengths affect the increase in plant mass and their flowering.
If artificial lighting with a limited range is used, algal growth or blooms can be caused.
Most often, fluorescent lamps or incandescent lamps are installed in aquariums.
The light of the latter is perfectly absorbed by plants. Incandescent lamps are distinguished by a pleasant light of yellow or orange tones. However, these lamps have a low coefficient of performance (COP), so even small aquariums will require high power to illuminate.
Incandescent lamps get very hot, so they should not be placed near the walls of the aquarium. It is recommended to place above the water surface at a low height - from 10 to 25 cm.
For deep aquariums, additional side lighting is needed, but incandescent lamps
are not suitable for this.
Aquarium lighting with LED lights
It should be noted that heating only the upper layers of water will lead to a large temperature difference at its surface and at the bottom of the aquarium. To avoid possible problems, it is necessary to install devices for mixing layers with different temperatures.
If fish from cold water reservoirs live in an aquarium, incandescent lamps cannot be used.
Instead, fluorescent ones are suitable. They are characterized by high efficiency and economy. For aquariums, white and warm white light bulbs are used (daylight bulbs are not suitable). Their spectral composition is similar to sunlight with a slight predominance of blue and red ranges. The number of lamps depends on the size of the aquarium in which they will be installed, and their power.
Like incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps are best installed from above.
They heat up much weaker than conventional ones, so it is permissible to put them closer to the sight glass. You can equip the lid of the aquarium with lighting.
Over time, lamps lose a significant percentage of their brightness. To return the lighting to its previous level, it is necessary to periodically replace them.
At the same time, you should remember or write down the date of installation of new lamps. Of course, you will have to change them when they burn out.
To enhance the power of lighting, the lamps are placed in reflectors - special reflectors,
which allow you to illuminate the farthest corners of the aquarium.
In order not to complicate the care of the aquarium, you can plant plants with low lighting requirements in it.
Then the fish will not experience stress due to bright light.
With the help of plants, you can create a shadow for the inhabitants of the aquarium. To do this, grow floating plants or with large leaves creeping along the surface of the water. To do this, it is important to prepare the soil in advance and give the plants the opportunity to take root. Most likely, it will take two to three months to prepare, but your pets will be able to hide in the shade.
The larger the aquarium, the more opportunities there are for aqua design.
In some areas, plants can be grown to provide shade, part of the area can be left open so that aquarium fish swim where they are comfortable. Another option is to focus bright lighting where there are more plants.
So the fish will have a choice between lighter and darker places. Shady corners can be decorated with bog oak snags - this way the design of the aquarium will look very impressive.
Considering the issue of lighting, do not forget about one important detail.
In nature, the sun never sets or rises instantly - there is a transitional period between light and darkness, and the light in an aquarium usually turns off immediately, leaving the fish in complete darkness. A sudden change in lighting can confuse the fish. If there are diurnal or nocturnal inhabitants in the aquarium, the sudden switching on or off of the electric light can frighten them, as they will not have time to hide in a safe place. For some species, the time of twilight is necessary to ensure the safety of their offspring.
So, for example, cichlids, whose main activity falls on the daytime, before dark gather their fry together and send them to a shelter to protect them from predators. And in some species, such as ancitruses, activity increases sharply with the onset of twilight. If sunlight enters the room during sunset and/or dawn, there is no need to artificially create twilight.
Otherwise, it will be enough to turn on the aquarium lighting 10-20 minutes after the usual one, and turn it off 10-20 minutes earlier. Fish quickly get used to artificial twilight.
In recent years, pet stores have greatly expanded the range of equipment designed specifically for aquariums.
On the one hand, a large selection allows you to purchase goods for every taste, but novice aquarists can easily make a mistake. Not everything that is sold in pet stores is really necessary.
Therefore, it is important to first understand what types of equipment exist and what they are for.
Quite often, aquarists are faced with the question of lighting an aquarium, especially if it is homemade or if you contain plants that are clearly not enough regular lighting. It is not always clear what type, what power and what lamp temperature to choose. In this note, I will describe my case of creating and calculating LED aquarium lighting with my own hands, and along the way I will share additional information that I came across on this issue.
My aquaterrarium Actually, my aquaterrarium. Below is a 120-liter aquarium (with live plants, gastromisons, glass perches, tetras, corridors, etc.), on top there are 3 more of the same volume for a terrarium. As you can see, there is not enough space for placing aquarium lighting, frankly. Initially, when designing the aquarium, 2 fluorescent tube lamps with a power of 8 W each were supplied as lighting. Visually it seemed that the aquarium was lit enough. But after a while, the plants began to protest in every way available to them. It was decided to change the backlight to a more powerful one.
Choosing the type of aquarium light source
I decided to install LED strips that are gaining popularity. The most important reason for making LED aquarium lighting in my case was the extreme compactness of such lighting. As additional advantages of LED aquarium lighting - energy savings, long service life and operation of LEDs from low voltage (water is around, you never know ...).
My LED aquarium light is not afraid of water What kind of light do aquarium plants need?
A few words about emission and absorption spectra. Plants are interested in the visible part of the light spectrum. To capture light, plants use chlorophyll, which absorbs light from the blue and red parts of the spectrum.
Green plants absorb visible light mainly in the blue and red parts of the spectrum. Plants reflect green light, which is why we see them as green. So the white light visible to our eye contains all the parts of the spectrum necessary for plants (blue and red) and even more (the green part of the spectrum not used by plants). Therefore, any white light source will be suitable for illuminating a standard aquarium. You just need to correctly calculate how much light is needed in your case.
Calculation of aquarium lighting
The calculation of aquarium lighting with LEDs does not differ from the calculation of lighting with other light sources. In most sources, the notorious formula 0.5 - 0.8 watts per liter is found. In principle, the circuit is working, but for different light sources there can be significant errors (for example, my 120 liters actually need 43 W of LED strip - if I counted in Watts, a completely different number would come out).
I recommend counting the lighting needs of the aquarium in lux. Lux is a unit of illumination, in fact - a lumen per 1 m² of area. Illumination for standard aquariums (height less than length) with normal plants 6,000 - 10,000 lux. For plants of strongly increased photophilousness 10,000 - 15,000 lux.
Those. we calculate the area of the bottom of our aquarium in square meters and multiply the resulting number by the required number of lux. We get the desired parameters for our light source in lumens (they are indicated for all light bulbs and LED strips).
Calculation example: the bottom area of my aquarium is 0.75m*0.4m=0.3m². The desired illumination is about 7000 lux. So, we need a light bulb 0.3 m² * 7000 lux = 2100 lumens.
I go to Leroy, I see a great option there: LED strip 14.4W / 60LED / m, cold white, IP65. 1 meter of such tape produces 700 lumens. So we take 3 meters.
This is the tape I put to light my aquarium Similar calculations can be made for any lamps / bulbs / spotlights.
At first, 7,000 lux seemed like a lot of light. But if we compare it with what we find in nature, the very thing comes out.
Examples of illumination in lux You will also need a power supply, I took it with a margin, 60 watts. Well, here we simply multiply the power of a meter of tape by the number of meters.
Warm or cold - see for yourself. Cold is more mixed in the blue part of the spectrum, warm in the red. Usually they put a cold one (it passes through the water column better), but for shallow aquariums this is not important. Choose according to your decor. I installed two meters of cold and one meter of warm white light.
DIY aquarium LED lighting 
Now there is enough light for everyone As a conclusion
I put LED lighting in the aquarium and I'm not overjoyed :) No, seriously, very cool. It would have been cheaper to illuminate the aquarium with fluorescent lamps, but, again, I have too little distance from the water to the “lid” (i.e., the terrarium shelf), in addition, I was wondering how it is to do-it-yourself LED aquarium lighting. The plants are very happy. Absolutely everyone went into growth, Riccia turned from a miserable lump into a lush carpet. Flowering, filaments and other problems were not noticed for 3 weeks.
