Understanding Aquarium Lighting
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Aquarium lighting fixtures can be put into two categories: vertical and horizontal fixtures. The most popular vertical fixtures are Japanese metal halide spotlights. These bulbs resemble the heat lamps most commonly used for reptile basking lamps. In America, most of the lights are mounted horizontally where the bulb stretches across the length of the aquarium. The best image of this is the common shop light found in most shopping malls.
One of the most important considerations for any fish tank light is the reflector. Highly polished and parabolic fixtures spread the light evenly. The larger the reflector and the more bends it has the better. Using a fixture with a poorly built reflector can result in poor light disbursement, which creates a light "hot spot" and can ultimately burn your corals. In scientific testing of T5 aquarium bulbs, they found that highly polished parabolic reflectors were able to direct two and half times more light then traditional aluminum reflectors. Spend the money to get good reflectors, so that you don't need to upgrade later.
If you are planning to buy a metal halide fixture or a multiple bulb t5 light, then it is important that the aquarium hood has the proper cooling. Cooling can come in the form of vents and fans. Vents allow air circulation, but fans actually move warm air out and let cool air in. It is critical to select a fixture with silent fans, as the blades can become quite annoying if they are constantly buzzing. Keeping the light cool also extends the life of the bulb and ballast.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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