So you are thinking of getting LED lights for your aquarium are you? Well let me tell you, I purchased some about 6 months ago and it was one of the smartest things I have done.
WHY LED LIGHTS?
If you are like me, switching up the look of your fish tank every so often is a must. I love owning fish, but I often get bored with the same old look of my tank, so I tend to rearrange the aquarium every few months. But, even doing that got old too.... So, what did I do? One day when I went to my local fish store I saw a reef tank with LED moonlights. They were the coolest looking things I had seen in a while. You turn them on and the whole tank glows with a blue tint that makes it look like one of the tanks you would see at a huge aquarium.
The next few weeks I spent a good amount of time calling and searching for some lights that would create the same look in my tank at home.
WHAT DID I DO?
I ended up purchasing some called R2 solutions moonlights from marinedepot.com. They are great. I have a 55 gallon tank, so I bought the set of 2 and they really make my tank look beautiful. These lights only costed me $43.99, much cheaper than other lights that perform the same. I highly recommend these lights.
There are lots of different lighting systems out there, so just make sure that you do some research before you purchase any. You should also go into a fish store and check them out in person before you buy them, or at least try to look at something that will be similar looking to what you will have in your aquarium.
HOW TO USE YOUR NEW LIGHTS
What I like to do with my lighting system now, is to switch up the type of light my fish and plants get daily. I treat the moonlights just like what they are meant to do, simulate natural moonlight for your aquarium. So, during the day I turn on my fluorescent lights so it is like sunlight in the tank then at night I turn on my LED moonlights to act as natural moonlight.
Also, one of the main reasons that I purchased these lights is to see the different fish and their colors under the blue light. I have to tell you that, these lights do a great job of making certain fish look 10 times prettier than they are in regular fluorescent lighting. Certain rocks and coral look amazing under these lights as well.
The system I have set up now, does a great job simulating the natural day and night cycle for the fish. When I turn on the LED lights, the fish have become noticeably more active. Before when I had just the fluorescent lights, certain fish that are more active at night would not come out until I shut them off. This has changed now with the LED moonlights. You can also use the lights during the day, to "trick" the fish that are more active at night, and they will come out and swim around so that you can watch them.
WHO SHOULD BUY THIS TYPE OF LIGHTING SYSTEM?
This type of lighting system can be used for both fresh and saltwater aquariums. So don't be discouraged to try it out if you have a freshwater tank. The fish tank that I use my lights on is a freshwater tank and I have some nice white rocks that look great under the blue lights. These lights do tend to look really good with a saltwater tank, especially with all the coral and pretty fish, but like I said they look just as good with freshwater aquariums too.
LED moonlights are definitely something to consider, especially if you are ready to take the "next step" with your aquarium.
If you have any questions, comments, or want to see what I am talking about, please check out my blog at http://properfishtankmaintenance.blogspot.com I have pictures and movies of my LED moonlights that I have set up in my home aquarium...... THEY ARE GREAT!!!!
Adam Wiese is a middle school science teacher and a fish enthusiast. He has owned and maintained many different types of aquariums throughout his life. For more information on how to select and maintain an aquarium please visit http://properfishtankmaintenance.blogspot.com You can find plenty of fish tank advice, supplies, pictures and videos, that will help you out on your new adventure.
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