Aquarium Lamp, Bulb Types

This article commit discuss some of the more common aquarium lights ( lamps ) available for vigorous seeing a few that are not as well known such as the SHO and T2 bulbs / fixtures.

Common aquarium bulbs include the:

* Metal Halide ( MH ); These are the reigning " Kings " of reef aquarium belonging to depth penetration, output, spectrum, and over all beauty and monetary worth of garnet life they help support. Even the newer T - 5 lamps cannot achieve the depth penetration and overall output of these lights.

Metal Halide work via a gas mixture of halides and at odds elements. The actual light whack comes from the small nightmare of gas that is held in dwelling by metal wires and / or supports. The electricity running between them and the small gas bubble, heats them, similar to an flashing filament. This is one of the reasons that Metal Halide bulbs convey off more heat than other bulbs.

The downside is the heat that MH lights produce, often resulting in the need for hood fans and even chillers. Two sizes I most often have used are the 10, 000 K 175 watts and the 20, 000 K 250 watts for really submarine tanks ( owing to 30 " )

* LED: The new reef compatible LED is likely to take due to the market as they be reformed more readily available, the cost comes unattended and watts per lumen come up. These lights do not own the heat problems and are model solid. LED lights may expose to be more suitable for aquatic life tank - lighting and reef tanks seeing they offer superior flexibility when compared with traditional fluorescent lighting. When LED lights operate, the photometric radiation remains within a narrow band on the electromagnetic spectrum. Individualistic photometric wavelengths are much beneficial to some aquatic plant life and reef tanks. Controlling specific wavelengths becomes possible down a basic network of colored LED lights connected to a digital LED controller. Since LEDs emit light only in plain particular direction, the installer has the option to illuminate a precise area by plainly rotating the polycarbonate conduit jacket. The water flinty casing also provides the LED circuitry with valid refuge against moisture and chemicals found within the fish tank or reef tank.

Since far the there are mixed reviews on the more select units such as the Solaris that replace the MH. The manufacturer of the Solaris claims " PAR light output levels appearance to a 400W MH 20k. It uses 40 % less energy than the 400W MH 20k fixtures it replaces. The life of the LEDs is approximately 50, 000 hours, so it almost eliminates metal halide and refulgent bulb replacements. All heat is radiated up and away from the tank; therefore, it does not heat the water like Metal Halides or Fluorescents. This eliminates the need for Chillers. " However cue shows 20 lumens per watt, MH bulbs provide around 50 lumens per watt considering the output.

* T - 12; a stock pin, 1 - 1 / 2 " wide bulb. This bulb will usually use more watts per lumen output

* T - 8; a standard pin, 1 " wide bulb. As compared to the T - 12, a 48 " T - 12 will use 32 watts, while a 48 " T - 8 cede use 32 watts.

* T - 5; Often around 13 mm in diameter. This is a short-lived pin bulb which regularly uses even less watts per lumen than many than T - 8 bulbs.

* T - 2; These bulbs are the au courant technology conclusively. They measure matchless 7 mm and allow for several bulbs in a small space. A 13 watt 20 inch T - 2 Bulb ( 6400 K ) produces 950 lumens which is 73 lumens per watt in a very small space!

Quite bluntly, these T2 lamps and fixtures are about the best bulbs in a small space I have heuristic! These are very all-purpose for small planted aquariums or Nano Reefs or leveled shelves for betta breeders. I expect these new T - 2 lamps to sweep the smaller aquarium keeping hobby due to their terribly high efficiency and out put.

* VHO; this stands for " Pure Soaring Output ". These arrive in T - 5 thru T - 12 trite resplendent tubes and in the newer power solid ( usually 4 pin ) lamps such as the New generation Via Aqua Helios VHO. The new Helios attend in a variety of sizes with outputs maturation to 180 watts out of lamps under 40 inches in length, which rival many Metal Halide ( although not in depth aha ). These new higher output VHO fixtures / lamps have higher Kelvin and wattage output than previous generation VHO lamps / fixtures of complementary size. These can be used for both marine reef applications whereas well in that freshwater planted aquariums ( these new VHOs are not near for full release to the glaring until early 2008 ).

* PC; this stands for " Power Compact ". These bulbs come in straight pin arrangements, square pin arrangements, and the highly more popular self ballasted run-of-the-mill incandescent fixture " screw in " type. These bulbs along with T - 5s tend to be the most efficient.

A new Power Concentrated that in my opinion is awesome for planted aquariums and even for reef aquariums ( seeing an addition to LED or Metal Halide ) is the self ballasted SHO ( Superlative high Output ) PC bulbs. The 105 Watt SHO Daylight bulb puts out 6300 lumens and is related to a 525 watt Conventional bulb ( shrewdness on the picture for a link ). This comes out to 60 lumens per watt, however this is a deceptive guide, as you can fit many more of these bulbs in a given look-in and also utilize more efficient reflectors.

The SHO can be mounted into your hood using a habitual coruscating fixture or improved, hung as a pendant light using reflector reciprocal to how Metal Halides are commonly installed