DIY aquarium lighting. Aquarium lighting: choosing lamps, which ones are better? Instructions with photos and videos! How to install LED aquarium lighting yourself

One of the key factors for creating optimal balance behind the glass shores is right choice and installation of aquarium lighting. Light is the basis for the growth of plants and the normal life of fish; it highlights details and allows you to focus on the main thing. Learn about the features of creating modern do-it-yourself lighting for an aquarium below.

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The simplest lighting option

White – warm white radiation is suitable for both photosynthesis of plants and for accentuating red, orange, gold and yellow flowers in fish;
Royal blue spectrum - creates a moonlight effect, enhances the beauty of neons and cichlids, emphasizes blue shades in the water;
Purple is the ideal spectrum for herbalists and planted aquariums, highlighting the green, blue and red hues of the inhabitants.

By combining LED lighting of various shades, you can achieve incredible optical effects in a pond, as well as create the maximum convenient conditions for the life of fish and plants. From this video you will learn how to make a waterproof LED backlight yourself.

Night

Night illumination of an aquarium is not used as main source light, but with the purpose of watching your pets at night. Moonlight type illumination is made using blue and green diodes. A little skill, circuit boards, a microprocessor, mini-spotlights and other necessary devices in this matter guarantee a stunning view of the aquarium at night. DIY aquarium – best solution for decoration of any room.

In a round aquarium

A round aquarium is an extremely popular design in the aquarium hobby. Despite its compact size and minimal number of inhabitants, the ball-reservoir must be equipped with all means for the life of plants and animals. Such means include lighting. A round aquarium, which is limited in size to a maximum of 30 liters, reduces the options for equipping fixtures. The best equipment is on a round mounting cover for a lamp made of fluorescent or LED lamps.

When choosing illumination, it is necessary to take into account what species will live in it and which spectrum peaks are suitable for plant photosynthesis. It is necessary to calculate what lamp power will be needed to ensure photosynthesis of the entire number of plants. To do this, you need to know how many photons of light each type of plant should receive per day. The average is 0.5 W/liter of water. To illuminate herbalists, light is selected at a rate of 1 W or more per liter of water.

You also need to consider the duration of lighting - the natural habitat of many plants and animals in a water reservoir is in the tropical zone. Tropical fish and plants do not tolerate changes in daylight hours. Aquatic tropical inhabitants sleep 10-12 hours, the rest of the time they need light. Lighting in aquatic ecosystem must take into account the natural daily cycle of its inhabitants. Lighting in an aquarium is an integral part of maintaining the life of its inhabitants.

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Video “Aquarium Lighting”

This video shows another option for LED lighting that you can make yourself.

Aquarium plants need a lot of light for normal growth and development. The fish do not need it that much, but with sufficient lighting they look very attractive, bright, and behave actively. This is why it is so important to choose the right lighting for your aquarium. This is not as simple as it seems at first glance, as there are many details that you need to know.

Where to place the lighting for the aquarium

Most often, the lighting in an aquarium is located at the top. The most common option is in the lid. Both long and regular lamps can be installed here. To achieve more uniform illumination, reflectors are installed near the lamps, which redirect and diffuse the light. This is especially important if one long lamp is used. If it is simply attached to the lid, most of the bottom remains in the shade, which is not always good.

But being close to the water is not always a good thing. If lamps that emit large number heat, you have to install coolers (fans) or raise them above the aquarium. In this case, you can use hangers and stops. Here's how to adapt - there are different options.

Make a special mount to the ceiling

The top light does not always reach the bottom in the required amount. Then you can either increase the power of the lamps, or place several on the walls, closer to the bottom or at the very bottom. Last option It is more decorative in nature, but can somewhat improve low light levels in the lower layers.

Illuminated aerator - one of the options Aquarium lamp with suction cups - can be attached to the walls at any level

“Upper” lighting for an aquarium is more correct, but to correct the situation and the impossibility of a quick change, you can use light sources located below, or you can install spotlights for decorative effect- highlight some part of the relief or an unusual plant at dusk.

Types of lamps

Aquarium lighting can be made with any type of lamp. Anyone at all. But its effectiveness appearance plants and fish, the amount of energy expended will be very different. Let us evaluate all types of lamps from these positions.

Incandescent and halogen lamps

They are combined into one category because they have similar advantages and disadvantages. Incandescent lamps for aquariums are good because they emit light, the spectrum of which is very similar to sunlight. The second big plus is affordable price. But the disadvantages are very serious. This is a low efficiency - about 97% of the energy is spent on heat generation and only 3% directly on the emission of light waves.

The bills for such aquarium lighting will be decent. In addition, it is necessary to remove the heat that incandescent lamps emit during operation. This is usually done by installing coolers - low-power fans, but they also do not always save.

Metal halide

This type of lamp is ideal for aquariums with a lot of grass and if the water column is greater than 60 cm. This is due to the wide spectrum of light emitted, its high brightness and ability to penetrate to great depths. When illuminated with metal halogen lamps (MHL), there will be “solar” glare and shadows from plants and fish at the bottom.

The disadvantage is that they get very hot during operation, so generally such lamps are installed at a distance of at least 30 cm from the water surface.

Fluorescent lamps

Today these lamps are available in several versions. There are ordinary household ones (NO). They have a low level of luminescence and can be used to illuminate shallow aquariums - up to 50 cm deep. The light simply won't reach below. There are two other technologies HO (High Output) and VHO (Very High Output), which, with the same dimensions, shine many times brighter. Their light is capable of penetrating to quite a great depth.

In aquarium farming, two types of fluorescent lamps are usually used - T5 and T8. T8 is used more often. They have optimal ratio prices and quality. T5 lamps with a smaller diameter (16 mm versus 26 mm) provide twice as much light, but also cost twice as much as T8. And since they still need to be changed at the same time, they use “eights” more often.

One more point: these two types of lamps are not interchangeable: T5 requires a special ballast, so the lamps for them are different.

The disadvantage of fluorescent lamps is that over time they “burn out,” that is, they change the spectrum of their glow. This forces replacement every 6-10 months, although the lamp still works and can work for many more months. But plants no longer “like” its light. And these are additional costs and quite significant ones.

Compact fluorescent lamps or housekeepers

Their characteristics are very similar to conventional luminescent ones, only the shape of the light tube has been changed - they are twisted into a spiral - and the cartridge - it fits standard connectors.

LED

Today, lighting for aquariums using LEDs is considered optimal by many. They heat up little, shine brightly with low electricity consumption, have a wide color range, and have a long service life. In addition, they are safe as they operate on 12 V.

Another advantage of using LEDs is that their brightness can be easily changed. In the absence of experience, it is almost impossible to immediately select the optimal amount of light, so the ability to adjust the amount of light is very useful.

The disadvantage of LEDs is the considerable price of crystals good quality. The second unpleasant point is that they also generate heat that must be removed. But the heat is generated by the LED housing and it is easier to remove it - install it on an aluminum plate, which will remove the heat. If necessary, you can build in a cooler with back side or raise it higher above the water.

If we speak in relation to aquarium farming, then by organizing the correct LED lighting for an aquarium, you can achieve a play of highlights and shadows on the bottom, an excellent appearance of plants and fish.

A few words about what LED lamps are:

For all these reasons, LED aquarium lighting is becoming increasingly popular. At low costs during the operation stage, they provide good light and “burn out” much more slowly. Moreover, it is possible to make the backlight “colored” using RCD diodes. By the way, they allow you to regulate the amount of one or another “shade” of light.

Combined lighting for an aquarium

When creating lighting for an aquarium, many experienced owners combine several types of lamps - two or even three. This way you can achieve optimal illumination at minimum costs. Most often, fluorescent and LED lamps are combined, fluorescent with metal halogen, and all three types are used.

It just seems like there are few options. In fact, a lot, since light sources are also selected based on the temperature of the light. As a result, the visual perception and colors of vegetation and fish change significantly. When selecting, it is desirable to obtain a spectrum close to the spectrum of sunlight or select a combination that is liked by all the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Light intensity

To choose the right lighting for an aquarium, you need to take into account many factors: its type (sea or freshwater), the presence of plants in it and their needs (what intensity of light they need), the geometric parameters of the jar itself (the height of the water column) and the color of the water. Depending on all these factors, lamps and fixtures are selected.

Selection by volume

A common practice is to select the brightness of the aquarium lights based on its volume. The technique does not take into account many nuances, but can be used as a basis for approximately determining the required lamp power. The required power of the lamps is calculated depending on the volume of water (not the tank, but the water - subtract the air gap and the thickness of the soil).

For an aquarium without plants, you don’t need much light—the fish don’t need a lot of it. They count at 0.1-0.3 W/l.
If the aquarium contains shade-loving algae and fish, the lighting power can be calculated based on the norm of 0.2-0.4 W/l.
Average illumination is 0.4-0.5 W/l. But with this choice, the plants will grow slowly and stretch upward.
The optimal illumination for a normal herbalist, for bright and healthy plants is 0.5-0.8 W/l.
Bright lighting with a large number of light-loving plants - 0.8-1.0 W/l.

The data is given for lighting with incandescent lamps and halogen lamps. But today they are used less and less, since they are ineffective and get very hot. You can determine the required power of other light sources using the correspondence table.

Having calculated the power of fluorescent lamps you need, you can calculate the required power of other types of light sources.

Selection by depth

When determining the lighting intensity of an aquarium, it is necessary to take into account its depth. The thing is that when 10 cm of water of average transparency passes through, the illumination drops by 50%.

Every 10 cm of depth “eats” 50% of the light level

This means that if the illumination on the surface is 1000 Lm, at a depth of 60 cm it will reach only about 15 Lm, and below it will be practically dark. If you want to have healthy plants, you need to have at least 60-90 lumens of light at the bottom. Therefore, when calculating the lighting intensity for an aquarium, it is worth taking into account its depth.

Aquarium lighting time

When designing lighting, the question arises: how long should the aquarium lighting last? The answer is based on the "habits" of plants and fish. They come from tropical latitudes, where daylight hours last approximately 12 hours, regardless of the time of year. This is the lighting regime you need to provide your plants.

Sometimes they try to compensate for the lack of illumination by extending daylight hours. This usually does not have positive consequences, but negative ones appear very often - with long daylight hours, the water begins to bloom, the illumination decreases further, and there is a need to replace the water.

In addition to the fact that the light in the aquarium should be on for a certain time, it is also advisable to create some semblance of half a day - for some time - 3-4 hours a day - the lighting should be very bright, the rest of the time the intensity of the aquarium lighting can be reduced. To implement such a mode, several lamps are used, which are turned on through separate toggle switches/switches.

In order to automate the process, you can install a time relay. Today there are absolutely inexpensive models through which you can turn on the lamps. They are mechanical and electronic. Electronic ones can be programmable and you won’t have to set the time each time, since the power will be supplied and turned off automatically.

The first method, lighting the aquarium yourself with LEDs, is the simplest, where you can additionally equip a lighting cover with special phytolamps. To do this, a white LED strip is fixed around the perimeter. This will give the optimal spectrum and the most uniform illumination along the upper perimeter of the aquarium. A self-adhesive LED strip filled with plastic is used, where the protective layer is removed and attached around the perimeter of the box.

Such lighting is widely used for decorative purposes, but it cannot be an independent source of lighting for the aquarium. The insulation at the junction of the tape and the cord is made with a special transparent silicone used for aquariums. It will reliably protect the power cord from water. The output wires are marked in red, this is a plus, and the minus is black or blue wire. If the polarity is not correct, the LEDs will not work.

The second method is to assemble full-fledged aquarium LED lighting of sufficient power without generators and complex equipment. At 200-300 l, a power of 120 W is enough for a richly planted aquarium. This amounts to a total of 40 270 lumen spot LEDs at 3W each. As a result, the illumination will be 10800 lumens, which will give very bright illumination for this volume. It is important to monitor the balance of the entire ecosystem, and with excess light and the development of green microorganisms, it is necessary to reduce the overall intensity.

The cost of such a design can vary greatly, since in online stores from the Chinese, for example, and from more reputable companies you can find LEDs and power supplies of the same quality. However, prices may vary significantly.

For self-installation backlights you will need:

set of LED lamps,
2-2.5 meters of plastic gutter 100 mm wide,
12 Volt power supply, can be from a computer,
soft wire 1.5 mm,
preferably 6 computer coolers of 12 volts,
40 LED connector sockets,
cutter for processing 48 mm holes.

Along the length of the aquarium we cut 2 pieces of gutter, in the bottom of which we drill holes, about 20 pieces per meter, placing them in checkerboard pattern. We insert LED lamps into the holes and secure them.

All lamps must be connected to power in parallel to a 12 volt power supply. For proper connection, it is better to contact an electrician, since the connection diagram may seem complicated to people who are not experts in connecting lamps to connectors. Computer coolers or fans should be installed when there is a lot of evaporation or heating of the cover for lighting.

For decorative purposes, additional night lighting, such as moonlight, is sometimes provided. To do this, connect a little blue LED strip, which can be installed behind the back wall, but so that it is below the bottom of the aquarium. The electric timer will be able to turn it on when the daylight goes out.

Advantages and disadvantages of different aquarium lighting options

Let's determine what types of aquarium lighting exist and describe their features:

Illuminating an aquarium using incandescent lamps is already a thing of the past. They heat up a lot, disturbing the thermal balance, and provide little light.
Illumination using fluorescent lamps solves the problem of light intensity, but does not fully provide the required spectrum of illumination.
Aquarium lighting using modern phytolamps fully provides both the intensity and the required spectrum of lighting. However, such lighting is very expensive and not everyone can afford it.
LED aquarium lighting - modern way supplying light that is closest to natural light.

Advantages of LED aquarium lighting

Aquarium lighting with LEDs is a relatively new proposal. LEDs have important characteristics that make them leaders among lighting devices today. The use of such lamps has many advantages.

They are very easy to install, due to the fact that the cartridges fit almost all types of bases.
LED lamps are not afraid of water, therefore, the possibility of a short circuit is eliminated. At the same time, even in conditions of high humidity, these lighting devices function without interruption.
LED lamps designed for aquarium lighting are fireproof.
Such lamps do not emit heat during operation, which makes it possible to maintain a comfortable overall temperature of the aquarium, even if the lamps are on throughout the day.
Depending on the length of daylight hours and the availability of natural light, you can change the brightness of the aquarium lighting yourself. In addition, it is possible to illuminate the aquarium at night and watch the life of the fish, admiring the amazing underwater pictures.

Important! The average operating time of one lamp is five years. Consequently, all this time there will be no need to replace components and there will be no need to disturb the inhabitants of the aquarium. In addition, it must be said about energy savings (about 70%). For these reasons, most aquarium owners prefer to light their aquariums using LED lamps. Special LED strips have the same qualities.

Safety and durability

Because LED lamps no ultraviolet and infrared radiation, they are completely safe for absolutely all inhabitants of the aquarium. On the contrary, lighting an aquarium with LEDs has a beneficial effect on the color and health of fish. In addition, due to the spectral composition of the rays, they promote the development of aquarium plants. To ensure that the aquarium is illuminated as best as possible, you can combine different types LED lamps. They can be installed in any conditions and in any premises.

Aquarium lighting with energy-saving lamps.

The same fluorescent ones, but adapted for use with cheap accessories for incandescent lamps. By default, the “starter” for a lamp is in the electronics of the lamp itself. If you are lucky with the manufacturer and the quality of the electronics, they will last the warranty period. If not, lighting the aquarium with energy-saving lamps will stop functioning precisely because of breakdowns in cheap electronics.

Aquarium lighting spectrum. Regarding the spectrum, manufacturers are forced to install control electronics in each light bulb, and accordingly they are trying to save on something else. Most often - on a phosphor.
Its quality is checked simply - the spectrum is ALWAYS present on the website of a reputable manufacturer. If it is not there, a regular CD will come to the rescue.
To determine the lighting spectrum of an aquarium, just look at the “rainbow” of light from the lamp being tested reflected from the disk. If the “rainbow” is made up of individual colors, then the phosphor is cheap and is not suitable for lighting an aquarium. If the “rainbow” is continuous, then you (and your home pond) are lucky!
Ease of use - similar to incandescent lamps. Just don’t touch the flask with your fingers! But with cheapness (the ratio: lighting for an aquarium - price) not everything is smooth, especially since lamps with a poor spectrum are often offered for significant money (remember the trick with the “rainbow” reflected from the CD?)
Availability is excellent! Thanks to fittings from incandescent lamps and aggressive advertising of “economical” lamps.
In terms of electricity consumption, lighting an aquarium with energy-saving lamps is 2-3 times more economical and profitable than incandescent lamps. But in terms of service life - not always. It is better to prefer expensive products from well-known manufacturers with a guarantee.

For one liter of water, it is desirable to have approximately half a watt of lamp power. That is, for an aquarium of one hundred liters you will need fifty watts of fluorescent lighting (or a set of two or three energy-saving lamps of similar total power).

Aquarium lighting with fluorescent lamps.

Today, fluorescent aquarium lighting is the unofficial lighting standard for home “oceans”. In any case, the vast majority of purchased aquariums are sold with fluorescent lighting.

This type of aquarium lighting uses an electrical discharge in a flask filled with mercury vapor. The result is illumination of the aquarium with ultraviolet light, affecting a layer of a special phosphor substance. Here it is, depending on its composition, and emits “daylight” light with a small admixture of ultraviolet radiation. And if you use special quartz glass for the bulb of a fluorescent lamp, you will get a “tanning” lamp

There are two types of “daylight” lamps on the market – the so-called “cold” and “warm”. Products marked D (LD, LDC, etc.) are poorly suited for aquarium lighting, since they have almost no red color in the spectrum. They are more used in industrial “official” premises. But lamps marked B (LB, LTB, etc.) are similar in spectrum to daylight and are well suited for aquarium lighting, both for fish and as aquarium lighting for plants.
High-quality fluorescent lamps are more expensive than incandescent lamps – both the fittings and the lamps themselves. It’s better not to be greedy and buy aquarium lighting with a reliable launcher. The fact is that in an attempt to conquer the market, manufacturers have developed inexpensive lamps for aquarium lighting, which use cheap lamps with built-in “starters”. But miracles don’t happen, and you have to pay twice for “savings” - such lamps don’t last long, and it’s the electronics, “put together” from cheap components, that get damaged first. So, the aquarium lighting will be repaired soon.
There is a wide choice - both cheap and expensive solutions.
Fluorescent lamps hardly heat up - most of the time electrical energy they process light and ultraviolet radiation.

Such aquarium lighting is on average 2-3 times more economical than incandescent lamps.

Aquarium lighting with halogen lamps.

An improved version of the incandescent lamp. Iodine or bromine is added to the flask, which raises the temperature of the filament and extends the life of the lamp:

The spectrum of the lamps is also red-shifted, although less than that of conventional incandescent lamps. These lighting devices are adored by photographers for their almost perfect color rendition. This type of aquarium lighting emits more ultraviolet light.
Halogen lamps are somewhat more expensive than their predecessors. Ease of use - at the level of incandescent lamps.
Accessibility for aquarium lighting is ideal.
Halogen lamps “recycle” more energy into light, but still have an overly “hot” disposition and are not ideal as lamps for lighting an aquarium.

Aquarium lighting with incandescent lamps.

Oldest source electric lighting. Let's sort it out this type lighting details:

Proper aquarium lighting

Once lovers are imbued with the beauty of tropical fish. hedgehogs starfish and living corals. then the first problem they have to solve is the problem of correct lighting. After all, both fish and reef inhabitants need light. Moreover, for the latter it is many times more important. In order to choose the right lighting for an aquarium, fluorescent lamps are most often used in combination with actinic and metal halide lamps.

Lighting in an aquarium has its own nuances. How much light do you need in a saltwater aquarium? This is influenced by many factors. The main ones are #8212 the volume of the reservoir, as well as its height. How are the dimensions of the reservoir and the power of the lamps related?

How to choose the right lamps

How to properly make aquarium lighting with your own hands? Quite often, fluorescent lamps are used in home ponds. To ensure the required spectrum, they are supplemented with metal halides, but the latter convert a considerable part of the light radiation into heat. Therefore, they noticeably increase the water temperature and heat the aquarium lid (if it has one or is a built-in part of the aquarium cabinet). This is not very good for the inhabitants of the underwater world. Actinics (blue lamps) are also used, which separately add the blue part of the spectrum. Usually, calculating the lighting of an aquarium is quite simple. Take 1-1.5 W of power per liter of water if the reflectors are good, or 2 W per liter if they are weak. You should know: if the lighting is insufficient, plants and corals will slow down their growth.

For example, a brown coating may appear on algae. consisting of microbacteria, and this leads to fish diseases and changes in water quality. Correct lighting will solve this problem if artificial and sunlight are well combined.

What are the best aquarium lamps?

Metal halide lamp with built-in blue lamps

Many sources note that best option– use fluorescent lamps. They shine well and are quite economical. They are connected via electronic ballast, as well as a special device - a choke.

Nowadays, most hobbyists prefer special fluorescent lamps in combination with metal halides. In this case, they are placed on the front wall of the reservoir.

In addition, special fluorescent aquarium lamps of different wattages with warm or daylight white light are also used. Installation is carried out complete with special reflectors. With the right lighting, fish will demonstrate a variety of all their colors, and corals will develop excellently.

Fluorescent lamps are economical, provide excellent lighting, and last a long time. As a disadvantage, it can be noted that they must be connected using a special device #8212 electronic ballast or choke.

Lighting selection

T5 lamps

T5 fluorescent lamps work well with lighting in an aquarium. In this case, special attention should be paid to their main indicators: color and power. The power can vary in the range of 8-56 W, the length is 20-120 cm. It is important to know the following: 0.5 W of power should be per 1 liter (at least) 1 cm in length - approximately 1 W of power corresponds.

In addition, T5 aquarium lamps have such important characteristics as brightness and color range. The correctly selected spectrum will allow corals to grow and develop properly. In general, there are 2 maxima of light absorption. One is located at the red-orange end of the spectrum, while the other is at the violet-blue end of the spectrum. Moreover, the first is one and a half times more effective than the second.

Thus, it is clear that the blue spectrum should be more pronounced. Based on the fact that photosynthesis does not affect fish in any way, they don’t care what kind of light you choose.

From the manufacturers' point of view, the market now offers luminaires from such recognized names as Aqua Medic, Hailea, Reef Octopus, BLV.

Spectrum and types of lamps

metal halide lamps

As mentioned earlier, spectrum is of great importance in lighting a marine aquarium. Typically, high-power fluorescent and metal halide lamps are used, having a light temperature of 10-20 thousand Kelvin. Unfortunately, they emit quite a lot of heat and are poorly suited to small bodies of water without cooling equipment. Since elevated temperature is not very useful to the inhabitants of your underwater world, then sometimes it is more rational to purchase fluorescent lighting. In addition, fluorescent light is much more similar to sunlight. It will make the fish look more colorful.

The more of them you can build into the lid of aquarium #8212, the better, because there is no such thing as too much light. If you don't want to use metal halide lights, this will somewhat limit your choice of reef creatures, but for most animals, T5 bulbs are fine.

Spectrum of T5 fluorescent lamps

Please note that the length of daylight hours in a sea body of water should be 10-12 hours. It is also advisable to provide a shading period of 8-10 hours. This is necessary because many sea inhabitants feed only in the dark, so they will simply remain hungry. The easiest way would be to connect the lighting system to a timer, thereby ensuring a timely change of time of day. Remember that luminaires with their ballasts should, if possible, not heat the water.

In addition to the T5 series, T8 lamps are also available for sale. What do these designations mean? T5 and T8 characterize the type of base. The differences lie in the length and power standards. There are two types: economical (HE) and powerful (HO). The latter have increased brightness and short length. HO is often used in aquariums because it is compact and powerful. Another difference between T5 and T8 lamps is the temperature at which the maximum luminous flux is achieved.

At the same time, the maximum luminous flux of T5 is obtained at a temperature of +35 Celsius and +25 degrees. #8212 at T8. It is also worth noting that the service life of T5 is longer than that of T8. It is 5 years with a loss of luminous flux of 20%. In T8, after a year, the light flux is halved.

The general conclusion is that T5 LED lamps are more durable, more powerful, and do not lose luminous flux for a long time. T8 – thicker, cheaper and less heated.

Blue light in an aquarium

Pay special attention to illuminating the pond at night, when there is no natural sunlight. It is to solve this issue that blue fluorescent lamps can be used, which make it possible to create the required level of illumination with a certain spectrum. It is very important that blue in the spectrum penetrates quite deeply into water. As a result of evolutionary selection, only invertebrates were able to adapt to limited light. that live in reefs.

Spectrum of blue T5 actinic lamps

Blue light is optimal; it does not affect the fluorescent dyes of these animals. Blue, blue and moonlight in an aquarium allow you to create blue fluorescent lamps, also known as actinics. Blue and cyan light can enhance the blue coloration of fish, corals and other invertebrates. Intense radiation in the blue region of the spectrum has a beneficial effect on photosynthesis, as well as on invertebrate animals and deep-sea corals.

Length of daylight

In a reservoir where only fish live, the recommended ratio is 3 W of lamp power per 4.5 liters. If you have herbs, then the lighting can be increased. If you have tropical or subtropical fish, then it is worth making 12 hours of daylight all year round. For fish living far from the equator, it is necessary to lengthen the summer day and make the winter day shorter. To make this procedure easier, purchase a timer that will turn your lights on and off.

Plants and corals under aquarium lighting

The intensity of lighting in a coral aquarium depends on the species you have. Therefore, it is very important to know the lighting needs of plants before you decide to have them. There are many easy-to-care plants and animals that can live in an aquarium even without artificial light. But there are also quite demanding corals that require special lighting, because they need intense fluorescent light to grow successfully. In general, professional aquarium maintenance is often ordered to resolve such issues.

Be especially careful with species growing near the surface of the water, and even in clean tropical waters. In addition, algae that produce red leaves will not like very bright light.

For those hobbyists who keep corals, a powerful light output is required, even not all fluorescent lamps can cope with this. Metal halides will successfully perform this task.

There are also corals that live at medium depths. They don't need bright light. Usually they choose corals that live near the surface of the water in bright tropical sun, because they are colorful and picturesque. In addition, such corals live in symbiosis with green algae, which carry out the process of photosynthesis.

However, as a rule, in home ponds there is almost always a lack of lighting compared to the natural environment, so hobbyists try to provide as much light as possible to approach the level of illumination of an ocean reef.

Night illumination

Night is a time of natural activity for many animals. As a rule, nocturnal fish species begin to hunt when darkness falls. To better observe their life, you will need night lighting of the aquarium. To solve this problem, it is recommended to use low-power blue light lamps. They will illuminate the underwater inner world, perfectly imitating natural light Moons. Such a spectrum will allow your pets to create optimal conditions hunting. In addition, a blue aquarium lamp will provide the ability to stimulate reproduction in some fish that have difficulty reproducing in captivity.

DIY aquarium lighting with LED strip.

Lighting an aquarium with LED strip is one of the most energy-saving and, importantly, safe ways to illuminate an aquarium. Of all the types of LED aquarium lighting, the best is LED strip aquarium lighting.

The advantages of such lighting:

LED strip is energy efficient; aquarium lighting with LED strip is the most economical type of lighting.
This type of aquarium lighting is safe. The voltage of the power supply supplying the LED strip for the aquarium is 12 Volts, this voltage is safe not only for people but also for the flora and fauna of your aquarium.
Adjusting the luminous flux. You can always increase or decrease the brightness of the lighting, so you can adjust any ice lighting for the aquarium.
Can be used as additional lighting. Planted aquariums often require additional aquarium lighting. An LED strip will make excellent LED lighting for an aquarium with plants with your own hands, both primary and additional.
LED lighting of the aquarium in various colors. Although it is recommended to use white LED strips to illuminate an aquarium, this does not change the fact that in nature there are different colors and types of LED strips.
Simplified installation. The LED strip is very easy to mount on the aquarium due to the adhesive base of the strip.
The ability to mount an LED strip to illuminate an aquarium underwater, due to its tightness and IP65 protection class.

To make LED strip aquarium lighting with your own hands, you will need a 12 Volt power supply, 5 meters of LED strip (1 reel), strip power consumption of 9.5 Watts per meter.

In total, our lighting for the aquarium cost about 50 dollars, the price of one reel of tape with protection class IP65 is 25 dollars, the power supply is 20 dollars. Our aquarium required 2.2 meters of light strip.

We insulated the place where the LED strip was cut and connected to the power supply using transparent sealant, and glued it to the lid of the aquarium so that there was no contact with the water and the filtration system. As a result, we have an enviable aquarium with a filter and lighting.

We used the rest of the tape stock to illuminate the computer system unit

Properly selected lighting for an aquarium will be the key to rapid plant growth and good functioning of aquarium inhabitants. Currently, several different methods of aquarium lighting are used, including the use of energy-saving lamps, diodes and metal halide technologies. You can make high-quality lighting yourself or purchase it already. ready-made kits for aquariums of various sizes.

Eco-friendly LED lighting does not contain harmful chemicals like fluorescent lamps

Why is lighting needed?

Aquarium fish and cultivated plants cannot exist without sunlight or artificial light. Under high-quality lighting, aquatic flora actively participates in the process of photosynthesis: absorbs carbon dioxide, nitrates and nitrites, while simultaneously saturating the water with life-giving oxygen.

Light is required by fish and other aquatic organisms. It allows them to maintain a daily routine of waking and falling asleep. It is necessary not only to choose the right lighting power, but also its duration. The latter factor will be especially important for plants, as it prevents the growth of unwanted algae.

Without proper lighting Only plastic ones can be planted in the aquarium artificial plants, whose appearance is far from ideal. But if you want to create a real underwater garden in an aquarium with beautiful plants and bright tropical fish, you can’t do without high-quality light.

Until the recent past, the choice of aquarists was significantly limited. They could only use standard incandescent lamps, which were not very suitable for these purposes, as well as fluorescent lighting, which somewhat reduced electricity costs, allowing them to choose the optimal spectrum for fish and plants. Today, the range of lighting fixtures for aquariums has expanded significantly.

Basic facts to guide you when choosing a backlight:

The optimal solution is halogen light sources, which are both economical, have a wide range of illumination, contain a minimum of mercury and are easy to operate.
Incandescent lamps low power can also be used to illuminate an aquarium. Such light has yellow tint, which allows you to highlight the beauty of bright tropical fish. However, incandescent lamps still have disadvantages. First of all, this is increased energy consumption, provoking the growth of algae, as well as significant heating, which leads to overheating of the entire aquarium.
Fluorescent lamps They are distinguished by their economy, efficiency, and a wide variety of spectra.
LEDs- this is an economical modern technology that allows you to reduce energy consumption by providing intense directional or diffuse lighting. Thanks to the use of various controllers, LED lamps can be fully automated: they will turn on and off according to a predetermined schedule.

The most popular today are fluorescent and LED lamps. They are at the same time economical, allow you to obtain color with any shade and spectrum, and perfectly illuminate both small aquariums and containers with a volume of several tons. The only drawback of LED lamps and the controllers necessary for their operation is the high cost of the components used. The latter somewhat limits their distribution on the domestic market.

Blue lamps 430 - 460 nm will add realistic beauty to the aquarium. Blue light can speed up the growth of marine life

Correct power calculation

It is often difficult for novice aquarists to calculate the required light power for a specific volume of the aquarium. In the past, when fluorescent lamps were most popular, it was much easier to calculate the required lighting power. The minimum level was 0.50 W per liter of volume. Accordingly, for a 20-liter aquarium a 10-watt lamp was sufficient. For light-loving plants and with an increased height of the glass container, the power could be 0.7-1 W per liter.

But with the advent of LED lamps, the calculation became significantly more complicated. Here it is necessary to take into account not only the electricity consumption of one LED, but also its power in lumens and other characteristics. Most experts recommend using 0.2 W LEDs per liter of aquarium capacity to illuminate an aquarium. Accordingly, a volume of 200 liters will require about 40 pieces of such small diodes.

Optimal spectrum:

For bottom fish- 3000−6000 Lux;
for keeping flora and fauna - 6000−10000 Lux;
for light-loving plants and aquascape - 10000−15000 Lux.

Experienced aquarists choose the lighting power they need experimentally. Here it is necessary to take into account not only the requirements of the plants being grown (some can feel good in the shade or in bright light), but also the presence of fertilizers in the water and the length of daylight hours. The higher the water column, the more powerful the lighting should be.

If the plants and walls of the aquarium are abundantly covered with a brown coating, this indicates excessive lighting power and long daylight hours. But if the plants look lifeless, weak and faded, then you should simultaneously start supplying carbon dioxide, regularly add fertilizer to the water and increase the light intensity.

LED aquarium lighting is expensive, but regular LED bulbs last up to 50,000 hours and are cheaper over the long term.

Making your own lighting

Despite the apparent complexity, making your own aquarium lighting with LEDs is not difficult. It is possible to use both fluorescent lamps and to make a cover with built-in LEDs. In each specific case, the choice will depend on the volume of the aquarium, the required intensity and power of light, as well as the financial capabilities of the aquarist.

Use of fluorescent lamps

The easiest way to create efficient and inexpensive lighting is using fluorescent lamps. All that is needed in this case are sealed sockets (two for each lamp), an electric starter or ballast, and high-quality power wires. It is not recommended to take ordinary cartridges that are not protected from water, since high humidity, which leads to oxidation of contacts and a possible short circuit.

The electrical circuit for such lighting is standard. A cable is routed from the outlet to the electric starting device. Wires from pressurized cartridges are connected to the device into the corresponding outputs. A simplified connection diagram will be applied to the body of the electric starting device, according to which the fluorescent backlight should be assembled. The efficiency of such lighting can be increased by using diffusers located above the lamps and made of polished metal or kitchen foil.

LED strips

On sale you can find ready-made LED lamps and strips, which are the simplest option for creating high-quality lighting in an aquarium. Thanks to the application modern technologies Such lamps are characterized by the highest possible efficiency: with their compact dimensions, they illuminate the aquarium well, emit a minimum of heat and are easily installed in standard seats of the lamps used.

Can be picked up various options LED lighting for an aquarium, which will differ in their power, spectrum, and a number of other characteristics. Such lamps are especially popular among novice aquarists, who have the opportunity to use the latest advances in the production of lighting technology.

In order for the aquarium to function properly, it is necessary to regulate the amount of daylight and create uniform lighting in the reservoir for each inhabitant

Automated LED luminaires

Every year, the popularity of LED lighting for aquariums is constantly increasing, which is explained by the functionality of such light, power, efficiency and the ability to easily select the spectrum required by the aquarist. LEDs of various powers and shades are available for sale, as well as the simplest automatic controllers necessary for controlling electricity. Making LED lamps for an aquarium with your own hands is not particularly difficult.

In specialized pet stores you can find ready-made lamps or LED strips designed specifically for the aquarium. The largest producers such lighting are the following companies:

Dennerle;
Sulfur;
Yuvel;
Hagen;
Aquael;
Aquamedic.

The LED strip must be secured with silicone waterproof glue on the lid of the aquarium with a snake or crosswise, and positioned in such a way as to ensure a uniform density of LEDs. A power supply and a starting device are connected to the LED strip. If a power supply and a starting device are not included with the tape, it can be purchased additionally or made from an old computer power supply.

If you plan to use a controller, then it is connected between the power supply and the LED strip. The controller used allows you to smoothly increase and decrease the lighting, simulating sunrise and sunset; It is possible to turn on various LEDs, allowing you to change the lighting spectrum depending on the time of day. Controllers for LED lights are most widely used in marine aquariums, where it is necessary to maintain a daily routine.

By choosing the right LED lighting for your aquarium, you can create optimal living conditions for aquatic organisms and grow beautiful garden from plants. Fluorescent and metal halide lamps are suitable for an aquarium, as well as LED elements, which can significantly reduce electricity consumption by optimally controlling the intensity, power and duration of lighting.

For the normal functioning of almost any aquarium, depending on the number of fish inhabiting the container, and especially plants, light of different quality is required. The time has passed when the aquarium was illuminated. Technological progress does not stand still, and now LED lamps are actively moving the usual fluorescent lamps from their place.

Due to their special properties, they are used for aquariums not only as illumination, but also as the main source. This article will discuss various lighting options for aquariums, and also highlight the nuances of calculations when selecting LEDs.

Why LEDs

First of all, you should decide whether it is necessary to install LED aquarium lighting. Maybe this is a simple fashion trend and spending certain amounts of money imposed on the consumer? To understand this issue, it is enough to consider the benefits that can be obtained from using LED lighting:

efficiency;
better compliance with light parameters in comparison with fluorescent lamps;
wide design possibilities;
duration of operation;
environmental friendliness;
good mechanical protection from damage.

The main reason for the introduction of LEDs is, of course, economic. The fact is that with the same power, LED lamps emit many times more light. Therefore, the conventional lamp is replaced with a much less powerful LED lamp, which significantly saves the cost of lighting the aquarium.

The second important reason for using LEDs is to match the lighting parameters to natural light. Moreover, for specific cases, you can play with the parameters of the LEDs and choose options that are more necessary for the fastidious plants of the tropics.

The environmental component should not be ignored either. After all, LED aquarium lighting is harmless, since the material does not contain mercury compounds. In addition, the heating of LEDs is not as strong as compared to other lamps, and especially incandescent lamps.

Features of selection

Having decided on the installation of LEDs for the aquarium, before going to buy them, it is important to take into account the composition of the inhabitants. After all, if you keep mainly fish, then there is no special selection provided. Of course, you can set a goal and make lighting for a more advantageous appearance of the inhabitants of the underwater world. But basically, for an aquarium with fish, ordinary light is enough to make it convenient to view them.

It’s a completely different question if plants are bred in an aquarium. Especially if your plans include a “Dutch” aquarium with a large number of rare and whimsical plants. In these cases, lighting the aquarium with LED lamps requires preliminary calculation, taking into account the spectral demands of plants. In addition to the luminous flux parameter, which is measured in lumens, you will need to remember such as illumination in lux and light temperature in kelvin.

Types of LED lighting for aquariums

LED aquarium lighting can be designed structurally in various ways. Depending on the placement methods of LEDs, there are:

LED strips;
lamps;
LED spotlights.

The use of this or that equipment will depend first of all on the contents of the aquarium, and then on its size. To a lesser extent on design features LEDs will be affected by the shape of the aquarium and the presence and use of its lid.

If you have the opportunity to make LED aquarium lighting with your own hands, you should not miss it. In this case, in addition to saving on equipment, you can get an individually developed and implemented design. In addition to skills in working with electricity, you will need: a 12-volt power supply, wires and the actual LED lamps.

LED lamps

The simplest option for creating LED lighting in an aquarium is LED lamps. This is primarily suitable for small aquariums up to 50 l. Their covers often already contain sockets intended for conventional classic incandescent lamps with E27 and E14 sockets. For such options, all that remains is to select and purchase a light bulb of the required power and light temperature.

More expensive options will be ready-made LED panels rectangular shape a certain length for ready-made aquariums standard sizes. Such led lamp for the aquarium will be very easy to install. For example, you can look at equipment from the well-known company Aqualighter.

LED spotlights

Aquarium lighting with LED spotlights is very good option for aquariums with open lid. The LED spotlight is a very bright lamp that can easily reach the bottom of an aquarium of any size and depth. Only one to three of them are required, depending on the size. For example, for a rectangular 100-liter aquarium, one 50 W spotlight or 2 x 25 W spotlights will be sufficient. In the case of the “Dutch” version of light, you need 1.5-2 times more light. That is, it is 1 spotlight at 100 W or 2 at 50 W.

LED strips

Until recently, illuminating an aquarium with LED strip was only possible for small containers. Or it was used as a backlight for other types of lamps. This is explained by the fact that the first LED strips were made on the first generation SMD 3528. Their luminous flux is only 5 lumens with a power of 0.1 W. Therefore, a 5-meter strip with 300 LEDs has a power of 30 W. For an aquarium with good plants these 5 meters are only enough for 30 liters, which is structurally difficult to implement.

Now there are tapes containing more powerful LEDs new generation SMD 5050, SMD 5630 and SMD 5730. To illuminate most aquariums, including “Dutch” ones, SMD 5050 tapes are already enough, which are only 2 times more powerful (0.2 W), and emit 18 lumens of light each. A 5-meter LED strip, including 300 of these LEDs, easily illuminates a 100-liter aquarium. And this is when used as main lighting.

SMD 5630 and SMD 5730 LEDs have a power of 0.5 W each and emit 40 and 55 lumens, respectively. When using them in lighting, it is necessary to consider cooling due to the stronger heating.

LED lighting calculation

The calculation for an aquarium is made based on approximate standards for this type of tank. For example, it is assumed that 1 liter of aquarium water requires 0.5 W of lighting power and 40 Lm of luminous flux. At the same time, there are nuances, taking into account which the initial data can change significantly.

An aquarium for breeding rare, fancy plants, the so-called Dutch one, requires a luminous flux of 0.8-1 W per liter of volume and a luminosity of 60 or more lumens per liter.
Aquariums with elongated shapes and significant depth also require brighter lighting, which is selected individually. It is approximately believed that with every 10 cm of depth, the luminous flux decreases by 50%.

You should also remember that if the lighting is incorrectly selected, there can be two main options. If there is a lack of light, the plants will wither and produce oxygen poorly, which, in turn, can have a detrimental effect on the fish. In case of excessive luminous flux, there may be rapid growth both plants and simple algae. Externally, this can manifest itself in cloudy water and overgrowing of the walls of the aquarium. This is especially bad for new tanks, when the main plants are just growing and have no vigor. In this case, the simplest algae grow much faster.

With your own hands

There are several ways to install LED lighting for an aquarium with plants. Let's look at the most popular lighting options using LED strips. For example, let's take a 100-liter aquarium and a 5-meter LED strip, including 300 SMD 5050 LEDs of 0.2 W each. Taking it as a fact that for the natural development of plants the light flux is best directed from top to bottom, let's consider several options.

We place the LED strip on the top cover of the aquarium in the form of a snake. The rings can be placed in any direction, but the density of the LEDs must be uniform. Then the tape is glued with a special silicone glue that is not afraid of moisture. If the kit already includes a starting device with a power supply, then we simply place it with outside for better heat transfer. If there is no starter, you must either purchase it separately or construct it from a computer power supply. At this point the work is considered completed.
In the second option, the LED strip is wound on a cylindrical profile in the form of a fluorescent lamp. The result is a neat cylindrical LED lamp. If necessary, you can take two cylindrical lamps from one LED strip. Of course, the result is not professional LED aquarium lighting, but such lamps will perform their main functions well.
If you have blanks and forms from the LED strip, you can make a figure of any configuration. The volumetric chandelier (or several chandeliers) obtained in this way can be attached to any in a convenient way either to the lid of the aquarium, or to special brackets in the walls if the aquarium is open.

How to easily choose LED lighting

For simple choice LED equipment should adhere to the following plan:

decide on the contents and inhabitants of the aquarium;
taking into account all the parameters, make a calculation based on the standard of 0.5 W per liter;
decide whether the lighting will be made with your own hands or purchased ready-made;
Knowing the power of the light flux and the configuration of the aquarium, choose design LED lighting - lamps, lamps, strips or spotlights;
pick up required quantity equipment;
install a ready-made LED lamp for an aquarium or assemble it from selected components.

For those wishing to conduct LED backlight under water, you should remember that you need to choose equipment with 68. While the standard version IP 65 implies only short-term spraying, but no more.

Selecting a manufacturer of LED elements

Aquarium lighting with LED lamps is becoming increasingly popular. Today, LED lighting is offered by several companies:

Aqua Med.
Aquael.
Hagen.
Juwel.
Sera.
Dennerle.

In addition to those officially existing, there is a huge list of companies from China where LED products can be purchased for a lower amount. In this case, you will have to check the quality yourself. But one thing is known for sure: the parameters of Chinese LEDs differ by an order of magnitude to a lesser extent. That is, if the luminosity of European and Japanese LEDs corresponds to the parameters, then the Chinese ones will shine weaker.

Conclusion

LED lamps for aquariums are actively used to replace outdated fluorescent lamps. The obvious advantages and ease of use are receiving more and more positive responses among aquarium enthusiasts.