Enter the new age, Aquarium LED Lighting. Whether you are looking for a full LED lighting setup or just a small decorative addition, this is the way forward.
LED Facts
Let’s get to know some of the facts about LED lights. LED stands for Light-emitting Diode and have been around as electrical components since 1962. They slowly came into use as singular indicator lights for electronic equipment. Over the years the cost of these lights has dropped dramatically. Coupled with that fact and the fact that they have advanced to produce all light wavelengths, the market has opened up to a wide variety of uses. Some common places where you will see LED lighting used these days is traffic lights, vehicle indicators, Christmas lights, flashlights, mobile phones and of course Aquarium LED Lighting.
Where lots of light is needed the small LED’s are grouped into clusters to increase brightness. An advantage of this is that if one LED stops working it won’t affect the rest of them. An LED is a solid unit, meaning it will be more resistant to knocks and bumps which it might get while you are cleaning out your fish tank. They also have a lifespan rating of 50 000 hours, far longer than any other bulb. Now we come to the main facts that would interest us when it comes to an aquarium LED light. They use very little electricity for the amount of light given off. At the same time, they do this while releasing very little heat energy. Both these factors go well with aquarium owners.
Usage Options
Now you may be surprised where you may find an LED aquarium light. They are very small and as such can be packaged into many different arrangements. There will always be something to suite your needs.
Here is something that will definitely get you interested; underwater led lights! Yes you read right, the size and low voltage requirements mean that they have been able to design submersible lights.
Decorative Lighting
Probably the most common use of LED’s is for effect or decorative lighting in conjunction with your normal light setup. There are so many colour and mounting options available. If you can think of a fish tank decoration, you could probably find a similar product available with a coloured LED mounted in it for effect.
The submersible units are also available in light strips which can be placed at the bottom of the aquarium or mounted with suction cups. These lights create an all round tank effect.
Replacement Lighting
The LED aquarium light has advanced enough over the years and is able to be a complete replacement to conventional lighting in planted and fish only aquariums. This is made possible by making LED’s which cover the whole light spectrum.
Clustered light strips are able to be bought with the same category names as other aquarium bulbs. Sticking to these same category names will help you decide what lights will suite your needs.
Now all of this sounds very great, but the drawback of aquarium LED lighting is still the price. Take a look at them and see what fits your budget. Remember to take into account the lower running costs and the longer life expectancy.
Don’t be despondent if you can’t afford LED lights right now; check back at your retailer every 2 or 3 months to see if prices have dropped.
Leave a Reply