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| Aquarium lighting of various types. |
Aquarium lighting is an important consideration if the tank contains plants, which require about 8 - 12 hours of light per day. Lighting for the aquarium can be provided with fluorescent bulbs, mercury vapor bulbs, metal halide lights, or actinic blue bulbs.
Fluorescent bulbs have a long lamp life and do not produce a lot of heat. They provide a even spectrum of light that is good for plant growth. These bulbs also consume less energy than other types.
Mercury vapor lights can last a long time and are used for larger tanks. They lack green and blue wavelengths so are not considered full spectrum lights.
Metal halide lights have better red and yellow wavelengths but they are also a lot more expensive than the other light types.
Actinic blue bulbs are great for plant growth but they can also create algae problems.
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