How to Create Unusual Aquarium Lighting

The right aquarium lighting can extend the health of your fish and encourage aquarium plant growth, too. The wrong lighting or too little lighting can stress fish and even disrupt their life cycles. Aaron Hill of AquariumGuys.com explains, "Lighting not intended for aquariums lacks wavelengths of the daylight spectrum important to the health of your organisms, while including wavelengths that promote algae growth." Focus first on creating the right lighting for your aquarium by considering the fish, plant or coral's requirements and then add extra lighting enhancements to create unusual aquarium lighting for your observation pleasure.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium
  • Aquarium hood
  • Aquarium light timer
  • Aquarium light fixtures
  • Aquarium lights of your choice
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create a plan to address all the lighting needs for your fish and other aquarium life. Responsible fish owners will aim to simulate the natural environment as much as possible and use unusual lighting as an enhancement for observation but not as a main source unless the unusual lighting selected simulates the natural habitat.

    • 2

      Research the natural light requirements of your particular fish, aquarium plants and corals. Also consider the depth of your tank--deeper tanks may need stronger lights to penetrate into the depths of the fish tank.

    • 3

      Decide on the unusual aquarium lighting effect you are looking for: to enhance the color of your fish, to change the look of the water, to create a shimmering water effect similar to shallow waters outdoor or to add some light colors to the tank just for a fun effect. You may be able to achieve the effect you desire when you match up the right lighting with your particular fish or aquarium life. For instance, many fish lights that replicate night will cast a cool blue glow into the tank, which will enhance the colors of some fish.

    • 4

      To enhance the boldness of stripes or color contrast of your fish or to make light-colored or white fish stand out against a dark wall, backdrop or dark plant life, add a light fixture with a clamp to shine a black light bulb into the tank.

    • 5

      To replicate the shimmering water effect found in professional saltwater displays using metal halide lights, set up an LED lighting system instead. Unlike metal halides, the LED light system does not generate much heat, requires no cooling fans and and can help replicate the night and day cycle.

    • 6

      To create other colors in the tank or to cast other colors on white or light-colored fish, use an LED aquarium light system that can be fitted with white, blue, green and red lights and fully submerged in the fish tank for total control on where the light is cast. Or add additional light fixtures with clamps that hold incandescent bulbs in the colors you desire. Just remember that incandescent lights are great for color effects in your aquarium, but do not meet the natural day and night lighting your fish need.

    • 7

      Set up an aquarium light timer to go off every 12 hours so that you are reminded to manually change the lighting to create a natural lighting cycle. You can substitute an alarm clock for the timer. Some higher-end aquarium lighting kits come with timers that automatically switch the lighting.