Visio Talk

There are a lot of options to choose from for lighting an aquarium. There is a variety of fluorescent bulbs available, including regular, compact, high output or HO and very high output or VHO types. Another option is metal halide lamps. If you are keeping a live reef tank, you may want to consider metal halide light fixtures.

Why invest in the expense of metal halide lighting for your live reef tank? If you wish to keep corals, anemones and other common live reef organisms alive in your tank long-term, you need to provide very intense lighting. Live reef tanks demand lighting somewhere in the range of 4 to 10 watts per gallon of aquarium.

In some cases VHO lighting may be sufficient, but it really depends on the type of organisms you plan to keep. Many times, both UVO and metal halide lamps are used for lighting live reef tanks. High intensity light bulbs of any kind produce a lot of heat, so your light fixtures may be equipped with a fan. An aquarium chiller may also be necessary to keep temperatures in the tank stable and in an acceptable range.

Although metal halide lighting can be expensive, so is replacing live rock and other saltwater organisms. Investing in the right equipment from the start – including appropriate lighting – is the best way to succeed with saltwater reef aquariums.

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