Aquarium

LED Aquarium Lighting Basics

LED lighting has become the most versitile form of lighting available for aquarium use, LED are available for any aquarium lighting application.

LED lights are the newest type of lighting to make their way into the aquarium industry. LED (Light Emitting Diodes) are a semiconductor light form, that is an extremely energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and long life span, form of light. LED technology is rapidly expanding, and LED are quickly becoming more popular in the hobby. LED lights were first used as Accent Lighting, like moonlights, or decorative lights, along with traditional light sources. Advances in High output LED lights have improved performance, to the point where their output rivals traditional high output light sources like Metal Halides and T5 HO lights. LED lights are now available for any application.

While initial cost can be quite high, the performance, and benefits of LED lighting are undeniable.LED lights produce the most light per Watt of electricity used, Most LED are a safe low voltage design, they do not add heat to the aquarium (in many cases, eliminating the need for a chiller), they have a very small physical size, they are extremely resistant to shock and vibration, they are dimmable, and their solid state technology makes them easily incorporated into computer controlled systems. Most LED light bulbs are not easily replaceable, but have an average lifespan of up to 50,000 hours (over 10 years normal use). LED lights do not contain Mercury, like Fluorescent and Metal Halide bulbs.

LED lights are available in many colors, and the modular design of many of the available LED systems, allows for a completely customizable lighting system. LED lights are a point source type of light, which produces an extremely natural looking light source in water, and produces an amazing shimmering effect like natural sunlight.

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