It’s natural as an aquarist to be concerned for your aquarium’s well being. From the slightest issues to major issues you’ll always be concerned and worried about your aquarium.
Yesterday, someone threw this question to me and I thought is should share my answer in an extensive manner for the community.
Blue light is habitually utilized in aquariums to check the days and evenings out for the fish or for fish keepers to get a reasonable perspective on their tank.
But blue light is hurtful to fish assuming that it is mistakenly utilized improperly. In any case, most fish keepers utilize blue lighting in their tanks with no evil intents. Make sure to utilize aquarium-safe items just, and give your fish 12 hours with the lighting on and 12 hours with it off, each day.
Just like I explained in my previous article, blue light do not cause algae growth anymore than any other aquarium lights. There are a lot of factors that cause algae growth and light intensity can be one of the reasons. This may perhaps be the reason why people think blue light causes algae growth in saltwater tanks.
Let’s dive further into this.
What does blue light do in saltwater tank?
Blue light in a fish tank can be utilized as medication for your saltwater tank.
It can assist the fish with having normal rhythms, control their taking care of propensities, and make them more dynamic during the daytime, providing them with a feeling of quiet and security.
At the point when blue lights are on, some fish additionally like them. This suggests that when the blue lights are turned on, they are bound to assemble in the tank.
Changing the temperature of a fish tank can be hard for individuals who keep them since they would rather not play with any fish that could possibly flourish thanks to their light source.
Indeed, even reef tanks with not many bioluminescent creatures will begin acting unusually when they come into contact with lights or installations that radiate this kind of energy.
Blue lights also have notable positive effects on aquarium plants. It helps the in photosynthesis.
When should I turn off my blue light?
Mostly at night so your fishes can sleep properly. You shouldn’t leave your tank lights on for over 12 hours all at once. Your fish have constantly cycles, very much like you, and in the event that they don’t have trustworthy light cycles to deal with their day to day routines, they will get pushed, and their resistant frameworks will debilitate.
See whether your fish are diurnal (conscious in the daytime) or nighttime (alert around evening time), and set your lighting appropriately.
Leaving your aquarium lights on for a really long time will likewise make green growth develop wildly. You ought to never set your fish tank up by a window for a similar explanation.
You also need to make sure that while they are left on, the intensity isn’t so much. This promotes algae growth in the saltwater tank.
Fun fact: some fishes are very active at night and are called nocturnal fishes. Nighttime fish carry on with their lives around evening time and rest during the day. A few sorts of fish plan their rearing or taking care of by the periods of the moon, and others favor various pieces of the sea or lake around evening time. Numerous types of fish are nighttime, including:
| Cardinalfish |
| Squirrelfis |
| Snappers |
| Moray eels |
| Octopus |
| Many spineless creatures |
These fishes actually need light at night to carry out their activities.
What type of light is best for a salt water tank?
Fish don’t require light, however they need a solid day to night cycle, so you’ll have to give as regular a light cycle as could be expected. The most effective way to do this is by setting your tank illuminates with a clock, so constantly will work naturally in your aquarium.
I recommend some of these types of lights
- Fluorescent light; the most well-known kind of fish tank lighting is the fluorescent cylinder light. Your light arrives in a solitary unit with 4 to 6 cylinders. You can choose the shades of your lights by choosing the cylinders that accompany your light. Most fish keepers utilize blue, red, and white fluorescent cylinders.
- Metal Halide light; By using metal halide lighting, you get a similar shine impact similarly as with LEDs, yet they are likewise an extreme focus light. Metal halide lighting can be costly to keep up with because of high bulb costs, yet the running expenses are low.
- Led lights; Perhaps of the best thing about LED lights is the gleam impact they make on your tank’s substrate. It gives a staggering submerged impact and seems to be like the waves you get on the walls of pool rooms. It’ll appear as though your fish are in the sea and not your lounge room. They are a beautiful option for your aquarium saltwater tank.
Out of all the options above, I prefer fluorescent lights especially red! Maybe it’s a me thing, but Red fluorescent light does a great work in complimenting the look in my sitting room when it’s put on. It blends with most of my furniture. While this is what I prefer, you might want to go for another option and that’s totally fine.
Final words
Blue lights are a great addition to your aquarium saltwater tank; don’t let anyone tell you any less. However if you want to reduce algae growth in your aquarium tank, be careful of the amount of nutrients you pour into the water, also reduce your light’s intensity as these are factors that increase algae growth.
This isn’t just limited to blue lights only though, red and green and possibly any other light you consider adding to your aquarium tank too.
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