What Color Should the Lighting Be in a Fish Tank?

Lighting is one of the most essential freshwater and saltwater aquarium supplies. Thanks to advances in LED lighting technology, aquarists are no longer limited to yellow or white incandescent and fluorescent lamps for their tanks. LED white lights have been around for quite a few years, and they’re the most commonly purchased lights by fish keepers. However, multicolored diodes have become very popular options that include red, green, and blue (RGB) lighting systems. In other words, you now have a color spectrum of lights to choose from. Not only that, but even with Bluetooth capabilities. To determine which color of lighting will be better for your tank, here’s what you need to know.

Aquarium Species Need Lighting

All tropical aquatic species need a daily period of light, which should ideally last around eight hours. The only exception to this rule would be a freshwater or reef tank located under a skylight or in a spot where it’s constantly exposed to the rays of the sun. While this would make the tank a more natural ecosystem highly ideal for tropical fish, the problem with constant sunlight is that it promotes algae bloom, which means you’ll have to be on top of the tank with regard to aquatic plants, algae-eating species, and additives to keep algae in check. For many aquarists, lamps they can program and regulate are a more sensible option.

White Light for Your Aquarium

Those warm yellow lights that used to be popular in the era of incandescent bulbs aren’t the best for aquariums. White light is what you really want, and LED is always preferable to fluorescent. If you want plants to thrive in your tank, LED white light is the way to go. What you’re looking for is a color temperature of between 5,000-7,000 K, with a little red color, which is an excellent spectrum for helping freshwater plants with their photosynthesis. It also makes fish like rainbow sharks, bettas, and guppies look better.

More Intense White Light

If you have both plants and neon tetras as well as other species that have super bright colors, you may want to look for LED lamps that allow you to regulate color temperature up to 10,000 K white. RGB lighting systems that let you adjust white and blue to 100 percent will create this color temperature.

Smart RGB LED Lights

Many modern light fixtures for aquarium tanks are Wi-Fi enabled, which means you can control them with your smartphone. These lamps provide the RGB spectrum, thus letting you set a mood for your aquarium. Let’s say you choose white light for most of the day. Right before sunset, you can switch to a softer blue for a couple of hours to simulate moonlight until it’s time for darkness. You can also program the red diodes to come on before daybreak to simulate sunrise, which your plants, fish, and invertebrates will appreciate.

Whether you have a saltwater or freshwater aquarium, make sure you purchase the highest-quality lighting possible. At Aquatic Warehouse, we carry several lighting options that are ideal for a variety of tanks, and we also carry all of the other essential aquarium supplies. Stop by our store in Kearny Mesa, order what you need from our website, or give us a call today at 858-467-9297.