Read About Aquarium Ultraviolet Lighting

Getting your aquarium ultraviolet lighting installed correctly is important for keeping your aquarium well lit and your fish happy.

How does aquarium ultraviolet lighting work?

Aquarium ultraviolet lighting is a great method for killing off the algae in your fish tank. Aquarium ultraviolet lighting actually induces a process called UV sterilization. UV is short for ultraviolet light, which cannot be detected by the human eye, and when it’s an added component in a fish tank, it’s able to sterilize or kill off pathogens and algae that can cause harm in the tank.

If you ever see a tank that looks like it’s covered in green filth, you’ve probably seen green water, which is what happens to a tank when the tank does not have aquarium ultraviolet lighting to kill off the pathogens and algae.

Aquarium ultraviolet lighting has long been considered an aid in tank filtration. Because it can kill off pathogens, it actually helps the tank’s other filtration systems. It’s also a great substitute to water chemicals that can also be used to kill off these pathogens.

Which one should I get?

When you go out looking for aquarium ultraviolet lighting systems you’ll be faced with several choices. First you’re going to have to choose between a low pressure or medium to high pressure UV light.

Low pressure aquarium ultraviolet lighting systems have currents of about 200 to 1,500 milliamps. This is plenty of strength to kill off the algae and unwanted organisms in a tank and this type of lamp is actually considered the best lamp around to kill off these organisms.

Obviously medium to high pressure aquarium ultraviolet lighting systems have more power. They generally give off 100 to 700 nanometers of light, which is powerful enough that it creeps into the realm of human site. If you want to use this aquarium ultraviolet lighting system you should ask your pet store provider if your tank can handle this system.

Some things to note

If you do not have your aquarium ultraviolet lighting positioned correctly you will not be able to maximize the light. When you put the light in your tank, make sure that the light is between the aquarium and the outlet. If the light is not placed directly next to the aquarium, it will escape and be of no help to your aquarium.

Next, make sure that you get the correct wattage for your aquarium ultraviolet lighting system. Every aquarium has different needs so this is a question you should ask of your aquarium provider.

Lastly, pay attention to the water flow rate of your aquarium ultraviolet lighting system. The correct water flow rate will help preserve the life of your aquarium ultraviolet lighting system.