It doesn't readily occur to people that the aquatic creatures in ponds, lakes, rivers, what have you, live the same way that we do - on energy from the sun. It's easy to look down into the gloomy half-dark world they inhabit and to feel that in an aquarium, they could not want anything more than to be kept in a dark corner all the time and be blinded with bright lights when guests need to see how the light bounces off their iridescent scales. As it turns out, fish and all the pretty plants in an aquarium don't quite work that way.

The light from the sun and moon may not be quite so bright for them in their natural habitat, but it does exist, and if you see yourself running an aquarium full of bright happy and healthy fish, you do need to replicate for them in your aquarium lighting, the kind of light and darkness that they would have enjoyed in their natural habitat.

Aquarium lighting comes in all kinds intensities and technologies. There are the regular fluorescent strips, the compact fluorescent lamps, metal halide lamps and light emitting diodes - every kind of lighting technology there is, as you can see. If what you have on your hands is an aquarium with freshwater fish, these can survive very well on low-intensity fluorescent lighting. Fish actually like fluorescent lighting much better than incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent lights run cooler, and the light they put out is closer in appearance to daylight. If you've been kind to your little finny friends, you'll have a few little plants colorfully waving around your tank looking for a little light for their photosynthesis.

Plants can't do with the mild lighting that fish can get by on; they will need brighter aquarium lighting, typically around 5 Watts of fluorescent light for every gallon of water your tank holds. Plants actually use the light they receive for energy; if you have a saltwater aquarium, the algae on the live rock you'll have used, will appreciate much better lighting too. The key word here is "full spectrum lighting"; these life forms need to receive light on all the wavelengths or colors that the sunlight would let them have. Regular fluorescent lighting will work fine, but actinic light will work even better for plants and algae.

But there can be too much of a good thing too when it comes to lighting. The fish have wake- and sleep-cycles just like us; the idea is then to give them as much darkness as they would have in nature. About 12 hours of darkness would not be a bad idea. Using aquarium lighting of too high an intensity or leaving it turned on for too long can be harmful for the environment in the tank; nuisance algae tend to feel encouraged and tend to take over your tank if there is too much lighting too. A good way to go about it would be to buy an aquarium light timer. The fish will have a steady day- and night-cycle they can count on and you can be sure that you will never forget to make the sun come up or go down for the fish. You wouldn't want to pull a Truman Show climax-like scene on your fish now would you?

I like writing about fish and christian books on my writing book reviews website daily.

• Selecting the Right Fish for Your New Aquarium So you want to get an aquarium. Your first step is to figure out what kind of fish you want. But just how do you choose from the colorful tanks on the wall of your local pet store? This can be a daunting experience for new fish keepers. Of......
• How to Practice Responsible Fish Keeping Responsible fish keeping starts with how you set up your aquarium. Make sure that the aquarium can accommodate the fish you want. Many people believe that fish will swell to the size of the aquarium. Preventing them from growing to their fullest size by keeping them in a small......
• Tips For Feeding Dogs and Cats by Bella Holly Sometimes, with all the hype about name brand pet food, natural pet food, and diet pet food, it can be a bit overwhelming when deciding which to feed your pet. While it very common for people to purchase pet food at a supermarket or pet supply store,......
• Securing the Best Fish Tank Supplies by Darren Bradley Anyone can easily set up a fish aquarium for a hobby or for decorative purposes nowadays. Fish supplies like fluorescent lighting and aquarium gravel are easily available, with many fish tank suppliers setting up shops on the Internet. As much as starting your own fish aquarium at......

• Aquarium Lighting - What Are Your Options? Water quality (in which I include water movement) is top of the list in importance when it comes to keeping a saltwater aquarium. Closely following water quality is [tag-tec]aquarium lighting[/tag-tec], as much life on the reef depends on it. The lighting used for a reef aquarium is more intense than......
• Fishing Report: February 5, 2010 Striped Bass, Crab and Halibut A whopping 80-pound sturgeon came out of Berkeley/Emeryville on the last sturgeon run. More trips are planned for the weekend. Other catches on Sunday include bat rays and leopard sharks. Eight lucky fisherman had success on that run. You should call now to book a......
• 4 Superfood Choices to Change your Life We are always trying to eat healthier so that we can improve our overall health, as well as because we are looking to improve our appearances as well. Certain foods, known as superfoods, are capable of having a truly huge impact on our well being on a daily basis. The......
• The Top Plants for Removing Indoor Toxins [/caption] A recent NASA study has determined the top 10 plants for reducing indoor air pollution. By Greg Seaman Common indoor plants may provide a valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution. NASA scientists are finding them to be surprisingly useful in absorbing potentially harmful......

	Aquarium Care of Livebearers (Animal Planet Pet Care Library) List Price: $10.95 Sale Price: $9.30 Used From: $27.86
Written by an expert on livebearing fish, this comprehensive yet easy-to-read guide offers advice on a wide range of care issues from diet and nutrition to species selection and health care. Livebearer species covered include the popular platies, mollies, swordtails, and guppies.

	Super Pet My First Home Tank Topper List Price: $43.95 Sale Price: $25.28
The my first home tank topper converts any 10 gallon tank into a multi-level high rise for hamsters, gerbils, and mice. The wire tank topper snaps together in minutes. The tank topper comes complete with comfort shelves, safety ramps, a -inchbowl in the hole-inch food dish, critter canteen water bottle, and a little brick house hide-out...

Written by Andy Garvin using tags: aquarium, aquariums, fish tank, online aquarium advice, pet aquarium, Pets