Basics of LED aquarium lighting

As is the case with car and home lighting systems, LED lighting systems for saltwater aquariums have become very popular with aquarists in recent years. These systems have some very good points, especially if you invest in a quality light strip. But there are also some issues to be aware of when using LED lighting in your aquarium.

The benefits of LED aquarium lighting

LED lighting systems are more cost effective in two ways. First, an LED bulb provides seven to eight times more power per bulb than other types of aquarium lighting, such as halide bulbs and T5HO. What this means is that you get the same amount of light from a 30 watt LED bulb that you will see in a 250 watt halide bulb. This can generate significant savings on your monthly electric bill. Second, LEDs can last up to 50,000 hours. Although you initially pay more for the LED bulb, you may not have to replace it for seven years, compared to the annual cost of replacing a halide or T5HO bulb. The LED aquarium lighting system brings all these savings together in a small space, because LED systems are more compact than other aquarium lights.

The quality of LED lighting is also a great reason to invest in this system. Aquarium LED lighting can provide up to 10,000K of lighting, which is enough to stimulate growth in corals and aquarium plants. Plus, you have a wide variety of color options with an LED system. When this is combined with computer programming, you can create an aquarium that glows like it's located in the ocean or that lighting accentuates the colors of fish and coral for an extraordinary show.

What to Look for in an Aquarium LED Light

One aspect of a good aquarium LED lighting system is whether or not it has a way to cool down to extend the life of LED bulbs. This cooldown can be passive or active. The Maxspect Razor R420R uses a streamlined design to naturally draw cooler air from under the system and through the slim body of the device to passively cool the lights. In the case of the Ecotech Marine XR30w Pro Gen3 model, a fan is incorporated in the center of the light strip to provide the necessary cooling for the LEDs.

Another element to consider when choosing an LED lighting device is the spectrum range of the lights. You want your system to provide the full spectrum of light that your plants, animals, and corals need to thrive as if they were in their natural habitat. In the case of the AquaIllumination AI Hydra FiftyTwo LED system, organisms in your aquarium can receive a full spectrum of light that is greater than visible light. If you think it may be a bit too much for your setup, AquaIllumination also makes an AI Hydra TwentySix Led flood lights system, which has half the bulbs of the FiftyTwo model, but still uses 80 degree lenses to diffuse the light to get the best advantage as well as providing 90 percent LED optical efficiency.

Things to avoid when using LED aquarium lights

There are a few things to keep in mind before setting up your own LED lighting in your aquarium. Heat is an element. Although LED lights do not release nearly as much heat in an aquarium system as metal halides or T5HO bulbs, they are susceptible to a short service life in the presence of heat. Therefore, LEDs should not be used in conjunction with halides, fluorescent lights, or T5HO bulbs, due to exposure to heat.

Don't get your LED system wet. Although aquarium LED systems are waterproof, they cannot be dropped into the aquarium. The result will be corrosion and short circuit of the circuit board. You should also control mineral deposits that can develop in LED light systems for the same reason. Marine aquarium salts can corrode your light system, unless the salts are cleaned regularly.

Finally, you need to slowly insert LED lights into coral reef aquariums. These lights can be intensely bright. If bright LEDs are introduced too quickly, corals can sometimes react to change by expelling their zooxanthellae, leaving a bleached coral with no signs of life.