The first major decision that must be made when deciding to do a reef tank or a fish only tank is the lighting. The reason for this is that corals are photosynthetic so they require a stronger light. Fish on the other hand do not care about lighting. This is not to say that lighting is not important for fish only tanks. There are special bulbs that are produced in the hobby whose purpose is to bring out the color of the fish and really bring out some brilliant colorations.
| Bulbs | Characteristics | Uses |
|---|
| T5 Flourescent |
- Small bulb diameter makes this light ideal for retrofitting large numbers into a hood
- Runs much cooler than other fixture types
- Wide range of color spectrums available
- Least amount of electricity used
- More lumens per watt than other flourescent bulbs
- Newer Technology
|
- Fish Only Tanks
- Soft Coral up to LPS Tanks depending on bulb Qty.
- In more rare cases SPS Tanks
|
| Power Compact Flourescent |
- Another common form of lighting available
- Also available in different bulb colors
- Fairly compact in most cases
- A dual tube bulb with high output
|
- Fish Only Tanks
- Soft Coral to LPS tanks
- Tanks with clams depending on fixture and tank
- In more rare cases SPS tanks
|
| Metal Halide |
- Most light produced per bulb
- ‘Shimmering’ effect produced in tank as light is refracted from water surface
- Only light that will support the more demanding corals and clams in most cases
|
- Fish Only Tanks
- Soft Corals
- More commonly LPS & SPS Tanks
- Tanks with clams
|
