Aquarium Light Bulbs

Proper lighting is one of the most critical factors for successful reef keeping. Coral depends on photosynthetic zooxanthellae algae for a large portion of its nutritional needs, and the right spectrum of light is essential for these algae to thrive.

Different types of bulbs provide different spectrums:

• Actinic bulbs (blue spectrum ~420nm) - Promotes coral fluorescence and encourages zooxanthellae growth
• Daylight bulbs (10,000K-20,000K) - Provides the full spectrum needed for photosynthesis
• Metal Halide - High intensity, penetrates deeper water

Choosing bulbs with the right color temperature (Kelvin rating) and intensity will determine how well your corals grow and display their colors.

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  Aqualine 10,000k Double Ended Metal Halide Bulb

  Pictured to the left is one of the three Aqualine 10,000k 250w Double Ended Metal Halide Bulb that came with the AB AquaSpace Lighting system.

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  Fluorex 65w Power Compact Bulb

  Lights of America (LOA) 65w Power Compact lights are advertised to give off about the equivalent light of a 500w incandescent bulb. They come complete with small mini hood pendant and power cord.

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  Iwasaki 250w 6500K Metal Halide Bulb

  Pictured to the left is the Iwasaki bulb that I have used. This bulb is made by the Iwasaki Electrical Company in Japan.

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  OSRAM 24w Blue Power Compact Bulb

  Pictured left is one of the four OSRAM 24w Blue Power Compact bulbs that came with the AB AquaSpace Lighting system. I'm not overly impressed with these bulbs but they look OK when the halides are off.

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  Realux 24w Blue Power Compact Bulb

  This is a Realux 24w Blue 12,000K for use with the AB AquaSpace Lighting system. This bulb is made by TAAM Inc. (Technological Aquatic Associated Manufacturing).

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  U.R.I. Super Actinic VHO Lighting Tubes

  When I used Iwasaki 250w 6500K Metal Halide Lights i felt they did not have enough visible blue light. I supplement Iwaski light with URI Super Actinic 03 VHO florescent lights.

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  Ushio 10,000K Single Ended Metal Halide Bulb

  This is the Ushio 400w 10k bulb that I have used (images of 175w version is below). This bulb is manufactured by a the Japanese company Ushio located in Germany. I used Iwasaki lamps for many years.

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  XM 10,000k Double Ended Metal Halide Bulb

  Pictured to the left is an XM brand 10,000k 250w Double Ended Metal Halide Bulb.

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  XM 20,000k Double Ended Metal Halide Bulb

  Pictured to the left is an XM brand 20,000k 250w Double Ended Metal Halide Bulb.