Aquarium Lighting
Light is made up of particles of energy called photons, which create waves or wavelengths of energy. How intense the light is in your aquarium depends on the lux ratio, a measurement of light from its source to the bottom of your tank.
There are basically two types of aquarium lighting — fluorescent and incandescent.
Fluorescent lights involve the transmission of rays of mercury vapor. These cause the inside of a chemically-coated light bulb to glow. Fluorescent lighting is praised in aquariums for several reasons:
Very efficient – Initial price is expensive. However, bulbs usually are included with fluorescent units. At home, fluorescent lighting uses less electricity, so it’s cheaper to operate. They last much longer than incandescent bulbs.