Aquariums have blue light because it mimics the moonlight, illuminates the aquarium, and encourages the physical activity of the aquarium inhabitants. Blue lighting also doesn’t affect the day and night cycle of the fish, nor does it contribute to algae growth.
Aquarium lighting is essential for the optimum growth of your fish, just like their diet and sleep.
What Does Blue Light Do In An Aquarium?
Aquarium lighting has a profound impact on the fish in the aquarium. Lighting enhances the metabolism of fish and influences their growth.
Aquarium lighting also helps in regulating the eating and sleeping habits of the fish.
Moreover, aquarium lighting provides fish with the all-important oxygen and energy.
In a planted aquarium, aquarium lighting also helps to improve the health of the aquarium plants and corals.
The visible light spectrum consists of many colors.
However, not all colors are equally important for the inhabitants of the aquarium.
Since light is an integral part of an aquarium, it’s important to choose the correct color of light that will benefit the fish.
Blue light is the ideal choice for any aquarium due to its numerous benefits.
Among all colors, the blue spectrum is arguably the most vital for freshwater and marine reef aquariums.
Blue light illuminates the aquarium and mimics the moonlight. It’s used to mark the transition between dawn and dusk.
Blue light is also calm, and it allows the edgy fish to venture out at night to search for food.
Nocturnal fish prefer dim blue light at night when they are awake.
Blue light not only benefits nocturnal fish but also allows the diurnal fish to rest at night.
Moreover, blue light encourages more physical activity in the fish.
It also becomes convenient to monitor the health of the fish and spot potential problems during the night.
Another benefit of blue light is that it doesn’t contribute to excessive algae growth, which can be harmful to the fish.
Other than that, lighting generally increases the water temperature, but it’s not the case with blue lights.
Blue lights don’t increase the water temperature, and so monitoring is not required while the lights are on.
If there are multiple fish with vibrant colors, blue light helps stimulate the red, green, and blue shades of color; thus making the aquarium look more exquisite.
Alright! Now that you understand why blue lights are extensively used in aquariums, does it affect the sleeping pattern of the fish?
Can Fish Sleep In Blue Light?
Blue light is an ideal choice for aquariums. It helps to mimic the moonlight environment in the aquarium.
Blue light also doesn’t affect the day and night cycle of the fish, and neither does it harm the plants.
Ambient blue light is very soothing and has a calming effect on the fish. The fish can sleep peacefully inside the aquarium, even when the light is on.
If there are nocturnal fish in the aquarium, blue light helps them too.
Blue lights illuminate the aquarium. This helps the nocturnal fish do their regular activities like swimming and eating at night and resting when tired.
Blue lights are arguably the best option when it comes to aquarium lighting.
But, have you wondered which lights are better? LED or traditional bulbs?
Are Blue LED Lights Better for Aquariums?
When it comes to lighting for an aquarium, there are many options available.
However, it’s always better to choose the best and most suitable lighting that enhances the growth of the fish.
LED lights in an aquarium are more beneficial than standard and compact fluorescent bulbs and metal halide lights.
Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs generate high heat resulting in the quick rise of water temperature.
Fluctuation in water temperature is highly dangerous to the fish.
You may find the fish stressed out and confined at a particular place in the aquarium where the water temperature is cool.
LED lights don’t raise the aquarium’s water temperature because of their low heat output.
LED lights also help in illuminating the tank in a significant way.
Another advantage of LED lights is that their intensity can be adjusted.
The brightness of the LED light can be programmed depending on the time of the day with the help of a timer.
This is particularly useful if there are nocturnal fish in the aquarium. Light can be dimmed during the night for feeding and viewing purposes.
You may feel that LED lights are expensive compared to fluorescent bulbs.
However, LED lights save money in the long run and are highly cost-effective.
LED lights have low energy consumption, thus reducing the cost of electricity in the long run.
LED lights save around 80% of electricity compared to traditional lights.
Also, they last a lot longer in comparison to conventional lights.
LED lights are also safer for the fish. Moreover, LED lights promote live aquarium plants’ growth, which reduces the overgrowth of algae in the aquarium.
Is Blue Light Good For Aquarium Plants?
Lighting is essential for all living beings, including plants.
Choosing the right color light for the aquarium helps in creating lush and healthy plants. It also helps in controlling algae growth.
The color of the light does affect the plant growth in an aquarium. However, the effect is more noticeable under low light intensity.
Blue light is used in the photosynthesis process of plants and has better penetration in water.
It has a direct effect on the chlorophyll production in plants.
Plants that receive blue light abundantly will have strong, healthy leaves and stems.
Blue light also works like magic for plant pigmentation.
If there are red aquarium plants in the aquarium, they will grow redder when exposed to blue and red spectrum lights, coupled with proper nutrient intake.
Also, blue light enhances the color of aquatic plants as they look more rich and vibrant. The red-leaved stem plants look flashier than usual.
Which Color Light Is Better For An Aquarium?
White bulbs are standard for aquarium use. However, they aren’t the best option.
White bulbs are very bright, and they illuminate the tank more compared to RGB bulbs. However, they are not very effective for plant growth.
RGB LED lights have a combination of red, green, and blue colors.
You can choose any of the bulbs depending on the fish species and the type of aquarium plants.
Blue LED light is better than white light as it supports plant growth and has a calming effect on the aquarium inhabitants.
The RGB lights are also a good option when the blue moonlight lights are not available.
For a shallow tank, the red spectrum light is useful to plants compared to blue and green lights.
Since red color is easily absorbed in the water, it’s ideal for shallow water aquariums.
Whereas green and blue spectrum lights are more suitable for deeper tanks.
Nevertheless, every lighting type has its pros and cons.
So you need to choose the lightning that serves the fish and plants better.
Always Remember…
Fish and plants have their specific lighting needs for proper growth and development.
Blue light is preferred by many aquarists worldwide due to its many benefits.
It helps to mimic the natural environment of the fish and brings the aquarium to life.
Blue lighting benefits the aquarium fish and plants in several ways, as discussed above.
That is why blue light is preferred globally for aquariums.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Fish See Blue Light?
Yes, fish can see blue light. In fact, many fish have better color vision than humans. Their eyes are adapted to their specific environment and the light conditions in it. Since blue light penetrates water better than other colors, many fish species are more sensitive to blue light.
Can You Leave Blue Light On In a Fish Tank?
It’s not recommended to leave blue light or any other light in a fish tank on for more than 12 hours daily. The fish, invertebrates, plants, and corals in your aquarium will grow optimally by maintaining 12 to 16 hours of darkness every day.
