What type of lighting is best for coral growth in a saltwater aquarium?
Once you've decided to put a saltwater aquarium in your home, one of the next most important purchases you'll make (fish aside) is lighting. Proper lighting is key — especially if you put corals in your tank — to encourage coral growth. Lighting also keeps your plants and fish healthy. Keep reading to learn why lighting and corals are important to a reef aquarium and which lights are best for coral growth.
Why Lighting Is Important in a Reef Aquarium
Light is important in a reef aquarium because it supports photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants and certain bacteria convert light, water, and carbon dioxide into food and oxygen. Algae, the main food source for corals, use photosynthesis to produce the nutrients necessary to sustain the saltwater environment.
Why Corals Are Important to the Aquarium
Corals not only make your aquarium look stunning, but they also provide fish with a home and a place to rest or hide. Corals also help filter the water in the tank. But corals are sensitive and very responsive to changes in the water. You can visually monitor water quality by watching polyp growth on your corals. (Coral polyps are tiny animals that make up a coral reef.) If corals stop growing new polyps, it may signal the tank water isn't healthy. While this visual gauge is handy, it doesn't replace the need for a high-quality water filter or regular water tests.
Lighting Keeps Corals Healthy
Corals need RGB light to be healthy. The exact percentages of the spectrum vary by species, but overall, most corals need more blue light to fuel photosynthesis. In nature, different parts of the light spectrum reach deeper than others. And blue goes the deepest. (Fun fact! This is why the ocean appears blue.)
However, you can't rely on direct, natural light to promote coral growth in your tank because you're not able to control the amount of direct light your tank gets. (In the ocean, corals typically get the same amount of light daily.) Bright, sunny days could cause the tank to overheat or encourage algae growth. And overcast or cloudy days won't provide the light your corals need to grow.
Instead of depending on Mother Nature, mimic natural light with LEDs designed for saltwater tanks.
Coralife Makes the Choice Easy
When shopping for saltwater tank lights, you have options from T5 fluorescents, power compact, and LED lights. LEDs are a smart choice for new tank owners. LEDs don't heat up the aquarium as much as other options, and many LED products give you greater control and flexibility with the lighting your corals need. Although they tend to cost more upfront, LED lights typically use less electricity. They also tend to last longer and are overall less expensive over the lifetime of the light.
The Coralife Marine Aquarium Clip-On LED Light Fixture is great for tanks up to 20 gallons. It's quick and easy to set up and is designed to provide optimal lighting for a nano reef aquarium right out of the box.
If you're looking for a light that gives you more control and more creativity, the Coralife Seascape Smart LED Light Fixture may be the light you're looking for. This slim, low-profile light lets you control everything from the different LED colors to day/night schedule, and even add in cloud coverage and lightning strikes for visual interest.
You can control the Smart LED fixture through the Aqueon BlueIQ App, schedule daily feeding and maintenance reminders, and learn more about the fish and corals in your tank — all from the free app.
The Right Lighting Choice for Corals
Selecting the right lighting for your saltwater reef tank is important to keep the corals healthy and thriving. And LED lights from Coralife (along with the Blue IQ app) help make the choice easier and make the maintenance and care of your aquatic environment more manageable as you get started in your reef aquarium hobby.
