Decorative aquarium lighting ideas

Aquarium - interior decoration that everyone can afford. Its dimensions, filling and equipment depend only on your financial capabilities and imagination. For a comfortable and healthy existence of aquatic inhabitants, certain conditions are needed. At first glance, this looks like a daunting task, but if you already have an aquarium with everything you need, then creative lighting will make it even more beautiful. Decorative illumination of the aquarium - ideas that will make the underwater kingdom the center of attention, we will consider in this article. Such lighting is not necessary to buy - you can do it yourself. Available tools that can be found in any apartment can be used.

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Aquarium light sources

Before viewing the ideas of decorative lighting with your own hands, you need to have information about the possible sources of illumination of an artificial reservoir. Also, it will not be amiss to think over the general concept of the room, for which our ideas for designing an aquarium in the interior.

Halogen lamps

They are a good source of light, shine brightly, while generating heat. They consist of mercury, so they are almost never used to illuminate the aquarium, but as an alternative, they may well be acceptable.

Incandescent lamps

The simplest and most affordable lighting for a home aquarium, which is now presented not only in yellow but also in white light. Such a weak spectrum is not quite enough for the full development of aquarium plants, but it is enough for the growth of phytoplankton and some algae.

It is advisable to combine such affordable lighting with other artificial light sources: universal fluorescent lamps. Both lamps are mounted on a high support above the pond, and its bottom is lined with thin foil, which will not only reflect, but also focus the light.

Important! From such lighting, leafy plants can fade and fade, and if the lamp is too powerful, the water can bloom. Since decorative aquarium lighting is most often installed above water, an incandescent lamp additionally heats glass and water, thereby creating discomfort for aquarium residents, especially if the water is not blown by the compressor.

Fluorescent lamps

They are valued for durability and cost-effectiveness. Luminescent light sources deliver diffused light of a wide spectrum. By the hue of the radiated radiance, they can be white and blue.

Important! For a small aquarium (up to 40 liters), one such installed lamp is quite enough, but for a larger aquarium, 2 lamps are needed that will provide illumination of an artificial reservoir of 200-500 liters.

Such lighting can be both flood (installed on the lid of the aquarium), and underwater (the lamp is attached to the inner wall with water). It is better to purchase equipment at a pet store and get full consultation on its installation for a specific aquarium, taking into account all the nuances and safety requirements.

Important! To avoid problems with aquatic inhabitants, think about how much time you are willing to devote to caring for them. Based on this,pick the right fish for your aquarium.

LED bulbs

They are the best option as an illumination idea for an aquarium. They are economical, absolutely do not heat the water, and such lighting is quite possible to do it yourself.Their spectrum of action is better than other lighting options due to more uniform dispersion and safety for plants and fish. Currently, the market offers a wide variety of color solutions with the possibility of combining them.

LED Strip Light

It can be safely used for lighting an artificial reservoir as an additional option. Such a fixture is preferably used in tandem with other light sources for completeness of the spectral range.

Important! One lamp can last up to 5 years. It follows that all this time you do not have to do a replacement device and disturb the inhabitants of the aquarium. Energy efficiency will reach up to 70%. It is for these reasons that it is advisable to install backlighting from LED lamps and ribbons.

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Ideas for decorative aquarium lighting

So, we come to the most important thing - how to make your own lighting for the aquarium. Such a device can be done by anyone, because for work you will need a minimum set: a lighting fixture, fasteners and additional accessories.

First way

Let's look at how the arrangement of the aquarium with light looks like using an LED strip. Optionally, you can supplement the lighting cover with a special color photo lamp.

Step-by-step instruction:

• We buy an LED strip filled with plastic of the desired length and desired color (can use color).
• We make insulation at the junction of the LED strip and the cord, taking for this transparent silicone designed for the aquarium. Such a sealant will protect the power cord from accidental ingress of water.
• Correctly connect the wires. At the output of the tape they will be red, this means plus, and black or blue wire - minus.

Important! The most important thing is to observe the polarity, otherwise - the LEDs will not work.

• Remove the protective layer from it and fasten the tape around the perimeter of the aquarium box. Thus, we will give an optimal spectrum and uniform illumination along the entire perimeter of the artificial reservoir.

Important! Regardless of how you arrange the artificial pond in your home, you need to maintain cleanliness in it. To do this, bookmark our selection of useful tips:

• How to remove greens in an aquarium?
• Fish and Aquarium Care for Beginners.
• How to remove the smell from the aquarium?

Second way

Now we will tell you about the assembly of a full-fledged LED aquarium lighting without installing generators and sophisticated equipment. A power of 120 W is enough for 300 liters of an aquarium with abundant vegetation. For such a backlight, you need to take 40 point LEDs at 250 lumens of 3 watts each light source. As a result, we get 10,800 lumens for bright lighting of the decorative water element.

Important! It is extremely important from time to time to observe the balance of the ecosystem, so that with an excess of light and the development of green microorganisms, you can reduce the intensity of lighting.

For such an idea of ​​lighting for an aquarium with your own hands, you need to take:

• LED lamps in the right amount.
• Plastic groove at least 100 mm wide.
• Power supply 12 W (you can take a computer).
• Soft wire of the desired length.
• 6 computer coolers with a power of 12 watts.
• LED lamp socket.
• Mill with a diameter of 48 mm.

Working process:

1. We cut off 2 pieces of the gutter along the length of the aquarium, in the bottom of which we drill small holes with a calculation of 20 pieces per 1 meter. We arrange the holes in a checkerboard pattern.
2. We insert the LED lamps into the holes and firmly fasten.
3. We connect all the lamps to a power source in parallel to the 12 W unit. To carry out these works, we recommend contacting an electrician for help, since the connection diagram of LEDs is considered difficult for people who are not specialists in the field of connecting such lamps directly to the connectors.

Important! For the decoration of the aquarium, additional night lighting is used - artificial moonlight. To implement this idea, you need to connect a blue LED strip and install it on the back wall of the home ecosystem. The light should be below the bottom of the aquarium itself.This backlight can be equipped with an electronic timer, which can turn it on after stopping the supply of artificial daylight.

Third way

This method is suitable for those who have an aquarium covered with ordinary glass and backlighting has become an impossible task for you. We propose to consider the idea of ​​decorative illumination of the aquarium using a do-it-yourself lampshade. It will just need to be installed on top of the glass ecosystem.

Important! As a ceiling, only recommended materials that comply with all safety rules should be used.

To make such creative lighting, we need:

• Full cartridge.
• Power cable.
• Daylight lamp or plug.
• Fireproof and waterproof case for the bottle.

You can use the above materials, but we tried to simplify the task by taking a Plexiglas blank for work (you can use a ceramic flower pot).

The technique of making the idea of ​​aquarium lighting with your own hands:

1. We glue the lamp over the paper, and then paint it at our discretion.
2. We connect the power cord to it.
3. We screw in the light bulb.

Our home-made backlight is ready for use.

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Stock footage

As you can see, it is not necessary to buy expensive lamps for the aquarium, such lighting can be done with your own hands for a minimal budget. We really hope that our lighting ideas will be useful to you, and most importantly - will benefit your pets.