Time To Upgrade Your Aquarium Lights?

Several years ago, a new type of light fixture first appeared in the aquarium hobby and really changed the way we kept planted and reef aquariums: the compact fluorescent light bulbs. These narrow, u-shaped tubes put out more light per watt than traditional fixtures and really didn't require anything special: you can buy a regular strip light that replaces the standard one and grow high light plants, even many corals under it. Before long, this technology began to migrate and now all the lamps in my house have funny cork-screw bulbs that are derived from the same technology. Today, a new type of lighting is sweeping the aquarium market, LEDs. Let's take a look at the history behind these lights for the aquarium trade and how they're affecting the market.