Buy Aquarium Lighting Tubes online at Tropical and Marine Ltd - The UK's favourite Aquarium Supplies Co.

T8 Fluoresecent Lighting Tubes
T8 lighting tubes are 1" in diameter and are the most commonly fitted form of aquarium lighting. T8 tubes are available in a very wide range of lenght, output and colour. It's possible to alter the appearance of your aquarium by changing the lighting tubes which are fitted. All T8 tubes have an effecive lifespan of around 6 months when used for a few hours a day. After this time they deteriorate and tend to encourage algae growth, so be sure to fit new tubes to your tank twice per year.

T5 Fluoresecent Lighting Tubes
T5 tubes are typically 85% brighter than regular T8 tubes and are becoming increasingly popular for all aquarium types. T5 s are particuarly suitable where high light levels are desirable, such as for deep aquariums or where light intensity must be maximised, for example in marine reef or well planted tropical setups. All fluorescent tubes last around 6 months and T5 s are no exception.

PL Lighting Tubes
Energy saving PL fluorescent tubes are particularly popular in modern setups, such as those produced by Aqua One and Interpet. PL tubes are often bright and can be obtained in a range of colours and outputs. For best results always replace your PL lighting tubes every 6 months. This will maintain output levels and ensure that deteriorating spectral range does not begin encourage algal blooms.

Replace your fluorescent lighting tubes every 6 months.

Fluorescent tubes are coated with a mix of phosphorescent compounds which fluoress to produce the light output. The coatings vary in content, enabling the manufacturer to produce a range of different colours and outputs.

Sadly with use, the coatings lose a proportion of their ability to produce light each day and after about six months the wide specrum of light energy produced by the tube has diminished considerably. Fish colours are no longer as bright, plants and corals do not grow as well, while algae often grows a lot faster.

Changing your fluorescent tubes is also a great opportunity to take advantage of brighter triphosphor type tubes such as Powerglo or to alter the appearance of your setup by adding more blue light for a great "under the sea" appearance, or even to encourage coral growth by mixing high colour temperature tubes, specifically designed for marine use.

T5 lighting offers a brighter, more penetrating light, which makes a great upgrade for most aquariums and produces around 85 percent more output with negligible extra energy usage.

T5 lights require an electronic controller and will not fit an existing T8 unit. However, T5 controllers have fallen in price substantially and the results of replacing a tired old T8 setup with a modern T5 rig can often be spectacular.

PL lamps utilise the latest fluorescent technology and are both high in output and low in energy usage. Uniquely, PL lighting tubes can also be bought in special "mixed" configurations, which feature the best of 2 different tube types.

For example, an 18 watt PL lamp might feature both "bio-Lux" and "Triphosphor" characteristics which enable the tube to be both bright, to penetrate the depths of the aquarium and to also bring out your fishes colour for the very best appearance.

Effective lighting can make a huge difference to the overall appearance of your setup. Don't be afraid to experiment.