Aquarium
lighting makes it possible to fully appreciate the beauty of the fish and the
aquascaping in the tank. It also provides necessary illumination if you choose
to use live plants.
Assuming
the location for the tank has been chosen carefully, tank lighting will allow
you to control the amount and duration of light the aquarium receives. For all
these reasons, the aquarium hood, which contains the light fixture, is an
essential component.
The
hood fulfills several functions in addition to providing illumination for the
tank. It minimizes the evaporation of tank water and it prevents dust and other
items from entering the tank easily.
It
also stops most fish from jumping out of the tank. Some fish, however, manage
to jump through even very small spaces in the hood, in places where equipment
is set up. The back of most hoods contains precut openings for filters and
heaters. These openings can be pushed or cut out as needed. If they are larger
than the items they are intended for, a fish may find its way through the extra
space. As a general rule, this only happens if the fish is already under
considerable stress.
Many
hoods come equipped to accept incandescent light bulbs. These can be adequate
for illuminating the tank, but they do have drawbacks.
