选择将这件投入珊瑚礁的盐水水族师迅速实现了一个有趣的实现：这种系统中使用的照明至关重要。Whereas lighting in fish-only systems is primarily an aesthetic concern (for the most part, as long as the lights show off the fish to their best advantage, you’re good to go), it’s actually a matter of life or death for many reef invertebrates.
It’s all about algae
为什么照明在礁系统中如此重要？我们保存在礁系统中的许多珊瑚，海葵，蛤和其他无脊椎动物无脊椎动物都有共生藻类，称为Zooxanthellae，居住在其组织中。通过光合作用的过程，Zooxanthellae利用阳光来生产营养，它们与宿主共享，提供这些无脊椎动物需要生存的食物。这种显着的适应性使无脊椎动物可以在珊瑚礁周围典型的营养贫困水中繁殖。
When these invertebrates are kept in aquarium systems, lighting of the appropriate quality and intensity must be provided or the zooxanthellae will die, followed soon thereafter by the invertebrate host. In other words, those normal-output fluorescent tubes that came preinstalled in your aquarium hood just aren’t going to cut it for most light-hungry inverts.
要求各不相同
Beware of any sweeping generalizations about the lighting requirements of different groups of corals or other invertebrates, and don’t assume the more wattage, the merrier. Invertebrates’ needs with respect to lighting can vary dramatically and are influenced by several factors related to their natural environment, such as:
- 它们发生的深度
- 水的浊度
- 悬垂礁结构或遮盖无脊椎动物的存在
Thus, for example, anAcropora珊瑚在礁石上适应生命的珊瑚需要比在深水中的岩石壁架下适应光层的蘑菇息肉的殖民地需要更加强烈的照明。必须确定要保留哪种无脊椎动物，然后选择适合这些物种的照明。不要先购买灯，否则您将自己绘制到众所周知的角落家畜选项。
开尔文温度是多少？
When shopping for reef lighting, you’ll notice that each bulb or tube is assigned a number followed by the letter K. This refers to the lamp’s Kelvin temperature rating, or color temperature, which tells you the portion of the spectrum it emits. In overly simplified terms, the lower the Kelvin rating, the more red the light is, and the higher the Kelvin rating, the bluer it is. Corals and other photosynthetic reef organism tend to benefit from the bluer portion of the spectrum.
出售用于礁石的灯泡的灯通常落在6500k至20000k之间，从阳光黄色到非常蓝色的外观（不同品牌之间的差异很大）。
照明类型
一系列令人眼花sar虫用于照亮礁箱，包括金属卤化物灯泡，LEDs、高输出T5荧光灯VHO (very-high-output) T8 fluorescents, and power compact fluorescents. You’ll also come across fixtures that include various combinations of these lamp types.
The most popular reef-lighting sources nowadays are metal halides, T5s, and LEDs, so let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of each:
金属卤化物
Pros
- Provides very intense light in a relatively small package
- Penetrates deep in water column
- 产生美学上令人愉悦的微光线的光源
Cons
- Produces a lot of heat and consumes a lot of energy
- 替换灯泡的持续成本相对较高
T5 HO荧光
Pros
- Lower energy consumption compared to metal halides
- 运行比金属卤化物凉爽得多
- 初始成本相对较低
Cons
- Cost of replacement tubes can add up significantly
- A diffuse light source that does not produce glimmer lines
- 在水柱中没有像金属卤化物或LED那样深处
LED（发光二极管）
Pros
- Penetrates deep in water column
- Low energy consumption and heat production
- Potentially very long functional lifespan
- 产生令人愉悦的微光线条
- Very programmable for different lighting schemes
Cons
- 高初始购买价格
- Still a relatively new and evolving technology
当心令人难以置信的讨价还价！
当购买结合不同技术的任何这些照明类型或固定装置时，要警惕似乎太好了，无法实现。市场上一些声称是礁石质量的照明产品确实不适合维持光合无脊椎动物。请记住，照明是珊瑚礁系统中最关键的元素之一，而不是割伤拐角处的地方。
