From domestic lamps on sale at present there are always LB and LD of different capacities. LB - "white light lamp" - has in its spectrum peaks in approximately the same areas as the maximum absorption of chlorophyll, so this lamp has long been successfully used by aquarists. LD - "fluorescent light" - has in the spectrum too much blue-and-blue part, so in the aquarium is not suitable - from its use there are outbreaks of algae, plants grow poorly. Other domestic lamps unfortunately are on sale very rarely, although among them there are interesting for aquarists - LF (phytolamp), LA (aquarium lamp), LEC (natural color lamp).
Of the specialized aquarium lamps in our country the most widely available lamps are Hagen, for aquariums the most suitable are the following varieties:
- Sun-Glo - similar in spectrum to LB, but more balanced, shines with white light, in most cases can be replaced by cheaper LB or imported analogues;
- Aqua-Glo - the spectrum is specially selected for maximum compatibility with the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll, shines with pink-violet light, well stains red, yellow, orange, blue and blue colors on fish;
- Flora-Glo - designed for aquariums with plants, shines with pink light, also improves the coloring of fish, cheaper analogs - LF and Osram / 77 Fluora;
- Power-Glo - has in its spectrum a significant part of blue light, very powerful, can be used in marine aquariums or aquariums without plants (for example, in cichlidariums), if the plant is, it is better to combine it with Aqua-Glo or Flora-Glo, strengthens Blue and blue color of fish.
All these lamps are expensive, although they give a better effect than conventional ones. To replace them you can try to use cheaper analogues, which are produced by Osram, Philips and GE. To replace the Sun-Glo, we can use our LB and imported lamps whose chromaticity is designated as "/ 35" (for example, Osram 18W / 35). To replace Aqua-Glo and Flora-Glo, lamps with an increased number of red and blue colors in the spectrum that shine with pink or pinkish-violet light are successfully used - for example, "meat lamps" intended for illuminating meat products on the Osram ** W / 76 shelves , Philips ** W / 79 or phyto-lamps intended for growing plants Philips Agro-Lite, Osram / 77 Fluora, Osram / Sylvania Gro-Lux, LF. All these lamps can be found at a price 1.5-2 times cheaper (although if you do not have a monopoly in the city, Philips produces a special aquarelle aquarium, but at a price it will not give way to the hagen lamps.
Of course, fish under specialized aqualups are often much better, and about plants - according to Philips, these special lamps provide only 20% increase in plants compared to conventional ones, and their price differs from the price of conventional lamps much more than not 20%. So to buy them or not, everyone decides for himself.

Sent by Nikolay Portnov, Vitebsk