Heating & Lighting

Fish Tank Heating and Lighting

Maintaining a stable environment, including proper lighting and water temperature, can help prevent harmful algae and bacteria from forming. Plus, the right heating and lighting system creates a healthy, natural and comfortable environment where your fish can thrive. At PetSmart, we offer a wide range of climate-control solutions, timers and lighting options designed for aquariums of every size. Most fish look their best with bright lights during the day, but you need to be sure that you provide the correct types of aquarium lighting, depending on the inhabitants of your aquarium. Some types of fish require a period of darkness to sleep, so putting their lights on timers may be helpful to keep them on the same lighting schedule (photoperiod) every day. Most freshwater tropical fish in the wild receive 12 hours of sunlight, while cold water fish experience seasonal variation. There are also nocturnal fish, such as catfish and loaches in freshwater tanks and many marine fish in saltwater tanks and especially reef setups. You can have daytime lights and night lights that mimic moonlight. Many LED light bands can be configured to mimic dawn and dusk as well as full daylight. Aquarium plants have a particular need for bright lights during the day and for a darker rest period at night. LED lights are perfect for aquarium lighting as they produce much less heat than incandescent bulbs, and they can produce the right color spectrums for both plant growth and for viewing your tank. Make sure your fixture type matches the bulbs you plan to use, whether incandescent fluorescent lamps in T8 or T5 fixture sizes, compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs or LED light strips and hoods. With submersible heaters and heater holders, reliable and accurate thermometers, LED lights and lamps, plus premium fluorescent hoods, our fish tank heating and lighting collection makes it easy to give your fish and plants everything they need to live long, healthy lives.