is halogen light good for aquariums?... :listen:

Besides standard incandescent lights, halogen lighting would be the worst choice of illumination for an aquarium.

Halogen bulbs are a very inefficient source of light. Of the energy used to power a halogen bulb, approximately 15% is given off as light, the other 85% is the given off as heat. Halogen bulbs can reach temperatures of 1000 degrees fahrenheit, which could very quickly overheat an aquarium.

Here is a list of some of the common light bulbs and their emitted light based on lumens per watts and the average life of the bulb.

Bulb type Lumens per watt lifetime in hours
Standard incandescent 10-15 1,000
Halogen 20 2,000-5000
Mercury Vapor 40-60 22,000
Fluorescent 50-90 More than 7,000
Metal Halide 70-90 More than 12,000
High Pressure Sodium 90-125 25,000
Low Pressure Sodium 120-200 20,000

Rick