The amount of aquarium lighting needed will depend upon the type of tank you are maintaining. The life cycle of your fish and corals revolve around your lighting schedule. The normal lighting period in your aquarium should not exceed 12 to 14 hours per day. If you have a saltwater or freshwater fish-only tank, it will not require very intense aquarium lighting as this will cause excessive algae growth and your fish may shy away from the intense light. You cannot depend on natural sunlight to suffice as too many factors would figure in such as cloudy days or shortened days during the winter. Also keeping your aquarium near a window will result in increased algae growth. Aquarium lighting needs to be controlled so that the proper amount is received each day.
