While mostly aimed at aquarists, this article is also applicable to other people interested in growing things under artificial light.

Freedom to distribute this article in cyberspace is granted by the authors, providing attribution is granted. The last time this was posted I found it on the Bromeliads mailing list with no attribution. Tsk tsk.

Introduction

There are a number of different approaches used for illuminating aquaria. To make an informed decision as to what type of lighting should be employed, the fundamentals of light, color and lighting systems should be understood. In this article we will examine the how light is qualitatively appraised with respect to color and intensity. Different lighting systems will be examined, and most available types of lights will be discussed. Examples of some "real world" lighting systems will be given and analyzed with respect to effectiveness, initial cost, operating expense and longevity.