There are many things that need to be controlled in an aquarium, and two of these are light and heat. as you are creating an artificial environment, make sure that you pay careful attention to the conditions inside your tank to keep your fish from getting ill.It is interesting that most people feel that all they need to do is to keep the water clean and feed their fish.While these are important factors themselves, the failure of most aquarium owners is to overlook the fact that lighting and heat are just as important to fish as the other things mentioned.

Since many of the nutritional needs of your fish are provided by from the exposure to sunlight, this thought cannot be overlooked. While admittedly not as high as the needs of non-aquatic animals, it is still there.

Many varieties of light sources are available. One of the most common and popular types are fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lamps are cool, inexpensive, easy to maintain and replace, and consume low power. For most aquariums, this need is enough.

If you need something that provides a brighter harsher light, then incandescent bulbs can be used. If you're keeping tropical fish, then this type of lighting may work out better, as it runs hotter and can simulate warmer more comfortable conditions for your fish.

Certain types of fish may need more illumination and not be too picky about temperature, so compact lighting may be the answer. If you're planning to raise deep water fish, or fish which naturally prefer cooler darker waters, then this may be a decent option. If the aquarium has a large number of aquatic plants living in it, then you may need something known as metal halide light.

This type of lighting simulate sunlight at a low level intensity, such as the amount of light which actually would reach the bottom in natural environments where these plants can live. Metal halide lighting comes in a variety of intensities, and you should select one with a light and heat output that most closely approaches the natural environment of your aquarium's inhabitants, both the plants and the fish. Make sure you're careful to not choose this type of lighting with an output which is too high, as over exposure to light can be just as damaging as non-exposure to light.

Another piece of standard equipment that you should have is a water heater coil or filter with a built-in heater. If you're really serious about keeping your fish healthy, you can buy heaters with thermometers and temperature controls. Avid fish raisers will have done their research, and will know the exact range of temperature their fish will be most comfortable at. For casual fish raisers, however, a general rule of thumb is to have a low power heater that keeps the water lukewarm even in relatively cold weather.

If you larger aquarium, then you may need two heaters in order to keep water temperature equaled both sides. It is very important not to overlook this, as drastic changes in temperature from one side of the tank to the other can cause your fishy going to thermal shock. This same as us walking into a freezing room after spending all day outside in the summer time. The opposite is true if you spend your time in very cold weather and then stepped inside where it is hot. Obviously this is not one of the best things to do in order to stay healthy. Your fish react the same way.

Don't forget to check with your pet shop about the output of your heater. In general the larger the tank for more heaters you will need. Heaters are measured by their power consumption, not by their temperature output.