Light is very important to many aquarium animals, including some fish such as Goldfish, etc because, without their normal hours of light, they could develop some health problems such as fading of colors, etc.
Despite that many aquarium lights could be somewhat reliable and could even last up to a year to 5 years, sometimes they could develop some faults too, such as Flickering.
If you are reading this article, it means you want to know why your aquarium light is flickering and what are the possible things you could do to make it normal again, so read this article to the end.
There are a few reasons why your aquarium light could be flickering, they are: It could be flickering due to water damage (looks cracked), wiring issues, age, or something as simple as the outlet you’re plugging it into.
These are the reasons why your fishtank light could be malfunctioning or flickering as you may call it, now let me explain them further.
1. Water damage: We all know that there are some lights that are kept closer to the water and not outside the aquarium.
Understandably, water or water vapor could in one way or the other get into the bulb or bulbs, making the light to malfunction.
Again, some fish are rough swimmers and could splash water anyhow, also some could deliberately spit water from their mouths which might mistakenly enter into your aquarium light.
This is very common with those lights that are kept inside the tank and not outside.
So, check if there is water in the lightning system if it is malfunctioning.
2. Wiring Issues: This could happen as a result of wrong wiring.
If the wiring is wrong or if the wire itself is faulty, the light might start malfunctioning, and that is why it is very necessary to read the instructions properly or call an electrician to do it for you if you are clueless on how to go about it.
3. It is old: Everything has an expiration date and electronics are not an exemption.
Some lights could last for a year and some could go up to 5 years but once the expiration date is at hand, they might start malfunctioning by flickering and at some point will go totally off if not changed.
If you are experiencing this, then you might have to check the expiration date of your aquarium light and if it has expired, then am sorry because you will need to buy a new aquarium light.
4. Source of power or Plug: Another thing that could cause this is where you plug the light.
It could be that the source of power or where you plug the light is not functioning properly and it is affecting the light itself, making it to be flickering.
If this is the case, then you might have to test the light at a different location by plugging it in a different socket and if it continues, then the fault is from the light itself and you will want to buy a new light.
Why Is My Aquarium Led Light Flickering?
As I explained above, the reasons why your aquarium led light could be flickering is as a result of these: It could be flickering due to water damage (looks cracked), wiring issues, age, or something as simple as the outlet you’re plugging it into.
Find out the main reason why it is malfunctioning and either correct it if you can or get another light if you cannot correct it.
Do Led Lights In A Fish Bother The Fish?
Led Lights and all aquarium lights, in general, don’t bother fish unless it is too bright or very hot.
As I explained above, light is one of the basic things that fish need in their tanks.
Although many fish will react differently to it, in general, all fish need light at some point.
Aquarists can use LED lights, Florescent lights, and Incandescent lights on their fish tanks, but note that Incandescent light could generate a lot of heat.
Do Fish React To Flash Lights?
Yes, fish usually react to a flashlight or sudden bright light in many ways such as hiding, swimming in a different direction, and also getting stressed.
Despite that they need light, but they react negatively to it if it is turned on all of a sudden.
I mean imagine yourself sleeping or relaxing and all of a sudden a very bright light was flashed at you, you did be startled, so fish reacts the same way, that’s why there is a timer in many aquarium lights that regulates the time the lights should be on or off and also the level of its brightness.
I will always advise you to go for those kinds of lights with a timer and normal level. of brightness and avoid those cheap aquarium lights that could cause problems in your fish tank.
Do Led Aquarium Lights Need To Be Replaced?
Yes, LED lights also have an expiry date and when it expires, they will need to be replaced.
Everything has an expiry date or lifespan and LED lights are no exception to this, despite that they are long-lasting and could last more than 5 years, but their will malfunction or go off one day, and when they do, they should be replaced.
Conclusion
These are the possible reasons why Aquarium or fish tank lights could be flickering or malfunctioning as you may call them. I advise you to buy another light than to try amending or repairing which could be dangerous to both you and your aquatic animals.
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