18" T8 Sunlight 15w Lighting Tube from Aqua One - (53102)
Aqua One's 18" T8 Sunlight 15w Lighting Tube provides high output, fluorescent lighting in Aqua One's Aquience Cube 550, Aquience Cube 650, Aquience Corner 850 and Aquience Corner 1000 aquarium models, but will also work with any other aquarium that has been designed to accept a 18 inch T8 fluorescent tube.
It's a good idea to always keep a spare lighting tube for your Aqua One aquarium. Your fish depend on aquarium lighting to regulate their internal clock, so they know when it's time to be active, time to be fed or time to sleep. Whilst your fish don't need light to survive, periods of time without light may leave them a little disorientated.
Replace every 6 months
All fluorescent lighting output starts to diminish from the moment first used and this is also the case with all T8 lighting, including the 18" T8 Sunlight 15w Lighting Tube. After around 6 months of normal use, the spectral output of your T8 lighting will have diminished to the point that a replacement is recommended.
It's sometimes difficult to tell just how much the lighting output has actually diminished until a new tube is installed, as the loss of spectral output over time is gradual. However you may find that algae has started to take hold or that your livestock isn't quite as active as it should be and if you are purchasing a second hand aquarium that utilizes T8 / 15w lighting, we'd recommend that you change the lighting tubes straight away.
Choosing the correct Aqua One 18 inch T8 lighting tube
Aqua One have 3 different colour outputs for their T8 / 18 inch fluorescent lighting tubes to suit all aquarium environments, including sunlight, tropical and marine blue options and each tube has it's own unique properties. Here's a brief guide:
 | | T8 Sunlight - 15w / 18" lighting The T8 Sunlight Tube is the brighest of all the T8 15w lighting and provides bright white light output which aims to mimic natural sunlight in your aquarium. This light is often combined with either the tropical T8 tube or marine blue T8 to acheive the desired lighting effect. |
 | | T8 Tropical - 15w / 18" lighting Producing a very warm, pink light, the T8 tropical lighting tube is ideal where softer, richer lighting is desired. This lighting tube is somewhat duller than the sunlight tube and for this reason is often used in combination with the sunlight T8 in tropical setups, especially if live plants are present. |
 | | T8 Marine Blue - 15w / 18" lighting Marine Blue T8 lighting tubes are mainly used in marine aquarium setups, where a very specific and natural under the sea effect is desired. This tube is often used in combination with the sunlight T8 lighting tube in a marine setup to acheive the desired lighting effect. |
* See all: T8, 15w / 18" lighting options from Aqua One
How to change your 18" T8 Sunlight 15w Lighting Tube
Please be patient when changing your T8 Lighting tube as it can sometimes be quite a tight fit. To remove the tube you're replacing it's simply push one end of the tube against the T8 fitting and remove the old tube out of the opposite socket. T8 tubes are fairly hardy but please do take your time as the glass tube can break rather easily. Use the ppposite technique when installing the new T8 fluorescent tube do be careful to use the base to push the replacement T8 tube gently into the socket.
Need help?
If you are unsure of exactly which T8 lighting tube or indeed any other Aqua One lighting that would be best for your aquarium, please do contact us. We are the UK's leading authority on all that is Aqua One.
* See all Aqua One Lighting Products or choose your spares by aquarium model
