Does it matter what light bulbs i put in my aquarium lid?

Question

i misplaced the original bulbs, and i'm not sure if i can put any kind of aquarium bulbs in them. does it matter? oh, and also, is it possible to get a new lid for a top fin 10 gal starter aquarium? like, are 10 gal aquariums the same size/shapes? thanks!

Answer 1

Obviously, you'll need a bulb that fits the socekt-- if it is an incandescent socket, you'll need either an incandescent bulb or a swirly fluorescent bulb.  If it's a standard fluorescent tube socket, you'll need a standard fluorescent tube.  Getting fancy, the spectrum will not matter unless you are trying to grow photosynthetic organisms (plants, corals, certain saltwater invertebrates).  For freshwater plants, a spectrum between 5,500 and 6,700K is ideal.  Corals and inverts generally need between 10,000 and 20,000K, and the lower the Kelvin temperature, the more need for additional actinic lighting.

Answer 2

If it is fresh water fish only it doesn't matter.

If you want salt water or live plants it matters alot

most ten gallons are the same size unless you got some unusual shape