Make Koi Pond Shine With Pond Lighting

Pond Lighting, Photo www.dexknows.com

KOI POND LIGHTING -- Lighting in Koi Pond doesn't provide any real benefits to the koi fish but adding lighting to a koi pond creates another dimension to a garden’s ambiance at night. Safety must always be the first consideration when adding pond lights to your koi pond. There are many available koi pond lighting ideas that transform dark and uninviting places into secure settings by illuminating fish, plants, trees, rocks, decks and pathways in an almost magical way.

 

 

Pond Lighting Technologies

There are 2 basic technologies in pond and koi pond lighting , Halogen and LED. Both will work and there really is no wrong choice. Halogen lights are usually cheaper to purchase, will burn out faster and use more electricity. LED lights may cost more up front, but are more energy efficient, and will last longer. I have only used halogen lights personally, but the cost effectiveness of LED is improving by leaps and bounds and I may switch in the near future.

The most common pond lights are low voltage 12 volt halogen lamp.These are inexpensive lights that only come as white bulbs (colored lenses are included with some pond lighting kits). Halogen light bulbs do give off a lot of heat, and consume a lot of energy, making them have a short life span. LED pond lighting is an alternative, which is becoming more and more popular.

Types of Koi pond lights

There are essentially 3 general classes of pond lights that can be used to make your pond standout at night. They all can be found in either the halogen or LED form.

1. Submersible Pond Lights

As the name implies submersible lights go underwater in the koi pond. Much like a pool lights, submersible pond lights are intended to give the water a glowing ambiance and highlight fish and plants. However submersible pond lights will also illuminate “anything” that is in the water. So unless your pond water is exceptionally clear like a pool, submersible lights can make the water appear even more cloudy. For this reason, I prefer lighting the pond itself from above which makes the colorful koi standout at night against an opaque black background. Koi are very beautiful pond animals and seeing them illuminated at night brings out the shine of their scales and the beauty of their coloring.

Submersible Pond Lighting, Photo www.aquaticcritter.com

2. Floating Pond Lights

For additional effects in the pond at night, you can add floating pond lights. Floating lights are fun to watch because they bob and move with the current in the pond. There are many different kinds available including special effect lights that change colors gradually. They generally come as floating globes or in the shape of water lilies. Whatever style you choose, I recommend getting solar powered floating pond lights so there are no cords or strings attached.

Floating Pond Lighting, Photo www.mrlight.com

3. Landscape Lights

Landscape lights are the third type of lighting to make your koi pond and waterfall features shine at night. This type of lighting can be used to frame the borders of your pond and to accent certain plants or features such as rocks or trees. If you don’t light your pond waterfall from behind, spot lighting it from the front creates a nice shimmering effect. If you have any paths around your pond or your backyard in general, it’s always a good idea to make sure the path is well lit for safe walking. Like floating and submersible lights, landscape lights are also available as solar lights so no wiring or electricity is needed. Create interest in your koi pond by highlighting a favorite tree or statue.

Landscape Lighting,  Photo blog.outdoorlights.com

Specimen lighting illuminates an object from below or from another direction, adding drama to the nighttime landscape. Use specimen lighting sparingly.



Source: http://www.ebuildapond.com/pond-lights