The lighting system is probably the most important component of the reef aquarium. It is also the most difficult to choose. After deciding between metal halide, power compact and VHO, the color temperature of the lamps must still be chosen. Light energy feeds the coral reefs and fishes. These include the phytoplankton that float in the waters near the reefs, the algae living on the reef and bottom sediment and the tiny zooxanthellae algae that thrives in the corals tissues. All this can only be accomplished by applying the precise lighting conditions of the animals natural environment. This growing algae feeds and oxygenates the corals. When the algae undergoes the process of photosynthesis, it helps build the limestone skeletons which the reefs are built upon. With the proper lighting your corals can thrive and multiply.