lighting question

[GrandeEsteban]

here's my question:

I used to play in a band and I have some of our lighting rigs in my basement still. The spotlights we used were some of the PAR CAN 38 Flood Lights basically. They used the typical 90 watt spotlight Sylvania bulbs in a large metal housing on a scaffold lighting rack. My question is more or less could I set this lighting rack up over my tank and use the spotlights as lighting? I believe I have seen this done with the Marine tanks and the Halide lighting rigs, but would the white light spots be effective for my plants? I would be able to fit 3-4 spots over my tank with a glass hood. Any input would be great, thanks!

steve

[OrionGirl]

Check the spectrum of the bulbs. Some bulbs produce very little light that is usable by plants. You want more in the red than in the blues and greens for plants.

Of course, you'll want to make sure they bulbs run cool--otherwise, you'll need to use cooling fans, like many marine setups run, to reduce evaporation and temperature spikes.