View Full Version : lighting for a 100 gal
dave76
07-07-2003, 12:36 PM
I am getting a new 100 gallon tank the tank is all I can afford at this time. So everything else except for the filter is going to be DIY. The tank measures 60'x18"x22". I was going to build a canopy and wanted to make the lighting part of it. I am only interested in growing plants that cichlids wont destroy like java moss. The goal is cost effectiveness, so as long as I can seem them when the light is on that is all I care about. And thanks in advance for your help.
ArkyLady
07-07-2003, 1:09 PM
Get two 48" shoplights and mount them so that they go to each end and overlap in the middle. You can get single or double bulb ones depending on how much light you want. Cheapest way I know of and it works rather well :)
Or you could do the same thing with 24" lights (if they make 20" ones that'd be even better, but I've never seen them).
dave76
07-07-2003, 1:58 PM
would I be ok with a one 48" with two bulbs? if not should I use any kind of cooling setup or is this strictly for saltwater metal hallide setups?
ArkyLady
07-07-2003, 6:35 PM
As far as I've found, for the 48" fixtures the highest wattage you can get is 40W for normal bulbs. You can get 60W for the high output bulbs, but I've never used those so I'm not sure about them. So that gives you either 80W or 120W total for your lighting. I only used this type of light on a 55 gallon so far and it's 48" wide so it fit perfectly. I'm not sure if the fixtures didn't reach each end of the tank if it would give you too much shadowing on the sides or not.
Your best bet would probably be to get one double 48" fixture and temp mount it in your canopy before you complete it and see if it gives out enough light in the tank to satisfy you. It's only going to be 6" from each end if you center it, so it may look fine.
One dual 48" fixture shouldn't put out very much heat, I don't have any problems with heat on mine. If I were building a canopy anyway, I'd probably invest the few bucks it would take to put fans on each end of it just to be sure. Plus if you decide to upgrade your lighting later, you'll have fans already in place.