Questions on lighting upgrade

[Mr.Newb]

I currently have the regular fluorescent lighting. (The 15W ones)

I want to upgrade but I don't know should i go for the compact fluorescent or the t5/t12 lighting.

the things that I'm going to take into consideration is

1. The electricity bill cost

2. bulb life expectancy

3. maintenance level

I am a very stupid man, for stepping into this high cost hobby.

[colinsk]

What size tank do you have and why are you wanting to upgrade? Do you have handyman skills?

[sleepyskater]

I remember someone saying that shoplights were cheap but really good.
:D

[DAVIDFBT]

They are cheap, but they should be the last resort if you're planning on lighting up a tank and don't have much money. I'm really a fan of compact fluorescents, they have more light in less space because they are doubled over and they can be seperated with different colors on each half.

[redfishblewfish]

The “plant” people will probably smack me for this, but all my freshwater tanks have Home Depot regular, run-of-the-mill, cheap, fluorescent fixtures running full spectrum bulbs. The bulbs cost more than the fixtures…and they are great. My plants are looking fantastic and growing like mad. Not bad for a 10 – 15 dollar fixture.

I do have one Coralife fixture that needs two new bulbs (compact fluorescents). I haven’t replacement them because of the costs per bulb and the frequency that they need to be replaced. It seems that I was blowing a bulb every 3 – 5 months. Just too expensive to replace them at approximately 30 clams a piece, can’t afford it. That fixture is back in its box and stored in my basement.

I will tell you that my saltwater tank has an overpriced twin IceCap ballast (2 of them), six bulb retrofit T5 system on it. I like it, but you’re looking at 500+ dollars for an over priced light fixture. Doesn’t make sense for fresh water. Don’t need all that overdriven light, not to mention the additional cost for electricity.

[colinsk]

I considered CFLs and I decided this would be faster for me since I would not have to go to the hardware store five times. :o

http://www.ahsupply.com/

[Philosophos]

You know, it really depends on what you want to do with your tank. What kind of plants are you wanting to keep? If you're looking for the light levels to do high end plants, then you're going to find money coming out of your pocket for things like new substrate and co2

On the other hand, if you're going mid-light requirement plants, then that's a bit different. You can buy a CF light and replace the bulb much less frequently if you go this route. A bit of flourish excel can be a wonderful thing with the right stock list, maybe some other ferts which can be done DIY for pretty cheap.

[Hairechest]

A friend gave me an Eclipse tank, and after thinking it through, I put another cheap florescent fixture in - just crammed it in there for now. Eventually I will just hot glue it to the top of the hood and zip ties. It actually works now I have double the light, and my plants finally are putting on new growth.

[jm1212]

i have had good experiences with Coralife CFL fixtures. the bulbs may be a bit more expensive than T8's, T12's, or T5's, but you get a higher output in the same space