need a new hood - lighting fixture

[LMOUTHBASS]

ok guys i have a 55g made by topfin - it has two seperate hoods -each balast (sp?) holds at most like a 17 watt bulb which is of course not really good for lighting for live plants -
i'm looking online for a new hood but need help - i have no clue what i'm looking for - can you give me some suggestions - i guess i need a new hood - does the lighting thingie come with the hood - (balast) - what type of wattage capability shoul i be looking into?
thanks
ps i mainly keep low light plants but want more light so i can get other types - plus i think my lighting is low even for low light plants

[LMOUTHBASS]

i just have to buy a glass top and then the lighting fixture which i think is called a balast?
help

[Uncle Bete]

here check this place out...
could have all the info you need? maybe

I haven't heard anything bad about'em

http://ahsupply.com/

[LMOUTHBASS]

Uncle! hey if i get one of those lighting kits on that site do you just get one that will fit in your hood? or do you just get a glass glass canopy and plop the lighting kit on top of it?
or do i have to get a whole new hood as well?
i stink at this stuff and don't know much about hoods or lighting fixtures - is this fixture that holds the light called a ballast? if so they are made to be able to safely generate a certain amount of wattage right?
thanks the bass

[bobalston]

Or you could buy a glass top for your tank - if you need it. Then you can get strip lights from various internet fish stores. My 55 had the original strip light. I kept it - 40 watts - and added a compact fluorescent. See what kinds of options are currently available.

Bob

[Uncle Bete]

Ok, I think we should start over here :)

That site(AHSupply) is more of a DIY type place.
I'm somewhat of a DYI guy, but I don't do electrical, so most of my DYI is making filters etc. out of plexi-glass.
Although I did make a canopy thing(wood, painted black) for my 30 gallon and used a pre-wired ready to go 2 light system so I didn't have think about the wiring.

Is your top like this? (plastic, don't mind the brand just the way its made)
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3780&Ne=40000&R=5324&N=2004+113030

or do you have "glass" on top of the tank and something that looks like this sitting on the glass?
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3773&Ne=40000&R=5302&N=2004+113030

If you have the glass tops, you could get one of these(above^) and set it on there and you'd be set.

If yours is plastic, you could see about getting the glass tops + one of these and your set.

My definitions ;)

Glass Tops: the glass that sit's right on top of aquarium.

Canopy: The big wood or acrylic thing that sits on top of the tank (above the glass tops) that makes people go, ewwww, ahhhh.. thats nice! :D

Hood: The plastic thing in the first link above.

[lee914]

Call your LFS and ask if they carry a 1 piece hood for a 55 and then you can add a 48" light strip or you can get the 2 piece glass tops and add a light strip as well.

[LMOUTHBASS]

thanks for taking the time to help me out guys!
I have a plastic hood - you know just the regular old hood that comes with the tank - my 55 came with two hoods it's a dual hood thingie - the lights in the hood are only like 18 watts each - thats all the lighting fixture that is part of the hood can safely handle - so i want better lighting so i think i have to get a new hood that has a lighting fixture that can safely handle higher wattage - so this is where i get confused mainly because i don't know the names of all these parts i guess - ok -
so i can either-
1 - buy a hood with a lighting fixture in it that handles higher wattage

2 - buy a glass top to cover my tank and then buy a lighting fixture to sit on top of the glass that will handle higher wattage

3 - get a balast ? what is a balast?


i think i'm on the right track - how much wattage shoul i be looking for - i know i don't want an ultra bright tank just something where i ca get more than just low light plants to grow -

if i get the hood that has a light already in it do they make one that can handle decent wattage - i was poking around foster and smith and had no clue what i was looking for -


whats the best route? maybe just get a galss top and throw a lighting fixture on it instead?


i'm sorry i stink with this stuff - but your help is really helping me out!
thanks
LMB

[bobalston]

A ballast is an electrical component of a fluorescent light. Forget about it.

Yes, get a glass top that fully covers your 55 gallon tank. YOu can get at www.bigals.com and other online retailers.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3790&D=glass%20tops&R=5537&Ntt=glass%20tops&Ntk=All&Dx=mode+matchallany&Ntx=mode+matchallany&Np=1&N=0&Nty=1

You should look to get at least 2 watts per gallon. You can go up to 3 wpg (what I have) but not much more.

Consider power compact strip lights
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3806&D=lights&R=5487&Ntt=lights&Dx=mode+matchallany&Ntk=All&Nao=9&Ntx=mode+matchallany&Np=1&N=0&Nty=1

or twin tube standard fluorescent
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3800&D=lights&R=5440&Ntt=lights&Dx=mode+matchallany&Ntk=All&Nao=9&Ntx=mode+matchallany&Np=1&N=0&Nty=1

or triple tube standard fluorescent
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9869&D=lights&R=15468&Ntt=lights&Dx=mode+matchallany&Ntk=All&Nao=27&Ntx=mode+matchallany&Np=1&N=0&Nty=1

YOu need to figure out the total watts in each and see how close that is to what you want.

Bob

[lee914]

For more flexibility, I would buy the glass top and put the lights on top of it and you evan place them whereever you want that way.

You can also go to Home Depot and buy a dual 48" shop light for $26, bulbs are only $5 for daylight aqaurium bulbs there, make sure it is T12 bulbs and just wire a simple outlet to the plug, you of course would want to make a simple canopy to hold it, just glue and screw some 1x6 together and stain or paint it and you have a $250 canopy for only $60 or so.

[DIYMatt]

how much of a DIYer are you LMOUTHBASS? You can use your current Topfin strip lights and retrofit 2 55w kits from AHSUPPLY.com. Many people on these boards have done that successfully including djlen. THis would give you 2 wpg of good lighting for the least expense, IMO. You could grow most plants well and not have to stay on top of everything like you would with higher lighting. IMO- to get the same lighting from regular T12 flourescent shoplights you would need at least 4 bulbs. And thats not figuring in the added efficency of the AHSupply reflector. Also, Ahsupply has excellent customer service and they may even include directions an to install in your hood. Right on the 36-55w bright kit page they show a 55w retro kit installed in a strip light like yours heres the pic: http://www.ahsupply.com/images/1x55wmrretro2.jpg
Heres the link to the page:
[url]http://www.ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm[url]
If djlen can do it......;)

To get the same lighting you would to do almost as much work getting a prebulit light to work on your tank and spend twice as much money. Just my two cents

[LMOUTHBASS]

thank you again this is all VERY helpful to me! ok so i think my best bet might be to buy an all glass top for a 55g and then pick out a lighting fixture to sit on top of it that will throw of sufficient light - about 2-3 watts per gallon - sound right? (shoul i be getting flourescent lighting?)
also an all glass top will it have like a section that lifts up like hoods do - you know so i can feed the fish or do i have to take the whole thing off anytime i need to get into my tank?
thanks again to all
lmb

[LMOUTHBASS]

not a DYI - hahaha sorry - i thought using anything from current hood is out of the question as the fixture can only safely use like 17 watts or so - the strip light - is this the actual light or the fixture you screw the lights into? i think my main problem is i'm not sure what the names of half of these things are! if any one can give me a breakdown such as hood lighting fixture is called a ------- that might help too - thanks

[LMOUTHBASS]

update - ihave decided to get a 48 inch glass canopy by perfecto from foster and smith it's 21.99 so thats affordable - now i only have ot find a lighting fixture to sit on this canopy - am i looking for a hood? or just a lighting fixture? i'm confused again - can you suggest something to me that will throw off the 2-3 watts per gal i am looking for ? i am trying to shop at foster and smith for this stuff - what exactly is the name of the lighting fixture i'm looking for ? ais it called a strip light or is the strip light just the light - i need the thing that you screw the lights into i need one that will be capable of holding the necessary wattage - i guess i just dont know what im looking for now that ive figured out what type of top im going to get
help
thanks

[tomm10]

You are now looking for a light hood. The light fixture is in the hood.

All Glass compact Flourescents (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3773&Ne=40000&R=5299&ref=3055&subref=AQ&N=2004+113030)

That's a compact flourescent which is a little more powerful in terms of the useful light it puts out than a standard flourescent. Technically the twin 55w setup gets you to 2 WPG but really its probably even better than that.

I think the only thing more affordable is to go down to Home Depot or Lowes, buy two double flourecent shop lights and build a simple wood box canopy around them.

[LMOUTHBASS]

ok thanks for the link ! so i could get the all glass canopy and just plop that hood-lighting fixture shown in the above link right on top ?
souns like a plan to me!!!



my only other thought was to get two 24 inch lighting fixtures that would replace the iones inmy current hood?


whats a better route? are glass canopipes better?

[tomm10]

Yeah, you should be able to plop the double 55 CF fixture on top of the glass canopy. That's the method to follow if you want to minimize the DIY aspect.

[DIYMatt]

ok thanks for the link ! so i could get the all glass canopy and just plop that hood-lighting fixture shown in the above link right on top ?

Does you tank have a center brace? If so, did you verify the dimensions and that it wouls fit. That 48" canopy you bought would not work on my 55's.


my only other thought was to get two 24 inch lighting fixtures that would replace the ones in my current hoods?

Thats what I was talking about with the AHsupply option in my earlier post. Basically you take all the guts out of your current lights leaving just the outside plastic hood and replace it with the 55w CF retro-kit from ahsupply. Its not that difficult, but does require some basic carpentry skills and tools. It would be the best price/output option IMO.

[anonapersona]

If you are really not handy with a drill and wire strippers (that plus a screwdriver is all you need to retrofit into the existing plastic strip) then look at PetSupplyLiquidators. They have strips and hoods of every sort. Reasonable prices, bulbs too.

Some tanks I have the original hood with a retrofit inside the strip, be sure the light has glass between it and the tank. Others I have a glass top with lights on top.

PS the ballast is a silver rectangular box about 5"x1.5"x0.75" that is inside the light strip, probably hidden by the plastic inserts. On the AHS site you can see the actual ballast and see how it can be mounted on the outside of the striplight housing if you need to.

[lee914]

I bought a glass top for me 75 and instead of paying $50 for the 48" strip light, Lowes had a 48" dual shop light for $7 !! looks incredibley good as well, like it was made for it. Has a nice pollished white curved design on the housing, cant beat it! Fits right on top and plug it in.

[scottracy]

LMOUTHBASS,

What was your final solution for the top fin 55g? I have the same tank and have been researching similar topics concerning glass tops, hoods, and lighting.

Scott