Why do small aquariums all come with incandesent fixtures?

[TeaPea]

I hadn't even realized that my new 5 gallon had an incandesent until I was putting it together. The light looks too dim, I asked lfs guy if I could get a higher wattage and he said it would get way too hot. So my question is why do all of the small hoods come with incandesent when it gets hot, whereas the larger ones use florescent which don't? I see no benefit to incandesent at all, do you? :(

[OrionGirl]

Pretty sure it's cost related. I have a 5 here at work, and I can put at max a 25 watt incandescent bulb in there. Still, it gets good ambient light, but the plants are exploding in there with just a 20 watt bulb. I run it on a timer, and haven't had any problems with heat.

[GulfCstAquarian]

I've put those 15w compact fluorescent bulbs in an incandescent fixture but you'll definitely need to vent it somehow to keep heat from building up. I cut a few extra slots, but you could just lift the back end a quarter of an inch to let some air out.

[TeaPea]

Gulf that sounds too scary for me! Don't know if a little more light in my aquarium is worth risking burning the house down! ;) . Are you sure what you're doing is safe?

[Heady]

Heh, why did my 100 gallon tank come with 2 fixtures with only 1 24" fluorescent bulb each?? ... 40 watts for 100 gallons??

[TKOS]

I use one 15watt CF screw in bulb in my 10 gallon and 1 regular incand. light bulb. They both seem to throw off about the same amount of heat for me. I switch the bulbs around once a week so the plants don't all start bending one way. Plenty of growth going on.:cool:

[TeaPea]

Is there anyway to change the fixture in the hood? (Keep in mind I"m no electrician);)

[OrionGirl]

You can get conversion kits, but on a tank that small, it's probably cheaper to just go buy a new light strip and canopy. DIY with a new ballast and such would require fiddling with splices and such. I recall someone mentioning flourescent screw ins at Home Depot--that might be a better option.

[125gJoe]

Flourescents run off "ballasts" (transformer). Incandescents run straight off of 110volts. They ARE NOT interchangeable. :eek:

http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL59/715239/1510346/21630973.jpg

[OrionGirl]

No, but there are flourescent screw in bulbs that can be used in incandescent sockets. This was discussed in DIY not that long ago.

[125gJoe]

OrionGirl, yes there is, but one should never attempt to do their own DIY adaptions (mix and try to match up) of fixtures...

[TeaPea]

Joe, how the heck did you get that picture to look like that? Or is it REAL??? :D

[kveeti]

TeaPea, there are 5 gallons that come with fluourescent, I have seen them, but much too $$$ for my liking. I had a 5 gallon incandescent and put in a 11-watt screw-in fluorescent bulb on just 1 side. Now I use that on top of glass for my quarantine tank.

This is how I switched my betta's tank to fluorescent. First, is the part with the lighting separate from the rest of the hood? (In mine it was, but in my 10 gallon it is all 1 molded piece). Anyhow I just bought a cheapo fluorescent at Wal-Mart, it has a 12" tube, 8 watts, and I just lay it across the glass where the old fixture used to sit. The problem left is the glare from the light shining in my eyes. I cut a piece of black plastic to stand up and hide it. It doesn't look fantastic, but it was very cheap and easy. But buying the screw-in fluourescent is even cheaper and easier.

http://members.shaw.ca/kveeti/im1762.jpg

Next, with the black plastic:
http://members.shaw.ca/kveeti/im1764.jpg

[TeaPea]

Thanks Kveeti. As for the screw in flourescents, is there any drawbacks to using them in an incandescent fixture and is it totally safe? Also, do fish stores carry the screw in florescents or do I have to go to home depot?

:confused: Thanks everyone for enlightening me on this lighting stuff.

[OrionGirl]

http://www.nolico.com/saveenergy/

These bulbs are designed to go in a standard incandescent socket. There's no mix and match, other than making sure you stay within the posted max wattage, as with either type of bulb. I wasn't aware they existing either, but they are there, and fairly inexpensive. I doubt many pet stores will carry them, and you will want to get the measurements so you don't get a bulb that is too fat and touches the sides of the canopy.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by TeaPea
Joe, how the heck did you get that picture to look like that? Or is it REAL??? :D It's not real... I'm just making a point that when it comes to electricity, read, and know exactly what is going on. :)

[TeaPea]

Good advice Joe, and I would add that it's important to be ESPECIALLY carefull when playing with electricity that is mounted on top of a big thing of water!

Orion girl, those bulbs would never fit under 5g hood, I hope they make long skinny ones too...I'll have to take a ride to Home Depot and check them out! Thanks!

[Molino]

I recently bought some screw in compact flourescents, but am not sure if I will use them yet. They do "just" fit into the canopy for my 10 gal.

However I'm not sure if the lighting would work well for a planted tank. The only ones I managed to find (which fit) are 13 watt "mini spiral" with 3000K and 800 lumens. It's my understanding plants prefer a higher "K", but I've seen lights for sale at the LFS with 2800K that say they are ideal for planted tanks?

[TKOS]

I know that 1 of those screw in CF is doing great in my tank. It is a 15 watt spiral and mu plants are growing fine with just the addition of a little liquid plant food once a week. I move the bulb each week to the other side so the plants don't all lean one way. I can't fit 2 in at a time due to the space under my hood.

[Molino]

For those of you who do have compact flourescent "screw in" bulbs, what are the specs? Have you managed to find any higher than 3000K?

[125gJoe]

Here's another pic of the 'screw in' type...

http://www.diynet.com/DIY/mmo/HES-105/hes105_3fj.jpg

And here's a link with full spectrum lights! ParaLite Full Spectrum CFL (http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/compact.htm)

[kveeti]

Originally posted by Molino
For those of you who do have compact flourescent "screw in" bulbs, what are the specs? Have you managed to find any higher than 3000K?

Can't seem to find them. The ones I use are 2700K. The 5000K seem to be available just at home hardware stores in the U.S. from what I've read here in the past, but neither Rona (Revy) nor Home Hardware here carries them.

This is actually what we are looking for:
http://www.1000bulbs.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=3799

I emailed them and they said, yes, they would ship to Canada but the cost would be very high. I figure I'll just wait, they will be stocked here eventually.

80gJoe - yes, I can find ones that look like that but not the high enough K rating. There are even screw-ins that have 2 straight tubes side-by-side, again low K.

Pic of the straight tubes, that I use (they are narrower and fit better in the smaller tank hoods):
http://www.lighting.philips.com/nam/feature/marathon/specialty.php

[125gJoe]

Hi kveeti,

Go to the link I found in the above post. They have 5500K that should work fine... :)

[kveeti]

Yes, but not if it has to be shipped to Canada. Plus the added Customs charge just to "check" the package.... and exchange....

[bizzy928]

I just checked out my canopy and the incandescent can't house the CF. It will only work if I remove the silver reflector.

Do you remove the silver reflector?

[BluEyes]

yes, remove the metal reflector. Depending on what CF light you have, though, you might be able to get away just cutting one side off, and leave the back/top of the reflector intact (stops as much light going out the top of the hood)
I have done this with two incandescent 10g hoods which both have 2x15W CF now, happily lighting a 15g, and a 20L.

As for the heat issue - you are replacing a 25W bulb with a 15W one - there's less heat. BUT, there's more light because flourescents are more efficient.
Either way, not enough to burn the house down here...

When you're looking at the wattage, look at the "uses XX watts" part on the label - not the "replaces a XX watt bulb". The "replaces" part is how bright an incandescent light it will replace.

On the spectrum, yes, they might not be the 'ideal' spectrum, but my plants don't seem to mind a bit. Also, even with the spectrum being off, the CF's are still WAY batter than an incandescent.

[bizzy928]

If you cut offthe sides of the reflectors, you run the risk of overheating and melting the side of your light fixture. Yes, they give off less heat, but since you are lacking the reflector right now, you are actually increasing the chances of heat damage :(

I would really like to try this method, but I don't have extra metal reflectors to modify.

[Molino]

WOW that's bright! I put the two 13 watt CFs on my 10 gallon. I think I'll need to set up a CO2 or the algea will likely get out of control. Until then I'll use my old lights.

Is it really true that screw in CFs do not get as hot as regular bulbs?

[bizzy928]

Originally posted by Molino

Is it really true that screw in CFs do not get as hot as regular bulbs?

Yes because you are running a combined total of 26watts with cf's compared to 50 watts.

[BluEyes]

Originally posted by bizzy928
If you cut offthe sides of the reflectors, you run the risk of overheating and melting the side of your light fixture.

in 1 1/2 years with CF's in there, not a problem. One hood has no reflectors, the other has partials.
In the middle of the vents along the top, the plastic has sagged a tiny bit, but it has been this way for quite some time, and not getting worse. Overall, I'd say the hood is much cooler than it was before with incandescents. Remember, there's about 20W less heat in there!

[skeletalmachine]

One should keep in mind, however, that wattage is not an indication of heat output, only energy consumption. A bulb/fixtures heat output would depend on it's efficiency, be it incandescent, flourescent, metal hallide, or what have you.

It would seem to me that flourescent bulbs put out less heat per watt than incandescent.

[Molino]

That makes a lot of sense skeletalmachine. If the incandescents are less efficient in terms of the amount of light they put out per watt that means the energy must be going elsewhere (ie heat). Thanks everyone.

[GulfCstAquarian]

I found this bulb at my local Home Depot. It is 6500K and a lot cleaner and less yellow than the 4100K bulb I had on there before. My Rotala and Sunset Hygro also has a lot more red pigmentation since switching. They're only $7, suitable for use in an enclosure, and they're 19 watts! Just one of these puppies would be enough for a 10g tank but I have two on my 15g.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=53447
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=53707