Question about aquarium light and tank strength

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!
S

stubborn

AC Members
Apr 23, 2009
23
0
0
I know that plants etc require special lighting and Coralife light fixtures are recommended for such. Those fixtures are expensive also.

So why not just put a 6700K or more light and fit it in a regular flourescent aquarium hood which comes at a fraction of the price of the Coralife fixtures?
Is it not possible to do so? Just trying to understand...

I got a 55 gallon glass tank whose bottom is really not desinged to rest on a surface. The hinges on the bottom edges are what rests on the surface while the glass seems with no other support. Isn't it risky loading up this tank?
There is a sticker on the glass bottom that says that glass has been tempered to stand weight. But tempered or not, ain't it too much for a piece of glass to support so much water, decor etc in a 55 gallon when the glass bottom itself is not resting on the surface of aquarium stand? I have the tank filled, but every day this keeps bothering me!

thanks
 
Blown 346

Blown 346

AC Members
Dec 7, 2008
676
0
16
43
Rockford Illinois
stubborn said:
I know that plants etc require special lighting and Coralife light fixtures are recommended for such. Those fixtures are expensive also.

So why not just put a 6700K or more light and fit it in a regular flourescent aquarium hood which comes at a fraction of the price of the Coralife fixtures?
Is it not possible to do so? Just trying to understand...

I got a 55 gallon glass tank whose bottom is really not desinged to rest on a surface. The hinges on the bottom edges are what rests on the surface while the glass seems with no other support. Isn't it risky loading up this tank?
There is a sticker on the glass bottom that says that glass has been tempered to stand weight. But tempered or not, ain't it too much for a piece of glass to support so much water, decor etc in a 55 gallon when the glass bottom itself is not resting on the surface of aquarium stand? I have the tank filled, but every day this keeps bothering me!

thanks
Click to expand...

You can go buy a 6700K daylight bulb and use it, but the tank depth and the type of plants will determine if just one light is enough.

I went out to Menards and bought 2 4 foot Flourescent fixtures with 2 6700 Daylight bulbs for my 90. You could do the same and not have to worry about going with C02.



The tank and stand are made to suppport the weight of the tank not the glass. Where the tank sits on the stand, the stand is taking all the weight form the tank, and distributing it through the top of the stand to the bottom. My 125 gallon is the same way, as my 90. Both tanks were used as reef tanks and weighed over 1200 LBS without issues for over 8 years.
 
F

fishorama

AC Members
Jun 28, 2006
12,701
2,132
200
SF Bay area, CA
Bulbs come in different size & different bases. The stock hood size is often T-8 or T-12, those 2 have the same pin base & are usually interchangable. Both come in different color ratings, 6500, etc.

Many of the Coralife fixtures take T-5 or Power compact (PC) bulbs & each have a different base & cannot go in a T-8 fixture (well, without replacing the socket & ballast). Both of these can put a bit more light into the tank at similar wattages than T-8. The T# refers to the diameter in 1/8 inch increments, T-12= 12/8= 1.5 inches.

The other type of fluorescents people use are CFL (compact fluorescent). They are the spiral bulbs that fit screw in incandescent fixtures. Because of the spiral shape not as much light is aimed down into the tank.
 
SubRosa

SubRosa

AC Members
Jul 3, 2009
5,643
1
62
The K value of a bulb refers only to the spectral quality of a light, not the quantity of light produced. You can certainly retrofit different bulbs into an existing housing, but you have to provide a suitable ballast and endcaps. I recently retrofitted 2 x 54W T5HO bulbs into an AGA 48" Twintube housing. I replaced the ballast with a Workhorse unit, (#5) and added two prs of waterproof endcaps. Including the bulbs total cost was about $80, but you could save maybe $20 by using standard endcaps. My fixture is over an open top tank so I needed the waterproof units.
 
dmann

dmann

water logged
Jun 19, 2009
241
0
0
43
florida
i wouldnt worry about the bottom glass, thats what they are engineered for. as long as your not filling it with bowling balls youll be alright. lol
 
SubRosa

SubRosa

AC Members
Jul 3, 2009
5,643
1
62
dmann said:
i wouldnt worry about the bottom glass, thats what they are engineered for. as long as your not filling it with bowling balls youll be alright. lol
Click to expand...
Wrong! As long as you gently place the bowliing balls in the tank you'll be fine!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store
Top Bottom