From what I've read, incandescent lights can be used to light refugiums, and may even be desirable. Would a 300 watt halogen flood light work for fuge lighting? They have them for $8 at wally world.
'Fuge Lighting
- Thread starter ChicoRaton
- Start date
Just get an even cheaper work light that uses regular old 100w light bulbs.
I could not get macros to grow to save my life and I was using a small CoralLife strip light with 50/50 power compacts. I must have purchased four clumps of all different kinds and they all just melted.
Finally in desperation I stuck an old clip on worklight on there, and now I am throwing chaeto out by the handful.
I could not get macros to grow to save my life and I was using a small CoralLife strip light with 50/50 power compacts. I must have purchased four clumps of all different kinds and they all just melted.
Finally in desperation I stuck an old clip on worklight on there, and now I am throwing chaeto out by the handful.
Awesome. I already got the 300 watt floodlight, and it says it can take up to a 500 watt bulb, but I think 300 will be plenty. I think I'm going to just stick with this light... it was only $8, came with the bulb, has a built in parabolic reflector, and looks purdier than a work light 
Plus it's brighter! hopefully I'll have water in this tank in the next few days
OFF TOPIC but did you know you have to be 18 to buy spray paint at wal-mart?! same with PVC cement! This project is going to get expensive if I keep having to buy supplies across the street at the hardware store!
Plus it's brighter! hopefully I'll have water in this tank in the next few daysOFF TOPIC but did you know you have to be 18 to buy spray paint at wal-mart?! same with PVC cement! This project is going to get expensive if I keep having to buy supplies across the street at the hardware store!
Wal-Mart is just a weird store.
I shop there because it is the only 24 hour store near me (I like to go really early) but some of their policies are Victorian.
I shop there because it is the only 24 hour store near me (I like to go really early) but some of their policies are Victorian.
It depends what spectrum the bulb is... heres a link to a thread on anohter site talking about a bulb for a refugium. They got it at homedepot, it's 9.89, I bought it last night... its 19watts which is equivilant to 75watts halogen, and its 6500K which will grow whatever youwanted to put in a sump really well.
Light Bulb
Light Bulb
exactly. If you're 17 you have to go down the road to the hardware store and pay $2 extra to huff spray paint. spray paint is legal in idaho, except at wally world.
And the bulb is incandescent, not fluorescent. It's a 300w t3 halogen bulb. But it was $8 and I see lots of people with incandescent fuge lights. If my macroalgae explodes I guess I'll know I did something wrong...
And the bulb is incandescent, not fluorescent. It's a 300w t3 halogen bulb. But it was $8
and I see lots of people with incandescent fuge lights. If my macroalgae explodes I guess I'll know I did something wrong...
I'm not saying it wont work, i'm just saying that people have called the companies to find out what spectrum the lighting was, to get the ''Best'' spectrum for photosynth. for algae growth. I bought that so I wouldn't have to guess, but theres like what 25pages of replies of people buying different lights and their spectrums and stuff.
I won't wade into the spectrum debate, but my complaint about incandescent/halogen is the heat. They put out about 25% of the watts of an equivalent fluorescent bulb, so you're getting essentially 75 watts of light with 300 watts of electricity use and heat. If you go to the local hardware store and get a 19 watt PC flood (or two) for $10 each, it will save energy and you can put it right over the surface without worrying about heat. I am using two over my ~8 gallon fuge and I can't get rid of the chaeto fast enough.
