Biocube 32

[EOD]

Hey everyone! I picked up one of those old biocube 32s off my neighbor's curb and the lights don't work. I even tried replacing the bulbs so the ballasts are likely the issue. I've done some research and I see you can just buy the new 29LED lid but the light is puts out would likely not be sufficient for a planted tank, which is what I intend to do. I've also considered buying one of those led bars and just removing the mount and placing it into the lid but I don't want to waste any money getting something that won't fit. Does anyone have experience with these older biocubes and fitting them with planted lights without removing the lid? I don't like how it looks without its lid and I just want working lights, preferably LED (power consumption/heat). Advice?

 

[dougall]

No specific experience with the biocube or the lighting

But I'm not sure why you don't think the replacement lid with LEDs would be insufficient for a planted aquarium... They might not be the best spectrum to look at, but they are designed to grow corals which would be really need more light... It's all a question of what sort of plants you want to grow..

I would think anything LED you could get to fit under the lid (after ripping out the PC bulbs and reflectors) wouldn't generate as much heat as the old bulbs... You would just need to make sure that the lights didn't fall into the water, or had decent ventilation if you mounted them directly to the inside of the lid..

They are good aquariums, if a little dated now, but I know a few folks who love them for planted aquariums