shop light canopy

I forget that allot of you folks with heavily planted aquariums have topless setups where a big metal shop light suspended on its chains would be ideal especially with the amount of bulbs and wattage.

Never experienced the heavy planted aquarium, no knack for it, but marvel over what I have seen other can create some spectacular looking green lagoons.
 
CWO4GUNNER said:
I forget that allot of you folks with heavily planted aquariums have topless setups where a big metal shop light suspended on its chains would be ideal especially with the amount of bulbs and wattage.

Never experienced the heavy planted aquarium, no knack for it, but marvel over what I have seen other can create some spectacular looking green lagoons.
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Actually some of us use glass canopy lids to seal in the precious co2, my homedepot fixture light mod sits right on top! Hard to see it but that's my point, it actually doesn't look half bad. 'Course I painted it black to match the tank trim and stand. This tank is still 'growing out' after being completely rebuilt and replanted etc. Do you see the three rotalla just starting to grow taller than the driftwood on the right? Those were 3 inch shoots a few weeks ago! And check out the jungle val... this pic is 5 days old and half of that val is growing horizontally at the top of the water now. The little bundle of bacopa in the front left... just 5 days ago here, are now doubled in height one just two inches from the koralia. It's really amazing growth, yeah I had to spend a little extra for the bigger ballast but it's still no where near what I'd have spent on a t5 or H.O. fixture. I'm sure a two bulb t5 or t5ho would do as well, probably better, but I did this on the cheap to get me going until I can afford it. To OP: shop light? yes! go for it.


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I don't know why but I find a DIY alternative much more appealing then the status-quo, there is something powerful in being able to accomplish pretty much the same thing on your own terms and at a fraction of the cost.

Oh by the way very attractive aquaria scape with the dip and the light green back ground which blends so well with the plants.
 
CWO4GUNNER said:
I don't know why but I find a DIY alternative much more appealing then the status-quo, there is something powerful in being able to accomplish pretty much the same thing on your own terms and at a fraction of the cost.

Oh by the way very attractive aquaria scape with the dip and the light green back ground which blends so well with the plants.
Click to expand...

I can agree with the fun and reward in DIY stuff.

Thank you, by the way, for the kind words. I try really hard on this tank and all I usually hear is "why didn't you paint it black". Just something about an all black background ( I used to have it black ) just seemed so unatural when the lights were on. I mixed up this color myself in an attempt to reproduce the same color that I saw one day while swimming in the Banana River on a sunny Florida day. It could've been more accurate if it was more greenish, but I knew to keep it on the bluer side so as to not lose plant contrast all together.

Here's a pic I just took that shows the fixture better, the light it puts out, and the plant growth from it. compare to above pic from 6 days prior to see growth.

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If help with wiring is needed, I am very good at it (professional nerd and wiring guru ;))
 
Hey Ty,
i have my shop light over the tank like that too.
What are the two lt. brown things under or in front of the light?
 
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