Suggestion on aquarium lighting please?

M

Maquar

AC Members
Nov 28, 2004
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Hi everyone,

I've been searching around the internet trying to find a good light for my 100 gallon plexiglass fish tank. Right now I have 2 generic single 48" fixtures but one is on its way out. I ran across the JEBO 220W 48" COMPACT FLUORESCENT fixture for only $59.00 located Here! . I have some questions about the light though since I really cannot find too much information on the light itself. My fish tank is nothing fancy...just a nice freshwater tank, no living plants, etc. so I'm just looking for something bright. My questions are:

  • Is this light really bright and are the bulbs a standard size I can buy at my local fish store?
  • Can I simply replace the 2 Actinic Blue Bulbs for regular bulbs?
  • Would the 2 Actinic bulbs do my any good? I really don't know much about aquarium lighting.
  • Do you know of any overheating problems with this light? The light would be sitting directly on a 1/4 sheet of plexiglass that covers the openings in the top of the tank.

The looks of the fixture are of no importance to me since the fixture is completely covered by my custom hood. Please remember, the tank is nothing fancy. I'm mainly concerned about how well it will light up the tank and for $59.00 I hope it's a good deal!

Thanks in advance for your reply or suggestions on other lighting,

Mark
 
the jebo lights usually dont last too long and they dont really have good customer service. you can get regular flourescent lights for your tank just get a nice white bulb for it. home depot is also have a sale on some of their compact flourescents. or you can go to ahsupply.com and get a kit to put into your canopy.
 
I was actually thinking about buying some type of light from Home Depot but wasn't quite sure how those lights would deal with being above a fish tank (i.e. moisture, not alot of air flow, etc) since they are made for garages, work areas, etc. You think they would be okay?

Thanks
 
ive run shoplights in an enclosed canopy fine, if you cover up the top of the tank it will be ok.
 
What about heating issues? Do regular shop lights run hotter then actual lights sold for aquariums? By the way..Can you tell me what "Compact Flourescent" bulbs are? I don't recall seeing any small bulbs at Home Depot.

Thanks for your replies and help!
 
heatwise they should be the same. the only difference if any is probably a more watertight endcap and higher price. compact fluorescent is like the jebo one your looking at, they have different ends so you need a special fixture for it or a retrofit kit. they also have the spiral ones you screw into regular sockets, ive had success with those on smaller tanks. you probably want regular flourescent just find one that will produce the whitest light. replacement compact bulbs cost more but they are bright!
 
Okay I have been to both Home Depot and Lowes Stores. I've also called a few places about aquarium lighting. I was told that most regular flourescent bulbs sold at Home Depot, etc. are on the low end of the color spectrum which promotes algae. Then theres the different kinds of fixtures and bulbs (ie. T8, T12) and so on. I've been back and forth between the stores about 4 times now (just having a hard time deciding..lol). The lights I was looking at were T8 and T12 4 row lights, 40 watt fixtures for about $50.00 not including the bulbs. Since I don't know that much about aquarium lighting I figure 4 will be much brighter then having only 2 bulbs.

On the other hand at AH Supply I can get the 2 x 55 watt Bright Kit™ for $64.99 not including bulbs. But after the bulbs and shipping I'll be over $100.00 which I really didnt want to do but if I can get some feedback or recommendations on their products..it may be the route to go. Plus I would actually have "good" light bulbs. My questions are:

Do you think the 2 x 55 watt Bright Kit™ will give off a good amount of light in my 100 gallon tank if I put them end to end to make a 48" light?

How would the light of the 2 x 55 watt Bright Kit™ be compared to the regular fixture from Home Depot with the four 40 watt light bulbs? (that don't have the good color rating)

Which bulbs would you recommend from A H Supply? It seems to me since I want everything "bright" it would be between the 6700k and the 10000k bulbs, correct?

Can I only get replacement bulbs for the 2 x 55 watt Bright Kit™ from A H Supply?

Also I noticed from reading on the A H Supply website that some images of their examples have the end product resulting with the ballast being exposed. Is this safe?

Thanks for your help!

Mark
 
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I picked up 2 of the 40w double T12 bulb shop lights (7.50each) and 6500k bulbs(6.50pair) at Home Depot for my 150g tank. They seem to work great for my cichlids and I don't have to much for algea growth. Stagger the fixtures so they extend the lenth of the tank and you have good light for about 30 bucks. And if it isn't enough than you can always add another fixture or buy higher spectrum bulbs at the LFS.
 
Well the thing is...since I have recently spent quite a bit of money upgrading everything in my tank, I'd like to have the look of that "clear bright" light I see when I go into aquarium stores. It just makes everything look so crisp and nice! Are the 10000k bulbs best for that? And can someone please tell me what the "LFS" is? I've seen people refer to it everywhere here!
 
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I have the 1x55w bright kit from AH supply over a 29 gallon with a 6700K bulb in it and it looks awesome. Everything is so clear and bright. I highly recommend their equipment. Also, the 6700K bulb is very bright. When they describe it as noon sun in a clear sky, they are right on.
 
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