Time to get lights

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superjohnny

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Dec 18, 2002
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I think I've about read myself to death. I've been searching and searching and reading some really great articles. The Krib has a good lighting article (though I couldn't figure out their calculation).

I have been a little worried because I have a 'show' tank that is 24" tall. I think I'm going to forget about exact calculations and just go with the 2-3 watts/gallon and figure that I have a little padding if I have more watts since there is more room for the light to escape before getting to the plants. Maybe later, once I get a better understanding I can fine tune that a bit. So I need between 90-135watts of light.

My tank is 36" long, 12" deep and 24" tall. My hood is roughly big enough to hold 1 light fixture that can be 33.5" long and 2.5" wide. So I need to find a fixture that holds two 45-65w light bulbs and isn't too thick. From my trip to Home Depot today I found 28" light strips, but I can't fit two of them under my hood :( 28" isn't long enough to cover the entire length of my tank.

I don't know what to do. To make things worse I have a very limited budget. Any ideas, suggestions or thoughts?

Here is a pic of my tank if that helps :)
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fish_tank_2.jpg

PS if you're thinking of setting up a plant tank get one that can hold 4' lights... you have a ton of options

<edit> Maybe I should get a different cheapo plastic hood that's a little wider? Home Depot sells 28" "Aquarium lights" for $25. They have 3050K bulbs (F20/T12 size didn't say wattage). At $25 that just felt luke warm to me so I didn't buy.
 
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Here is a DIY site for lighting they have several different setups
http://www.kingvinnie.dynip.com/aquaria/diy/links_page.asp?cat=24
The only other thing that I can think of is going to a Compact Florisent (darn.. I wish I could spell:( ) Or you could put a new Hood on your fish tank. I am not sure what is ment by a limited budget. (When I have a limited budget, I have my wife along:D )
 
My understanding of normal output flourescent (NO) is that the bulb length roughly equals the wattage. You won't be able to find a 45-65w 36" bulb. Compact flourescent is basically the same lighting, just smaller. The 36w CF is a little smaller than 18" -- you can fit more into the same space.

If you're interested in Compact Flourescent, I'd check out AHSupply -- they have very good equipment at very good prices. They have a reflector that is 34.5" long, 4" wide, and 2" tall. You should be able to mount that inside the casing you have in the picture, with the ballast mounted on back. You could fit 2x36 watts, or even better 1x96w. You order the bulbs separately, for planted I'd get either the 5000k or the 6700k bulbs. The whole thing'll cost about a $100 plus maybe $10-15 shipping. With the bulbs in the reflector I can't really look straight at the 2x36w I wired up last week.
 
how about using a 95 watt VHO daylight bulb?

all youd need is the bulb and an electronic ballast.

Might cost you a little more upfront, but I think its a pretty good solution.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate your thoughts. I was checking out AHsupply yesterday...

Check out this picture. Here's a quote "The photo above shows a 1 x 96w Bright Kit and a 96w bulb installed in the shell of a 36" twin-tube light strip." So to make that kit work with my hood I'll need a 36" twin-tube light strip as well?

The kit contains:
one 12 ounce solid-state electronic ballast (8.5"L x 1.7"W x 1"H);
one 34.5 inch long, multi-angle MIRO 4 polished aluminum reflector;
one 4-pin Gy10q socket;
two steel bulb holders;
one grounding power cord;
wirenuts, splice taps and screws needed for installation;
optional-use pop-in vent covers, snap bushing, cord strain relief bushing, cord clamp and threaded nylon spacers

Wouldn't it be easier to get these at Home Depot and just order the reflector for $16?

Thanks guys :)
 
That case, shell, hood thing is the same thing as you already have on top of your tank, no?. If you can fit the 34.5x4x2 reflector inside, plus a little extra height and a little extra length that will work fine.

I think the 1x96w kit comes with a Fulham Workhorse 5 ballast. After a quick browse around the web, that's a $35 ballast. You might be able to knock a few bucks off that locally, who knows? So say ballast and reflector is $50. There is no way you could put the rest of it together for $10. You'd have a hard time putting this kit together for a lower price.

I just got a call from them concerning a 1x13 kit I'm having trouble with. Sounds to him like a bad bulb… he sending out a new one on Monday. They're still closed for the holidays, but he was returning the messages people had left. Great price, great product, great service. You really can't beat them with a stick. And if I sound like a true-believer its not just me…
 
I still think you should just buy a 95 watt VHO bulb, and a fulham workhorse 5 ballast.

It should only cost you around $50-$60 for both. You already have the endcaps and reflector for the VHO bulb.

Besides, VHO bulbs look better and arent as fragile.
 
Ok either way 96w is about right. Do the ballast & lights have to match? Would it be possible to put a 55w light or 120w light (if there were such a thing) in that ballast or do I need to use the same wattage light each time?

Would 1 96w lamp be better than 2 55w lamps?

slipknottin I don't know if that would fit in my current strip light (takes an F8 T16 20w bulb). Could I just replace the ballast, light & endcaps?

Educating myself about lighting has been no small task. Ironically I come from a computer background with a passion for hardware, but I know next to nothing about ballasts & lighting. 2 different things entirely yet still both all about electronics.

BIG Thank you to both of you guys... muchos gracias amigos!
 
so currently you have a 24" bulb?

that would be a 75 watt VHO bulb retro.

See if you have enough room for a bulb thats 1 1/2" in diameter.
 
The problem with the 2x55w solution, at least as far as CF, is the length. The 36w works for multiples of 18", the 55w for 24s, the 96w for 36s". If you had a 48" tank the 55s would be ideal.

Your current bulb is 24" but the hood is 36", no? So you'd have room for either 95/96w setup? Does your current reflector run the full length? I think the AH reflector really makes a difference. I don't know about Slip's VHO (Very High Output Flourescent), so I don't really understand how the endcaps are going to play, but I think the T16s are that fat (1.5"), no? Should work.

The ballasts are basically the powerpacks: they're rated for up to a given wattage. With the bigger ballast you should be able to drive either setup. The Workhorse 5 is for up to 110 or 120w. The Workhorse 7 is for after that.
 
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