Upgraded lighting for a 29g

T

TJT

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Jan 16, 2005
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I have a 29 gallon tank (30" long) that I am trying to make more suitable for some low-medium light plants. The current light is just the standard fluorescent strip thats rated around 25w, with the standard plastic aquarium cover.

Does anyone have a good idea of what products I should look at? I have found a 30" all-glass versa-top glass lid on drsfosterandsmith.com, and was eyeballing the all-glass 30" power compact (1 bulb, 55 watts) there. I also really liked the look of the Current USA Satellite fixture (1 bulb, 65 watts with lunar lighting) but noticed 2 issues with them. 1 being the bulb it comes with is 10k/actinic blue (my understanding is this is a marine bulb?) and 2 being whether or not it would fit over the all-glass hood fine (would the legs be needed, etc?)

I do have preference to the Current USA due to price and the lunar light, and I assume I could always purchase a standard full-spectrum light if the 50/50 bulb is unsuitable.

Again, I am open to suggestions toward any other products, and hopefully somebody can help clear up some of these issues I mentioned here already.

Thanks in advance,
Tyler
 
Any particular reason the coralife is recommended over the Current USA?
Is either one recommended to put directly on top of a glass cover or would the (sold separately) legs be needed? I have seen power compact fixtures overheat, so I want to be sure of what I'm getting into. Uncovered tank is not an option - I have a cat who would love the opportunity to go fishing.

So are the 50/50 actinic bulbs no good for freshwater application?
 
Good point, but I cannot find anywhere yet who sells the 30" coralife freshwater as well as the glass top, so the separate shipping would negate some of the cost of the bulb. Drsfosterandsmith has the current usa satellite, and the all-glass top. Ive done the modding thing before, I had a 10gallon top with an ah-supply retrofit and the cold cathode nightlight in it, but it didnt look as clean as a professionally designed solution. Not to mention the cold cathode setup adds more cost.

Again, I appreciate the input, I'm just trying to research all of my options before jumping into anything.
 
I usually do my shopping at bigals but they dont carry the glass covers.

$16 for a class cover at drsfosterandsmith doesn't seem too bad to me, considering it has the hinge and a handle installed already for easy opening to feed.

Price is not the primary concern here. If the difference between fixtures is $10-20 either way, I want to make sure I am getting the best thing for my money. I don't want to do much DIY stuff, because this tank is in a living area and I want it to look nice. I haven't had the best luck with DIY things in the past, I find them to be quite functional, but not as appealing to look at.

When I come down to which fixture I want, I will be comparing prices to see if the combined shipping will overcome the difference in list prices. Until then, I am just estimating.
 
http://store.seacorals.net/30co6aq65wsi.html

seacoral_1986_3076263


and they have the glass tops to, just email them. 67.95
 
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