Desk Lamp Light?

[fishoz]

as ive said before, i'm skint and set up a new tank. it's 2ft long and 54 litres. i do want a few live plants in there but i'm not going to go overboard. ive looked for aquarium lighting, but it's all so expensive!! would a desk lamp be ok?

 

[fifefish]

what wattage is it?

 

[fishoz]

i haven't bought one yet, but i can get one cheaper than a tank light. ive looked on ebay and online, but i can't find any cheap in australia!

 

[Colin_T]

any light source will do. Aquarium fluorescent lights are made for certain size tanks but fluorescent desk lamp will work just as well. However small lamps on big tanks don't provide much light so plants don't do as well as they could.
Try to get a globe with a Kelvin (K) rating between 5,000K & 10,000K. Daylight globes are around 5,000-6,500K and work well..

 

[fishoz]

ok, so could i buy a desk lamp then use one of those bulbs?

 

[Rooster]

You wont find much cheaper than a "2 foot florescent fitting" under £10 and comes with a lamp ! B
But you will need a more suitable lamp for aquarium plants... but this again will be under £10..... and WILL light the whole tank




PS if you are really skint, ask at the electrical dealer for a "daylight" tube... a couple of quid but dont expect plants to grow well without a "proper" tube.

 

[Colin_T]

have a look at BigW or Bunnings. They sell light units/ desk lamps and globes.

 

[fishoz]

hehe i think i can spare 10 quid, thats about the price i was looking for. i'll go pop down some shops soon then, see if i have any luck!