LIGHTS.......

[aquatic-Bizkut]

i have a 10 gall planted with indelesent bubls or whatever they are called, but they are only providing me about 16 watts of power, i need more for a deeply planted tank that i am going to have (already have 7 plants in it)

so please provide me some help or links, or places i can buy a double stripped light hoods...... i need some seriouse light for my 10 gall..

or provide a way out of this mess...!

 

[houndour]

what are the dimensions of your tank?

You could look at the interpet t5 compact lights.
http/www.aquatics-online.co.uk/Z497156.asp

they are smaller strip lights with higher watt tubes.

 

[aquatic-Bizkut]

well i wanted to use them on my 10 gallon ( lenght =20/ height= 12/depth = 11(about) )

but i realized they dont make double strip lights for a 20'' i cant find them anywhere the next step is 24'' but i have a hood on my tank with a acrylic protectancy (if that is a word) and i dont think 24'' would work i dont know how to make custom hoods i just want a double strip light strips that will fit my regular sized 10 gallon tank becuase i only have 16 watts in there now and i need more....

i checked out that site, and i am kinda confuzed about it..... too bad i live in north america, im in Utah and there isnt anything like that, that i have seen before..... not sure how to get it.... can anyone hook me up?

 

[zig]

This is a site that is hugely popular with American Planted tank People, i know they are probably the cheapest on the web in the US for lighting, anyway have a look here and see if you can find anything suitable.

Bigals

 

[aquatic-Bizkut]

yup i can find a 24'' light double striped hood for 41$ (including shipping) but yet that is 4'' too big, dont know how to make a custom hood........does anynone know what to do!!???

 

[zig]

Ok wrong link heres the one you want, these are the guys i was thinking of, and they have exactly what you want, and these ARE the cheapest.

ahsupply

 

[aquatic-Bizkut]

thanks i will look into that, i really apreciate the help

i will also look into making my own custom light hood.... with just walmart household bulbs type of thing anyone ever try that??

thanks again zig!

 

[aquatic-Bizkut]

ok i checked it out, and if i bought the kit + the bulbs it would be more expensive then buying a 24'' double striped hood with bulbs included.....

man i dont know what to do, i cant get the DIY kit becuase that will be to hard, and it will be even harder to get bubls for it, (can you only get the bulbs online??......or at a local walmart??)

but the 24'' wont fit on the tank hood i have on now, so how would i make it fit??? man please help, anyone ever make a custom hood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???

thanks for your help already, but im running out of time fast, i have microsword grass and bunch of other plants that need more then what light i am providing (only 1.6 WPG) !!

???

 

[aquatic-Bizkut]

is it possible just to run down to home depot or walmart and buy a florecent bulb and use that???....just wondering, that would save me some time........or would they only work for about 2 min. like the bulbs i bought at super target...

 

[aquatic-Bizkut]

ok here are some fliks to show you how seriouse i am about solving this lighting problem, i actually took the time to take some flix and resize them, and upload em'



well here is my tank chilin with the plants and the "clear" bulbs in, the picture doesnt show the orange glow, but the bulbs are quite orange, this is becuase they arent florecent...

and here is my tank with the "clear" and the "blue" bulb in, kinda cool..... but not sure if the blue does the plants any justice......well i wonder the same thing about the clear

here are picks of all the bulbs i have (blue - looks kinda ugly when both blue bulbs are in... and dark cant see, clear, not bad, orangy, but not enough watts, and the clear whitish ones are the ones i got from target, well they did work for about 5 seconds, and one even blew....)

and here is my lighting fixture...... with the lights on

just so you can get a visual... . hope this helps.....

 

[aquatic-Bizkut]

ok i bought 2 "sunlight bulbs" they are florescent compact and it says " 20W uses only/ 75W replacement"

they seem like they would fit in my tank hood, and these are pretty descent bulbs, not that expensive 10$ for both of em', but on the bulb it says "WARNING: not for use on dimmer circuit.risk of electrical shok'do not use where direct exposure to water"

so do you think these will be ok??

once again they are florecent 20 watt bulbs, they will be going on my incandescent 10 gallon hood, i figure i need atleast 4 wpg, and i would need two 20 watt bulbs to do that.....

so let me know before i try them out, i dont want it blowing up my hood...

 

[jollysue]

I didn't read y our thread closely, only scimmed. Are you talking about using compact flourescent IN an incadescent fixture?

 

[jollysue]

I may be all off, but incadescent have a screw-in fixture and flourescent use pins. Some compacts use two pins and some 4 pins. Also as far as I know the different types: incadescent, flourescent, compact flourescent, t5, VHO, metal halide can't be mixed. They each use their own match of bulbs and fixtures (except regular flourescent can mix t8 to t12, I think.) It's like trying to use a dvd disc in an 8 track player

This is not my expertise, just some things I picked up buying my own. My vocabulary may be in exact.

Most online suppliers have help phone # and cust help live email. They will help you and also your lfs can show you. It is complicated and expensive. Take your time.

Have you considered returning your plants to the lfs until you can get it right?

Do you have high light plants or low light plants? Try to start with plants that are low light and easy, surviving on limited light, etc. Start where you are and take it easy.

The blue bulb is probably actinic (sp) for reef aquariums. It supplies some energy but limited. Use daylight 10 K or 65 (67?)K

I'm really out of my depth. good luck

 

[aquatic-Bizkut]

well they are compact florescent lights, they screw in, my hood has a screw in female part and these would most likely fit ... its just a question on over heatting, catching fire, exploding, or it not working, or it being tooooo many watts.....just asking advice before i blow up my hood

and the blue bulbs are for the freshwater, just decoration, they are ugly as sin though...... and they give no growth on them just like all the other lights i have... they just give heat and exposure

i have a mix of low lighted plants and medium (the micro sword is all im conserned about).....

 

[jollysue]

Yeah I understand your concern.

Where did you get the bulbs? Maybe they can help you? I get lots of questions answered by LFS. I also have a relationship with an online/catalog supply with good customer relations. They answer my questions.

Who told you that your low light plants wouldn't survive on the 1.77w (or whatever?)

They might get spindley but probably survive.

I'm just guessing, but it seems to me that if the flourescent bulbs fit the fixture and the wattage doesn't exceed the limit on the hood fixture you should be safe. Even your home depot should be able to tell you if your incadescent fixture can take a certain flourescent bulb. It's just like replacing an incadescent bulb with a flourescent screw in in your lamp. They draw less engergy per watt and put out less heat.