Need a basic tank light with no timer or sunrise/sunset features

[GaryE]

I only have a few tanks with that kind of light and those LED bulbs. I found hanging pendant lights at IKEA a ways back, and I've gradually been hanging them from the ceiling and bringing them back into use. I've discovered no algae problems with LED screw in plant lights.
The clip on type (I got a box of them cheap at a salvage store) have been excellent, for years. With the bulbs @gimme30 showed, they do the job. The types of plants I keep do just fine with them.
An advantage over fluorescents is energy costs. Running a full fishroom , costs tumbled when I went over to leds years ago.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

My tank lights, relative to our total electricity use, is minimal. When I was running 20 tanks over half were dedicated to breeding and growing out plecos. These tanks had no plants and thus the lights were only ever turned on when I would work in the tanks. Our house used to be almost all elecetric save for the furnaces. Our system is central heating.Air conditioning. So, the major electical use for this is the fans which force the hot or cold air throughout the house.

My plant lights actually pay for themselves because all of my planted tanks are jungles. I have to prune and trim and then I am able to sell this stuff. This covers the lighting and fertiliziing costs. Also, I have Neo. davidi reproducing in 3 different planted tanks and every month at my club auction I have a couple of bags of the shrimp being sold. This covers the gas for the 40 mile round trip to and from the meetiing.

Next, there is no basement to the house and this means I have no centralized fish room. In the end about 1.2 the tanks ran on air power, some of which was centralized in two rooms. The rest of the tanks all run on independent filtration.

I do have LED lighting on the 5.5, 15, 25 and one of the 29s. I also have been doing mostly lower light plants for the last 15 years.

But I will always choose full spectrum high CRI lighting. It works easier than the LEDS with several controls- white level, blue level and overall intensity all must be set. My fluors and power compacts are easier- they are either on or off and that is the only setting.

I have been able to make my hobby pay for itself starting in early 2007 and ever since. I consider myself both lucky and smart in this respect.

 

[anewbie]

I don't know - i just don't know. Does it make a difference - i think it might but i just don't know. For a while i grew plants with a flood light ($30) and they grew i guess but it just wasn't an enjoyable experience. Oh well joy to the world and all that crap.

 

[gimme30]

It must make some sort of difference since grow lights have been a thing forever, but there's plenty of examples of high tech tanks on forums like this showcasing lush growth with shop lights and incandescent bulbs so who knows. I definitely get wanting to keep it simple and inexpensive though.

 

[GaryE]

I've used standard leds, fluorescents, screw in fluorescents, plant leds, daylight, warm light, you name it. Even incandescents back in the day.
I like the non pink plant lights because everything looks better. It doesn't seem to grow better. Standard leds grow aquarium plants, but the light looks cold and is 'off'.
I find grow lights work better on my tomato starters and on lettuce. My houseplants like 'em.

 

[Papa]

Depends on what size you need. A four foot shop light from Walmart works great for a 4 foot tank like a 55 gal. They are about $16 if I remember right. Work great for plants too.

That's all I use. When they wear out just replace. Of course I don't have live plants if that would change things I have no idea.

 

[ghyti]

The ones I have are a daylight spectrum so work great for plants.

 

[Back in the fold]

It must make some sort of difference since grow lights have been a thing forever, but there's plenty of examples of high tech tanks on forums like this showcasing lush growth with shop lights and incandescent bulbs so who knows. I definitely get wanting to keep it simple and inexpensive though.

I’ve never used anything but cheap and simple . I like floor lamps and desk type reading lamps because they’re cheap . Light is light and if you have it bright it grows plants . One trick I learned was to use a combination of bulbs so you have different spectrums . Electricity is getting to be very expensive these days and if you want to grow plants on the cheap put your aquarium next to a south facing window .