DIY lighting

[MCluett]

i am wanting to start up a nano reef tank, only a 10gal i think maybe 15gal if it comes along. but i thought if maybe i could count down some cost why not. also i figured it would give me something to do over the winter, so are there any plans out there for some DIY lighting?

 

[jsoong]

The plans I've seen are all for 4 foot tanks (usu. involving gutting some shop lights to use in a DIY canopy). This is what I have.

For a 10-15, you are better off getting a retrofit kit (eg from AH supplies) as buying the supplies a la carte gets expensive quick.

 

[MCluett]

ok thanks alot jsoong

 

[JesseL]

W/D Bio filter for Freshwater

I've always been facinated at how much trouble we go through to have enough bio filtration in our salt tanks. I wanted to have thayt on my fresh tanks too. Budget constrants has kept me from buying expensive equipment that does this, so I made my own. Many laundry detergent bottles are now shaped where they have a cap on one side of the top and a little spout thing on the other side of the top. Turn it on its side and you can easily put a spray bar in the cap end. I spraypaint mine black. Fill the container with lava rock. You can buy a 40lb. bag at Lowes for less than $4.00. Add your spaybar which on mine is the end of the return tube from my canister filter. Let gravity do the rest. Open up the spout end so that the water just flows out. The only drawback is you have to sit this thing up on the back of the aquarium. Doesnt look that nice. Thats why I spraypaint it black to try to help with this. Along with regular filtration it keeps my water conditions great! Any ideas on how to improve on it? I welcome feedback.