grimlock3000
Aquarium Advice Addict
This topic comes up pretty frequently, so here is how to add some decent lighting to a 48 inch tank (like a 55g) without emptying your wallet at the LFS. With a quick trip to Wal Mart/Home Depot/Etc, you can get 80 watts of 6500K lighting over your tank for WAY less than a fixture would cost you at a pet store. You can bring a $20 to the store and leave with enough change for a burger and fries.
$7 for the light fixture:
$8 for the bulbs:
$15 total, before tax:
And here are the results:
Now, a few of things about this setup...
1.) It requires some DIY. Your $15 only buys you bulbs, a holder, and the ballast. Basically, you need to build a canopy to hold the lighting, or hang the lights securely over the tank. Both are fairly easy to anyone owning tools and mechanical skills.
2.) Some people would say that fixtures like those from All-Glass are designed for use over aquariums and will last longer/be safer. Personally, I call BS on this. I have never seen a cheap shop light fail, no matter if it was 120F outside, freezing cold, had gas spilled on it, or dropped from the ceiling so all the bulbs shattered. Meanwhile, my Twin Tube 24 inch All Glass fixture had the ballast start buzzing like crazy after two months and I had to stop using it.
3.) You can mix and match bulbs in these. Twin 6500Ks is good for most freshwater tanks to get you going. Any T12 bulb will work fine. Check out GE Aquarays if you want to color up some Cichlids or other bright fish. Also, you can find better 6500K bulbs, but not for anywhere near $4 each.
4.) No ON/OFF switch on these fixtures. Go buy a timer for $10 and it can changes the lights for you, and the same time every day. This is more healthy for the fish anyway, so you should probably already have a timer
5.) This is not a replacement for PC fixutres. PC lights put out more usable light per watt and take up less space.
6.) You can spray the reflector with chrome paint for about 25% more light going into the tank. My pic above is with the standard white reflector. Be careful when using metallic spray paint, some of it is worse than mustard gas
7.) Use these over a glass or acrylic tank top.
$7 for the light fixture:
$8 for the bulbs:
$15 total, before tax:
And here are the results:
Now, a few of things about this setup...
1.) It requires some DIY. Your $15 only buys you bulbs, a holder, and the ballast. Basically, you need to build a canopy to hold the lighting, or hang the lights securely over the tank. Both are fairly easy to anyone owning tools and mechanical skills.
2.) Some people would say that fixtures like those from All-Glass are designed for use over aquariums and will last longer/be safer. Personally, I call BS on this. I have never seen a cheap shop light fail, no matter if it was 120F outside, freezing cold, had gas spilled on it, or dropped from the ceiling so all the bulbs shattered. Meanwhile, my Twin Tube 24 inch All Glass fixture had the ballast start buzzing like crazy after two months and I had to stop using it.
3.) You can mix and match bulbs in these. Twin 6500Ks is good for most freshwater tanks to get you going. Any T12 bulb will work fine. Check out GE Aquarays if you want to color up some Cichlids or other bright fish. Also, you can find better 6500K bulbs, but not for anywhere near $4 each.
4.) No ON/OFF switch on these fixtures. Go buy a timer for $10 and it can changes the lights for you, and the same time every day. This is more healthy for the fish anyway, so you should probably already have a timer
5.) This is not a replacement for PC fixutres. PC lights put out more usable light per watt and take up less space.
6.) You can spray the reflector with chrome paint for about 25% more light going into the tank. My pic above is with the standard white reflector. Be careful when using metallic spray paint, some of it is worse than mustard gas
7.) Use these over a glass or acrylic tank top.
