Lights - dammit - lights!!!

[RussGB]

Ok guys. Help me out.

My first few tanks had a hood with integrated lighting. Life was easy. They were small and the lights work well. When I bought my 150 part of the package inlduded a pair of Corallife fluorescent fixtures. I put them on the glass lids under the wood canopy. Later I added moonlight LEDs. I also started to grwo some plants, and I added two more of the Corallife fixtures.

Now the canopy is too busy I have to move one light fixture to open the glass top to feed the fish. Also it gets hot under the canopy, and this also heats the aquarium.

I started thinking that I need to change something....

Here is what I want to do:

I want about 400 to 500 watts of lighting so that I can grow medium to low light plants. I want to do this efficiently (i.e. without having masses of extra heat generated especially in the hood). I would like to be able to open the canopy, and open the glass lid to feed the fish without moving 4 tons of red hot lamps and wires. I would rather not spend a lot of cash!

SOme things I had thought of.....

A pair of 36" retrofits with 2 x 96W (tank is 6' long), and the ballasts hidden in the cabinet to remove the heat or some of it?

A set of cheapo home depot lights? Or a DIY setup from parts? How do I do a reflector? What kind of tubes? DO they have water resist end caps?

It certainly seems like the 4 one piece of Coral life units were a waste of money. Its interesting that I cna find nine thousand articles on the use and installation of UV steriizers in feshwater, or how to make a reverse flow UG filter, but can't find anything on light insatllation.

Ideas? Tips?

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

If your looking to get away from the heat. You can do this in 2 different ways.
Cut holes into the canopy & add some 4" fans. Or you could just go with T-5's which produce less heat & superior lighting.

Also you will need to mount the lights to the top of the canopy too.

[RussGB]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

I would rather not cut holes in the top (the back is open anyway, and fans may be an option). So a retro fit screwed to the insode of the top of the canopy with T5's? Can i get the light intensity I need from t5's? They all seem low wattage..

[wvgdiscus]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

Thats because they produce more light at lower wattage.

[thomas]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

For long term use, I think T5 is better than PC. Lower electrical bill, cheaper replacement bulb, and more efficient light output.

[Mzungu]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

T5 HOs will definitely give you the intensity you need.

There are all kinds of retro setups for T5HOs now, with water-proof end caps and great reflectors (try for the parabolic ones, one for each tube).

Are the lights you're using now PC or regular fluorescent, like T-10 or T-12?

[geoff_tropheus]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

I got T5's and I love em.

T5's is the way I would suggest as well.

[RussGB]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

Well I am a big fan of all my electric energy going to light over heat! Its a double win...cheaper to produce the light I need and less A/C to cool the house down. I changed my whole house to CF!

I think the Coralife are PC.

So....T5 is the way to go. Retrofit attached to my lid. So the next question is for a 30" deep, 6' long...do I do 2 36" kits? How many tubes? What kind of tubes? Do I have choices? And really whats the difference between a T5 at Lowes and one I get from my LFS?

Sorry for the silly questions, but lighting is probably the least well explained aspect of the hobby in my opinion....All the expert guys seem to know what they are doing, and all the beginners use what comes in the hood. For us guys in the middle there is little to go!

[Mzungu]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

First off, if you do go to Lowes, make sure they're T5 HO (high output) bulbs. Not sure if they carry many of them. Big difference between the normal outputs and the high outputs. Hmm, I think they even have T5 VHOs now...but anyways.

But, the big lighting companies do make some pretty good T5HOs, with good spectral distribution and all. I just always seem to have a hard time finding anything good at Lowes/HD.

You've got a ton of choices either way. Aquarium bulbs are going to be MUCH more expensive, usually. Just depends on your taste. Also, there are some really "high-end" fixtures out there that will cost an arm and a leg, then there are some from industrial supply companies (that are now using T5HOs!) that are cheap, have good reflectors...but aren't extremely pretty and usually hang from the ceiling (i.e. would work very well in a canopy).

I believe they have some 6' fixtures out there. Geoff just went through a long shopping trip for 5' T5s, and I'm pretty sure we saw a few 6 footers along the way.

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

6 footers have a 4 foot bulb.

[Mzungu]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

There's one out there I found with 36" bulbs, but it's INCREDIBLY expensive, and kind of overkill (with 14 lamps...).

I guess then go with a couple 36" retros?

[RussGB]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

14 x 36" tubes...times two coz my tank is 6'...I'd get a work out opening the lid!

The current units I have are 96w CF units. Bearing in mind the HO T5 are more efficient how many tubes/watss should I be looking at?

[Mzungu]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

Okay, wait a second. Exactly how many watts are over your tank as we speak? I'm a bit confused over how many Coralife fixtures you actually have.

Were you thinking of improving the quantity of lighting over your tank in order to be able to grow more plants?

[RussGB]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

So I have 4 units each 36", each one is a 96W CF tube (384w total). They sit on the lip of the tank, 2 deep and 2 wide. I have two glass tops that open independantly but the frontmost light units sit on the opening part of the glass lids. That means to open the lids for any maintenance, even for feeding, I have to move a red hot light unit.

The other issue is the lights are hot. Hot enough to make the room hot, and to heat the water up so that it is at the upper end fo the limits of my fish during summer months.

I was hoping to fit someothing to my canopy that was more efficient (light v. heat), and allow me to access the tank more easily. But...I also want to maintain live plants (all of mine being low to moderate light plants).

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: Lights - dammit - lights!!!

Russ are you going to the meeting?

I might bring some Jammie Dodgers and PG Tips.