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need help with lighting & found rocks

Discussion in 'Aquarium Equipment & Decor' started by California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009.

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  1. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    Lighting for 20g & Found Rocks (Suggestions & Questions)

    so i was just messing with my puffers tank, and the light bulb burnt out on me and now he doesn't have a light. I need to get a new top for him anyways, as the feeding lift is broken and off the tank and the glass part where the light sits on is really gross. Should i just get a new top for him and a flourescent light for him since i'll be needing to get one for my 10 gallon. And for the current light, it doesnt say if it flourescent or not all it says is where its made from and 15 watt. Also for my 10 gallon all i know is that the light is flourescent but it doesn't say anything about the wattage, should i just get a new bulb for that one as well?
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  2. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    Lighting: Fixture Fell in Water & Sizzled (Advice)
    also my 10 gallon's light just fell in the water with the light turned on, and it started to sizzle some so i imediatley unpluged it. Is it officially fried, or do i dare turn it on
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  3. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    take the bulb out and dry EVERYTHING really well. Leave it airdry completely overnight before "testing" to see if it will work. You defin don't want zapped.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 6, 2009
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  4. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    I had a bulb fall into the tank and let it dry out for a few days... it still works... I would worry a bit about damage to the ballast though if the whole fixture hit the water.... :confused:
    Its worth seeing though if it still works! Wait a day or 2... you may have just cut the life of the fixture over half... BUT you still may get a few more years from it
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 6, 2009
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  5. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    im even afraid to touch it right now, i've got it sitting in a bucket unpluged, it was only a small part that touched the water so hopefully it's not entirely fried, lol good thing it didn't start a fire, especiallly with my parents gone until monday :p
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  6. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    what do i do for the meantime with lighting for them, thankfully tanks arent planted so i wont have to worry and i don't have any other lights to temporarly use since now both lights are out
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  7. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    I have 6 lights so it did not matter much....

    If it did not go far in... just leave it off till tomorrow... My bulb I know was in there for a few hours...
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 6, 2009
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  8. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    ok thankfully i quickly pulled it out, so maybe a quick 5 seconds only reason why i am worried was because it started to sizzle
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  9. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Being electric thats normal... all you can do is try it again when it is dry
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 6, 2009
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  10. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    ok, just glad i didn't burn the place up, i'll still get a new bulb for my puffer since his just burnt out on its own, i wish i could have live plants in brackish, im getting tired of looking at his steup, he's had it for a while now
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  11. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Try moving it around, adding other things to it (more rocks or something)

    I dont keep salt, but my fresh I try to find new driftwood or rocks for them when I get bored of the setup...

    With salt, find some more rocks for the tank
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 6, 2009
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  12. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    Rearranging/Redecorating Brackish Tank
    i just moved it around, tried to set some river rock in it, but still don't like it, if i find low priced natural looking decoration (which is hard) i'll buy it since i have to go tomorrow anyways
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  13. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    your tank should be okay without light for right this second.
    Healthy Plants will be okay for 2-3 days without light (though inhabitants may be a bit stressed). Don't worry about the light now that it's unplugged-it can't hurt you unplugged. Dry it the best you can and re-test it tomorrow. If it doesn't work..then you'll need a new light. You can get used ones from Ebay, Aquabid, and the thrift stores some times.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 6, 2009
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  14. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Rearranging/Redecorating Brackish Tank
    You can add large rocks (slate, lava rock, etc), Driftwood or fake plants (I dont recommend them because it does not look natural)

    Whatever makes you happy though... there is ALWAYS a cheap way to do it :D
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 6, 2009
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  15. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    ok, i'll check out the lighting tomorrow and i'm hoping to go more towards rocks for my puffer, that's what i was trying to do with my river rock, but wasn't working
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  16. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Rearranging/Redecorating Brackish Tank
    No, need something bigger...

    You could always get more rock from a real river and boil it! (test with vinegar if in doubt if it should be in the water)
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 6, 2009
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  17. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Rearranging/Redecorating Brackish Tank
    Try this for the look of rocks without the weight/instability issues.
    http://www.kensfish.com/Chichlidstones.html
    Breeding tab has great decor (amazed to see they even carry what I have in my tank that I can no longer find at ANY of the stores in my area).
    Ps. Just ordered from them so if you'd like to know about shipping speed, etc. Just ask!
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 6, 2009
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  18. California Cowgirl

    California Cowgirl Thread Starter New Member

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    Rearranging/Redecorating Brackish Tank

    lol no river by me, but i do have a drainage ditch behind my house and there are TONS of different size rock holding up the dirt don't know if they would be safe for fish tanks or not, but there are little tiny fish that is in the water, that seem fine, but im sure the water is full of parasites, so i don't know if the rocks would work
     
    California Cowgirl, Mar 6, 2009
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  19. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Rearranging/Redecorating Brackish Tank
    you can vinegar/ph down test them I belive (same as substrate).
    If they bubble they aren't good for aquarium usage.

    Borrowed:
    There are two very simple ways to test rock to be sure they are safe for your aquarium. The first method uses Muriatic Acid (MA). This can be found at either a swimming pool supply store or possibly a hydroponic supply store. To test any given rock, put a few drops of MA on the rock, wait a couple of seconds and watch for bubbles. If bubbles are seen, this rock is NOT safe. Distilled white vinegar can also be used in a pinch. The MA test is more accurate though.



    One point to remember is some rocks are made up of a conglomerate of differing minerals and smaller rocks. It would be a good idea to test each rock in numerous places. This test can also be used to verify you choice of substrate for compatibility.



    Below is a list of rocks that are safe for aquarium use.



    Safe Rocks:

    Crystalline Quartz
    (Rock Crystal, Amethyst, Citrine, Rose Quartz, Smokey Quartz)
    Granite
    Jade
    Lava Rock
    Microcrystalline Quartz
    (Jasper, Agate, Chalcedony, Sard, Carnelian)
    Onyx
    Petrified Wood
    Quartz
    Slate


    Unsafe Rocks:

    Coal
    (Commercially harvested coal is treated with an oil by-product to reduce dust)
    Coral
    Dolomite
    Fools Gold
    (or any other rock with metallic veins--Acid Producing)
    Fossils
    Limestone
    Marble
    Sandstone


    Keep in mind that some of these rocks can be used in some tanks. Crushed Coral makes an excellent substrate for maintaining water quality for African Cichlids. You can even use some rocks that come from limestone to do the same. Limestone will usually do nothing more than raise your water parameters. If you decide to use rocks that will contribute to the overall hardness, make sure you test the water parameters to get a handle on just how high your levels will increase over time.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 6, 2009
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  20. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Rearranging/Redecorating Brackish Tank
    Boil it for 10-15 minutes... kill all parasites...

    Drop vinegar on one and if it fizzes it is not safe... if the vinegar does nothing its fine... just boil it
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 6, 2009
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