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Need lighting badly...

Discussion in 'Saltwater Fish Forum' started by Anonymous, Dec 31, 2008.

  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

    Top Poster Of Month

    Hello all,

    I have a 55g that I am in bad need of lighting for. Currently it has the 2-24in hoods with 18in T-8's. I am wanting to start getting some corals and a few other things but can't until I upgrade my lights. Problem is this economy and the holidays have been brutal to my finances. Does anyone have any idea's or things they have done on a budget that has worked well?

    Thanks
     
  2. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Yo still have to buy the bulbs for salt, I did this for a fresh tank and I would assume you can for salt too!

    Buy yourself 2-3 2 bulb 48" fluorescent shop lights. Use the ballast and the bulb clip and mount them into a hood that you would make like this one I made: <a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.theexoticfish.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=929" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=29&t=929</a>

    of course you would use different color lights like 17000K instead of the redder lights that I am using but that is how I did it.
     
  3. mstrpln03

    mstrpln03 New Member

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    I am retro-fitting some old hoods for screw in compact flourescent daylight bulbs you can get in home depot, cut and paste this link:

    <a class="postlink" href="http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100527338" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... =100527338</a>

    They are 6700k and have 10,000 hour burn times and the 23 watters are only $4.50. You'll still need some actinics, 6 of the 23 watt cfl's and 2 40 watt t-8's (2 56 watt t-5 vho's would be better) would suffice for soft corals and a few hard corals.

    Have you looked on ebay, a 4x65 watt power compact can be had pretty cheap, just don't get the "Oddysea".
     
  4. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    Gotta be careful with those 6700 bulbs. After running for a while the rating will drop and do nothing more than grow algae.
     
  5. mstrpln03

    mstrpln03 New Member

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    Hey Anthony,

    I haven't used them yet, but have been researching them. Do you think color spectrum will drop much faster then a t-8?
     
  6. Anthony

    Anthony Active Member

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    The bulbs from the link you provided, yes. They won't have much useful life. I saw someone else recently added 4 of those to their tank, in shop light type fixtures... They got a hair algae outbreak not long after adding them.

    Especially with saltwater, I wouldn't recommend a 6700k bulb.
     
  7. showjyr

    showjyr New Member

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