Cheap Lighting Question???

[Dunner97074]

OK I'm tired of my dimly lit 30 gal. I need help or someone to point me in the right direction of a good "cheap" lighting source. The tank is 24" wide and 24" tall.
I have a 48" 2 bulb T-8 shoplight over my 55 and another 48" over my 10gal and 20L (tanks are side by side 50"). They are plenty bright, but my poor 30gal.

Any suggestions? Remember cheap is key. :wink:

Thanks,
Mike

[defaced]

For the price you really can't beat shoplights. I use 40w Residential T12 bulbs and I've got plenty of light.

[Dunner97074]

Yeah but it's for a 24" long tank. I can't find a shoplight that small.

[DartMan]

I've read on here that some of the guys (gals) are using the twist style, full spectrum, flourescent bulbs from WalMart. I believe they are made by, Lights of America. I believe I saw them last week for like around $8.50 +/- for a two bulb pack. You can put them in a "clamp lamp" fixture, which should run you around $8. So, for under $20 you should be able to add some light and not set you back to far.

Good Luck!

[back2eight]

Dartman, thats what I do, and I have plenty of light with them, although for my 150 gallon I will be getting a shop light because it would take too many clamp lamps to cover the top of it! In both of my tanks with the compact flourescent twisty lights I have carnivorous plants growing and doing extremely well, and some are flowering right now. These are plants that do best outside in full sun, and mine are doing great, so I would say that I'm getting plenty of light.

[defaced]

Yeah but it's for a 24" long tank. I can't find a shoplight that small.

Very true, but you can cut down a 48" light to support 24" bulbs. All you'll need is a hacksaw and a tape measure. The only biggy is if the ballast supports 24" lights, and from the shop lights I've opened up they do. The ballast will have a sticker on it that says how to wire it and what lights it supports.

There are also 24" in-celing residential light fixtures. They don't have a low profile like a shop light does, but they're not super expensive, 20 bucks.

[themann42]

just built more tanks so a 48in shoplight isn't too small :wink:

My local WalMart had 64 watt (500 watt eq.) cp's (Lights-of America) for $11.99 +/- a few cents. That plus a lamp cord from the electrical dept. should do you. That price is less then the cost of the bulb at HomeDepot.

Your store may or may not have them. There were in one of the point of purchase set ups.

[defaced]

^That's my solution. Put it all on a shelf with 48" lights. Though I'm going to have to cut down a shop light for my 25g, I don't have a shelf big enough.

[Frank H]

at my local Dixieline Lumber, you can find dual bulb 24 inch fixtures with 2 cool white bulbs for under $20. Its a little noisy(hums) but mine has worked for a long time. I seen they still have them recently.

-Frank