[Guest]

Hi I was wondering if anyone uses these bulbs for their terrariums and if you do what brand do you use and the type of fixture do you use? Also if I were to use these how many bulbs would I need to use in a 20L? Thanks.

 

[Guest]

A 2 x 36 watt or 2 x 55 watt fixture would light that tank very well. Check out http://www.ahsupply.com or http://www.webaquatics.com ...Or http://www.petsupplyliquidator.com sells loose components such as bulbs and ballasts for pretty cheap

 

[Moe]

or ebay.com =)

I agree that 2x36 or 55W'rs are good. Just watch so the terrarium doesnt overheat.

M.N

 

[Homer]

I would agree that either a 2 x 36 or a 1x 55 or 1x 65 would be ideal for a 20 L. PM me about ballasts if you're interested.

 

[Guest]

500 WATTS of 6500 k for $34.97

500 WATTS of 6500 k for $34.97, found this at Home Depot in the security lighting section, going to give it a try on my next big vivarium, here's the web page of the manufacturer
http://www.lightsofamerica.com/floods.htm can't beat that price and replacement bulbs are only
$14

 

[Guest]

Re: 500 WATTS of 6500 k for $34.97

500 WATTS of 6500 k for $34.97, found this at Home Depot in the security lighting section, going to give it a try on my next big vivarium, here's the web page of the manufacturer
http://www.lightsofamerica.com/floods.htm can't beat that price and replacement bulbs are only
$14

I bought some of these too, and so have others. They are very bright, and cheap compared to others. However, I found that they produce A LOT of heat and the light is very concentrated...not spread out like a longer bulb. If you can get the temps down, I agree this is a great buy.

 

[Homer]

Re: 500 WATTS of 6500 k for $34.97

500 WATTS of 6500 k for $34.97, found this at Home Depot in the security lighting section, going to give it a try on my next big vivarium, here's the web page of the manufacturer
http://www.lightsofamerica.com/floods.htm can't beat that price and replacement bulbs are only
$14

Wow, with 500 watts, you could practically bring your electricity meter inside and use it in place of a computer fan. :lol: Ok, the website just came up . . . it's only 65 watts but puts out the equivalent of 500 watts of incandescent light (sounds like a little bit of wishful thinking by LOA [typical incandescent 150 watt = 2600 lumens], but nonetheless, 4550 lumens is a goodly amount). It's definitely right on par with other CF's in that wattage range.

Matt, correct me if I'm remembering wrong, but I think others who have used these recommend pulling the ballast out and remotely locating it to prevent the ballast from overheating. Otherwise, it looks like an ideal setup for tall terraria like Matt has.

 

[Guest]

Re: 500 WATTS of 6500 k for $34.97

500 WATTS of 6500 k for $34.97, found this at Home Depot in the security lighting section, going to give it a try on my next big vivarium, here's the web page of the manufacturer
http://www.lightsofamerica.com/floods.htm can't beat that price and replacement bulbs are only
$14

Wow, with 500 watts, you could practically bring your electricity meter inside and use it in place of a computer fan. :lol: Ok, the website just came up . . . it's only 65 watts but puts out the equivalent of 500 watts of incandescent light (sounds like a little bit of wishful thinking by LOA [typical incandescent 150 watt = 2600 lumens], but nonetheless, 4550 lumens is a goodly amount). It's definitely right on par with other CF's in that wattage range.


Matt, correct me if I'm remembering wrong, but I think others who have used these recommend pulling the ballast out and remotely locating it to prevent the ballast from overheating. Otherwise, it looks like an ideal setup for tall terraria like Matt has.

It isn't the ballast that causes the heat, but yes it is better to move it away. I fried one ballast before I took the advice. Anyway, the heat is caused by the bulbs themselves. Even raising the bulbs up 8 inches and wiring 2 80mm fans, I was still running 85 degree temps. Of course I put two of them over a 15H....hehe

 

[Homer]

Right, the bulbs cause a lot of heat, overheating the ballast if the ballast is not remotely located from the bulb. Then the ballast can burn/short out. At least that's what I remember divegod (I think) saying on Kingsnake. The ballasts should create some heat themselves, as well, but if you burn up a ballast, that's the largest cost in the setup.

 

[Guest]

yep, that's what happened. So I took those out and replaced them with 3 - 36 watt cfs. I am running about 80 degrees about 1.5" away from top.

 

[Homer]

Both of them burned out? :shock: Wow, I'm sorry to hear that, Matt. I thought it sounded like a good setup. I was really hoping it would work out well for you. It definitely looked good while it lasted, and HAD to put out a lot of light.

 

[Guest]

I have a 2x13 watt over a 20 high vert,a 36watt over a 20 high and a 55watt over a 29 g.I bought my kits from AH supply and have had no problems yet.I elevate the lights about 1" above the tanks during the summer and have found that to be enough to keep from overheating the tanks t.I built my own hoods for them and have gaps on the top similar to their BIY info on their site.
I have a 1x96 watt kit on the way and am setting up 3 20 high verts side by side for some imitators and,hopefully, some green pumilios.They are the thing for major plant growth and I recommand them highly.
Mark W.

 

[tkavan01]

kinda along the same lines, I am putting together
a 125 gallon tank and am wondering would two of the
1x96 watt kits from Ahsupply, be enough light for the tank,
the tank is 72 long and 24 tall, the lights will either hang from
above the tank, with something to shield peoples eyes,
or i will build a hood that is open on top with a fan to dissapate
heat as best i can, the max distance from the top of the
tank will probably be just about 10-12 inches, I don't want to cook
the plants and frogs... i'll be using the 6700k bulbs if that makes a
difference...
thanks for any comments...

 

[Guest]

Continuing this line of questioning:

I am building a 4 foot tall tank and am trying to get a handle ont he lighting end of things. What would the compact flash advocates recommend as far as 1) number of bulbs and wattage, as well as 2) over driving?

I was thinking 2 55watt bulbs overdriven. Anyone think this will suffice or should I go further?

 

[Guest]

Or is 2 55watt bulbs over driven over kill?
(sorry, after send thought)

 

[Guest]

So what is the current popular opinion on compact fluorescent lighting? I have a few old tanks that I wanted to set up (with only plants), and I wanted the best lighting for their growth-- I'm trying my luck with some orchids agian. Where is the cheapest place for cf lighting, and which is the best for the money?
Best,
Justin

 

[Guest]

This is a bit old, but I figured it could still help some people out. Some of the best lighting vendors are:

http://www.hellolights.com
http://www.ahsupply.com

 

[rmelancon]

Getting back to the LOA 65Watt flood: people have said that they are burning out the ballasts. Is this maybe because they are being installed without enough ventillation? I would think with enough ventillation, ie headroom etc. you should not be burning out the ballasts so quickly, otherwise the product would not have made it to Home Depot's shelves. 65 watts at 120V is only 1/2 an amp so the electricity shouldn't generate that much heat. I guess the bulb must burn really hot. Still do you think it is a faulty product or is it more that we are trying to use a product that was meant for outdoors with a lot of ventilation in a confined space? At $35 it's very tempting considering you get twice the lumens of 80watts of 4 ft standard flourescents.

 

[Guest]

do you think it is a faulty product or is it more that we are trying to use a product that was meant for outdoors with a lot of ventilation in a confined space?

These have been used quite a bit in reefkeeping, tried on nano tanks and used for smaller coral frag growout tanks. The average lifespan of the units tends to be around a year...sometimes a bit longer, and quite a few burning out much sooner. The problem is just as you mentioned: they are intended to be used outside in much cooler temperatures than they actually end up being used in on applications like vivs and aquariums. One thing we have discovered that helps is drilling numerous holes in the housing to help heat escape, otherwise you're just burning the ballast much hotter than it was ever intended to run, therefore it snuffs out after a few months. Doing whatever you can to keep it cooler and help release heat from the housing will help extend the life.