ethan44 Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 Ahh I'm building a hood for my tank to hold lights etc. It's for the 2foot tank in my room. The plan for it is to enclose some lighting equipment which I am still to source out. The main part of it is made out of some MDF my dad had up in his model railway shed, and some other thin wood we had lying around. I am still yet to find what lights too use. I would like something as cheap as possible, but will still be able to let my plants grow. Any suggestions? The hood is made to fit onto the surrounding I have already made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 watch that MDF it loves the water if possible put a few coats of sealer on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan44 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 Oh yea sorry I forgot to add that I put 2 layers of very strong sealant on it as well as two layers of normal paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricketman Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 i was actually thinkin of doin a similair thing, id be keen to see how yours turns out mate, keep us all posted lol, i had the thought that you could probably get the light fittings from a mitre 10 or similair and then all you would need to do is get the lights from somewhere. and put a peice of acrylic or summin to stop the water seeping in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_r Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 do the lights need to be flurescent? Im sorry i know nothing about the light required for fish/plants however i made up my own lights for my killie cupboard (is going to be used for heat instead of light) but the concept still the same. I bought the batons, wireing, bulbs etc for $20 and everything works fine. I can give you more detail on how to get everything working if you think it would be applicable for you application. Alan explained helped me out and showed me how to to it Just instead of where i have the glass thermostat have an on/off switch Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarium Dude Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Talking of sealing Mdf I had my Aqurium hood professionally sprayed with a waterproof paint, its really really good and its not that expensive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarium Dude Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Oh and the lights in my tank are flourescent batton lights with a three pin plug attached to them, much better that the ridiculously priced and too short, fish shop ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 do the lights need to be flurescent? Flouro lights work best, and basically you will need them to grow plants properly. They produce much more light per watt of energy used, so you can get bright enough light at the right frequencies into the tank without cooking things. You can use the compact flouro tubes in a normal bayonet fitting as cheap DIY lights. Pick the daylight colour lamps though, better for plants. If you aren't growing plants the lighing isn't so critical, you just need some so you can see the fish 8) Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan44 Posted August 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Thanks for all that. Sorry no more progress yet as I have been at school and at training, it's more of a weekend project as I'm not in a rush to get it done. But I will post more pictured when I make some more progress on it. About the lighting, would one single long light going the length of the hood or say two single bulbs (like above post) be more efficient. Can you even get fluorescent single bulbs? What would be the difference between compact flouro tubes and normal flouro tubes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 About the lighting, would one single long light going the length of the hood or say two single bulbs (like above post) be more efficient. Yes a single /double / triple flouro tube is the best option, depending on how much light you want. That really depends on whether you want to grow plants or just light up your tank so you can see your fish. The compact flouros aren't as good as a proper flouro tube and reflector, but they are cheap and will work OK. Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan44 Posted August 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Yea I would like the lighting more for growing plants (have to get some more first) Would a place like Bunnings or Mitre Ten be a good place for lighting, or LFS's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarium Dude Posted August 20, 2007 Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 If you go to Jaycar Electronics you can get a 2m cable with a 3 pin plug sealed on the end for under $7 to attach to a light batton fitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan44 Posted August 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2007 Ok that helps thanks. What would be the recommended wattage, voltage and brightness be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarium Dude Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I've got .5 watts to the litre from 6500k flourescent tubes. I think thats pretty normal for plants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan44 Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 So 70 L I should have say 35w? Does the number, i.e 6500K, relate to a name? (someone suggested daylight) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Yeah.. that size tank a 2x 18w fitting should be about right. I was in Mitre10 today and they had them for a sensible price ~$30. You might have to shop around for the best lamps. The normal ones are a softer yellow light, better for general room lighting. The higher 'temp' ones give a more blue light closer to natural daylight, better for growing plants. The 'colour temp' is how this is measured. Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquarium Dude Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Yeah 6500k is daylight, whist 20000k is really blue (K is temperature) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan44 Posted September 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 I finally got round to working on this a bit more. I screwed it all up to see if it fits together. Now I am planning on taking it apart, glueing it together, and make sure it all fits perfectly. Paint it with water proof undercoat, then final coat after that. Here's some pictures of it where it'll be going I still haven't decided on what lighting. I went to some lighting shops and Bunnings but most were pretty expensive. Probably looking at two 2' T5's but will continue looking for them somewhere cheaper. I am also thinking about changing the gravel into something smaller and darker. I am also planning on repainting the inside of the box the tank is in to something darker. And then have also got to source some plant for the tank, which is the whole purpose for the lighting etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaNs Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 Try your local electrical wholesalers, they should do you a deal. Last time i got bulbs they where $4 a 6500k bulb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 We go to wholesalers like Mastertrade places Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 Whats the dimensions of the inside area of your hood? Did you want one tube or two tubes? I'll be able to tell you what to ask for. I go to Advance Electrical, but Mastertrade is just as good. NB: wiring it up requires electronics knowledge etc, so if you're not confident its a good idea to get help from somebody with more experience. Another option is to just buy a pre-made unit from local pet store to sit inside the hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan44 Posted September 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Whats the dimensions of the inside area of your hood? It measures in at 62cm length wise, and 31cm across. Would prefer 2 bulbs. I am pretty competent at electronics so should be able to wire it myself (or with some help from my dad) Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.