Fenriswolf Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 If I get a light fitting from, say, Mitre 10, is that unsafe? Because they're a hell of a lot cheaper. Was wondering if aquarium light hood somehow protect the connections from condensation or if you're paying for looks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quack Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 i have brought a fluro light from miter10 and it works fine had it going for about 6months now with out a problem. you just need to wire a cable with a plug on the end of it to it. i also replace the tubes for other ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Used battern fittings (stand fluro fittings) over fresh water tanks for years with no problems, but I would strongy suggest you use an RCD, but I hink you would be mad not to anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted July 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Used battern fittings (stand fluro fittings) over fresh water tanks for years with no problems, but I would strongy suggest you use an RCD, but I hink you would be mad not to anyway. Yes, well, I'd prefer uncooked fish! Oh, and me As for new bulbs - I'm thinking I might stick with el cheapo ones because (a) I'm not having plants, and (b) I'm keeping axolotls who aren't overly fond of bright light anyway so it's only really so I can actually see the little suckers! Any arguments against this plan? Along those lines, I was researching light bulbs and reading about full spectrum that is supposed to be the closest to sunlight. Now, if you wanted natural tone but lower light would you just get a lower wattage? Sorry if I sound dumb :oops: Final question: do ya just screw the top of the fitting to your lid (I have a wooden hood) or what? Would that be OK? Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quack Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 screwing it to you hood will be fine, the fluro light i got from miter10 had a clear plastic cover over the tubes anyway and came with 2 tubes and it only costed like $55 or something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 I just wrote this as a reply for a question in the beginners section, but it is applicable here too: I saw in the warehouse in the electrical section they have these short (30cm) fluorescent lamps for something like $4-7 each. They have a plug and cable going in one end and a clear plastic sheath over the light, then a cap and hook on the other end. I think they are designed as easily movable work lights. Anyway, I thought they could very easily and cheaply make good small tank lights. Just make a little cover to stop glare and direct light downwards. They are not the brightest, but probably ideal for what you want. The plastic sheath convieniently makes them splashproof. Stella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 I have never ever bought a lighting system or tubes from a lfs. Always bought plain stuff from trade warehouses. Just as good and a fraction of the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiverJohn Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Hi fenris... SO much to tell... I woudlnt nessasrily jump at the el cheapo flouro tubes. They altho not very bright, the colour may infact promote the growth of algae. Warm / Cool white tend to be quite hi in the red/ orange part of the colour spectrum - and unless you have a full range of bulbs lined up beside each other you would be hard pressed to see the difference. Also the el cheapo bulbs will probably only be a 'c' grade, ( or more likely an "e"!) this refers to the quality of the light, as you get closer to 'a's you are getting closer to teh quality natural daylight. I would be inclined to pay a wee bit more.. go for a good 'daylight' or if bunning's stock it the newer 'sky white' which is 8000K. If you are worried about "brightness" for your axy's, only put 1 tube over the tank. ( but i dont know how big your tank is ??) Hope that helps. JOhn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richms Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Thankfully we dont have the problem of 25 watt 4 footers like they do in the states, so any of the cheap fittings will be fine. To get the cable and plug, buy a cheap extension cord and lop the socket off, its cheaper then buying the plug on its own thanks to the crazyness of pricing. Put a cable gland on the fitting to stop the cable being yanked on and off you go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenriswolf Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 I woudlnt nessasrily jump at the el cheapo flouro tubes. They altho not very bright, the colour may infact promote the growth of algae. Ahh, that's great advice! I've actually only got a small tank (2') for my babies (4@ 1.5cm), but will be tranferring them to my 200L before they get too big. I originally was in no hurry but I'm beginning to think that getting the big one set up ASAP might be a better idea. I would be inclined to pay a wee bit more.. go for a good 'daylight' or if bunning's stock it the newer 'sky white' which is 8000K. If you are worried about "brightness" for your axy's, only put 1 tube over the tank. ( but i dont know how big your tank is ??) But surely it's possible to get the nicer quality of light in different "brightness" levels? I'm kinda confused on this :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiverJohn Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 But surely it's possible to get the nicer quality of light in different "brightness" levels? I'm kinda confused on this Yeah.. its called "wattage"... unless you go T5 and pay for a good electronic ballast which you can dim... What are teh dimensions of your tank?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Yeah.. its called "wattage"... unless you go T5 and pay for a good electronic ballast which you can dim... What are teh dimensions of your tank?? not really. the lighting stuff can be a bit Confusing. With fluro tubes wattage has little to no effect on "brightness" or you could say par. just thik of a 2ft tube compared to a 4ft tube. is the four foot tube brighter per Foot of tube There are different bulbs with different K (kelvin) rateings. depending on the K rating, this can give the impression of being brighter or dimmer. 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.