450 G FOWLR lighting

[fishinchick]

Okay so I have this 450 gallon cylinder fowlr. I'm having a heck of a time with lighting. The old lighting is a couple of canopies sitting directly over the top that have shifted spectrum and are causing algae. I needed to get something possibly like pendants over it which is the preferred choice of the client. I really don't want to set something on top of the tank again and I definitely don't want anything that attaches to the side of anything

What I would absolutely love to find is some sort of screw in socket LEDs that are not going to cause lots of heat. I don't need anything terribly blue and of course I don't need a $500 Set of Lights. This is just a fish only system with no corals

Any suggestions or input would be great. I do not want anything long. I do not want halides

 

[elecbzerk]

I have had older T5 bulbs that caused some algae before, but every FOWLR tank Ive had I used T5's and just kept an eye on the PAR, basically lasted about 1 yr. Or maybe some of the cheaper freshwater LED fixtures. Also, you could try some softies that love phospates like GSP..never seen a fish mess with GSP and grew like wildfire in my FOWLR in my past.

 

[McPuff]

I would just get some cheap LEDs that provide a pleasant spectrum. No need to change bulbs or provide high intensity. These can all be hung in some way as well. Should work very well.

 

[on the spot]

...I needed to get something possibly like pendants over it which is the preferred choice of the client...

1/8 hardboard - a 4x8 sheet is fairly cheap. Rip a 6" length off the 8' edge, and bend it into a circle.

Would make a nice pendant type lamp hider - light enough to hang.

HTH

 

[PeteStarks]

You can grab some Chinese black box units for fairly cheap. I got tired of messing with the T5's in my aging light fixture and have been happy with the upgrade so far.