TropTrea
New member
Yes, aluminum is a $20 upgrade and it does not come painted. I was going to go with aluminum but I think that the fact I can't get them in black might be a deal breaker for the upgrade. My lights will be mounted in open air, no canopy, so I don't think that the steel case is going to be an issue. Figure with an open top and the lights being 10 or so inches above the water that the chances of corrosion will be minimal.
There is a big difference between steel and Iron. A good grade of steel will withstand most conditions while a cheap grade of steel will slowly rust in just exposure to air and normal humidity. Now if we are taking Iron like they list it will rust and corode regardless where you put it. In a room with a fish tank it will even rust faster.
If it is truely Iron the only solution is to clean the surface with steek wool then paint it with an epoxy based paint and hope that it does not chip in the long run.
The $20 upograde to alumnium is realy worth it. It will mahe the fixture much lighter as well as last much longer.