OK. So I have the stock lighting fixture that came with my 47 gallon vertical tank. It is a 20 inch fixture that takes 18inch florescents.
I replaced the stock 6700k bulb with an 18,000k bulb and noticed a BIG improvement in color quality while the light isn't visibly brighter.
So...if one bulb is good, then 4 must be far better. Especially with a deep tank.
And my idea follows...
I have 4 under cabinet fixtures that use the same size bulbs and similarly rated starters/ballasts.
If I could make up a frame with aluminum to fit the open section of my top(over my glass cover) and then mount the sockets for the 4 bulbs in place and then do the following....
Front to back bulb order....
1. 18,000k
2. Actinic
3. Actinic
4. 18,000k
I would then wire them up to be on seperate timers with the Actinics coming on for about 1.5 hours then the 18,000s coming on for about 7 to 9 hours then off and just the Actinics on for 1.5...
I am also curious about using cut pieces of mirror to make a reflector array as well. I know a company that has always given me great deals on cut glass and mirror and would happily cut the mirrors to any size I would need and due to the small sizes, may very well do it on the extreme cheap...
So what do you guys think? I have the idea in my head so it is hard to explain what I have in mind but I don't have the money for MHs.
Not going to have anything too incredibly exotic in the tank. Just some shrooms, a few polyps, some Xenia, and a few fish and inverts.
I replaced the stock 6700k bulb with an 18,000k bulb and noticed a BIG improvement in color quality while the light isn't visibly brighter.
So...if one bulb is good, then 4 must be far better. Especially with a deep tank.
And my idea follows...
I have 4 under cabinet fixtures that use the same size bulbs and similarly rated starters/ballasts.
If I could make up a frame with aluminum to fit the open section of my top(over my glass cover) and then mount the sockets for the 4 bulbs in place and then do the following....
Front to back bulb order....
1. 18,000k
2. Actinic
3. Actinic
4. 18,000k
I would then wire them up to be on seperate timers with the Actinics coming on for about 1.5 hours then the 18,000s coming on for about 7 to 9 hours then off and just the Actinics on for 1.5...
I am also curious about using cut pieces of mirror to make a reflector array as well. I know a company that has always given me great deals on cut glass and mirror and would happily cut the mirrors to any size I would need and due to the small sizes, may very well do it on the extreme cheap...
So what do you guys think? I have the idea in my head so it is hard to explain what I have in mind but I don't have the money for MHs.
Not going to have anything too incredibly exotic in the tank. Just some shrooms, a few polyps, some Xenia, and a few fish and inverts.
