lights for a 3g

[kraftyforu]

i need some cheap good lights for a 3g pico ive started up. if anybody has anything let me know

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

What's the dimensions of your tank?

 

[kraftyforu]

i cant seem to find my tape measurer but its an eclipse system 3 if that helps

 

[Mariner]

You could probably just use a compact fluorescent spiral bulb in a clamp-on book lamp. You can usually find the CF bulbs at Lowe's or Home Depot or even Walmart. Look for 6,500k or 10,000K (kelvin), 10 to 25 watts.
HTH,
Mariner

 

[kraftyforu]

i was hopeing i could keep the hood on it and rig up something in the hood.

 

[Mariner]

What type of bulb socket does the hood have? If it just takes a regular screw in bulb, the CF spiral bulb will work... several of us use this kind of bulb to light our refugiums
Mariner

 

[kraftyforu]

it has one of those little double ended florescent bulbs

 

[Nitroq2]

If it has the screw in type you can get a 20 watt 50/50 bulb for it. I started with two of those in a standard 10 hood.

 

[Mariner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9063949#post9063949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kraftyforu
it has one of those little double ended florescent bulbs

Ahhh...well then, I don't see how you'd be able to keep the hood and have any other light than the little double ended fluorescent bulb If you are not planning on corals in this tank (just LR, snail, shrimp, and maybe a tiny fish) that lighting would be enough. Depending on how many watts it is, you could possibly also have some mushroom corals.
HTH,
Mariner

 

[kraftyforu]

its a 6w bulb. all thats in it is some zoos and mushrooms. i was hopeing i could rig up something in the hood to give me more light

 

[kraftyforu]

well ive gottin to the point where im going to have to build a small hood. i found a 50w halogen task light at Lowes and its nice and small for me but its a bit on the yellow side so im haveing to buld a hood so i can get some actinic in it also.

 

[Nitroq2]

Is that not going to overheat your tank? Halogen burns hotter, and usually less than 3400k not sure thats going to help anything other than algae. I would probably try a different approach.

 

[kraftyforu]

yea i pretty much got it just for the fixture and all its workings. i plan on changing the bulb out to a different type of bulb and do some small rewiring.

 

[Nitroq2]

Just looking I think you could put a single 50/50 screw in type bulb if you went with your own canopy. You can get a 20w 50/50 that one side burns actinic and the othe burns 10,000k. 20 watts over a 3 almost 7 watts a gallon. but you would still need a small fan even with that I would think, to keep the heat out.

 

[kraftyforu]

i also plan on getting this http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idProduct=CW1111
to help keep it cool

 

[Nitroq2]

Whew, that is pricey. here is what I was looking at http://www.amazon.com/gp/tagging/glance/50 50 bulb

 

[Nitroq2]

Also you might want to check with paul (KG4IZW) he might have made/purchased a chiller cheaper not sure. I think he used one from nanotuners.

 

[kraftyforu]

hmmm i might have to retry this thing and have it to where i can have 2 of those

 

[Nitroq2]

Yeah a fairly cheap way to do it and get good lighting. you could put them side by side one fixture at one end the other at the other end. I would try to use water safe fixtures with the rubber around them but any standard home fixture will work. side by side should work as you would have 7 inches or better in the canopy and they are about 2" across and 9"inches long where you have 12 inches. You should then still have room for a small computer fan on each end and then maybe not have to worry about a chiller.

 

[kraftyforu]

that sounds like a plan. lol you want to help?