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Is there a cheap alernative to canopy lighting? I was thinking of using a buntch of desk lamps strung together. Is there anything else I can use to light a tank without paying an arm and a leg?

Put it in front of a window (can't get any cheaper than free


Kim

I usually go to home depot and get the stuff to build my own.

example. my 75 gallon

Went to home depot and bought a four foot flourescent fixture for $20. It is a dual bulb and comes with ballast that is suitable for T12 40 watt bulbs. The ends of the fixture are 3" lower than the sides so I purchased some thin metal wall trimming that is four inches wide. It comes in 8 foot pieces and I cut it in half and used some self tapping metal screws to attach it to the sides of the fixture. You will have to buy a cord and and cord end for it. The wiring for the cord is basic, but if unsure get someone who qualified to do the job.

The total fixture costs was about $36 compared to $80-90(cheapest I could find locally) for a dual 4 foot fixture.

The problem with desk lamps is that they use incandescents. This type of lighting is poor at bringing out fish colors, not that great for plants, and generates alot more heat than light. It's going to mean hotter water and higher electric bills for less light. Sunlight or lots of incandescent is going to give you a nice algae bloom. You can buy flourescent shop light fixtures of many sizes at places like walmart already put together. The 4' strip 2 bulbs that was on my 55g was $15 from walmart (cord and everything already there). They also sell lights for growing plants which are shorter and you can find other fixtures at hardware stores. That's the best way I've found to create a cheap low-medium light tank. Might be even cheaper than the desk lamps.