h4n

ya thats what i thought, i got 10 watts there the other day didnt notice anything higher, i'm going back later to check better (i was in a rush the first time)

Green_is_beautiful

Ok i just got back from walmart. Today they had only the 15W and 20W versions - and a spiral 30W.

I have the 10W CF from all glass and corallife and even though they are 6500K too the "sunlight" seems to make the red in my fish look a bit more realistic (pleasing to the eye) where the others tend to make it look more brownish.

Overall i am very happy with this find and wish i'd used them sooner (and not wasted my money on the allglass/ corallife).

I plan on trying 2 of the 40W or 4 x 20W over a 20G to see how that works out.

h4n

i also just returned from walmart got my self 2x25watt 6500k ones 4.85$ a piece nice find Green, thx

MatPat

For anyone who is a bit handy with DIY projects...

If you decide you want to upgrade your lighting, you could always go with ODNO (do a quick search on ODNO) lighting.

The cost for nearly 4wpg (48w x 4 bulbs =192w) on my 55g (not including the the canopy) was:

(2) 4x32 electronic ballasts - ~$60
( regular end caps ~$16
(4) 32w, T-8, 6500K Phillips lamps ~$16

Total ~$92

By simply removing two of the bulbs I can drop the wattage to ~2wpg. Replacement bulbs are dirt cheap.

For more flexibility, you could go with three 2x32w ballasts and have the ability to simulate a dusk to dawn type lighting schedule.

fishcrazy

Crazy set up. i like it!!!

do you have any algae problems???

BryceM

I had horrible BBA & GSA problems before I got my CO2 system and kept it at a consistent level. Since then, things have been good. I did have one episode of bad green dust that was pretty miserable, but I attribute this to misreading my cheap test kits and I let my nitrates get very high. Since getting Lamotte kits the tank has done great for a few months now.

BryceM

I went to WalMart today in search of the 6500K lights. I got two of them (all they had) and brought them home. They're 1/4" too long to fit inside my box ----- ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH

Still looking. I'm convinced 6500-8700K would look better.

h4n

the one in oxford Gb? i went the other day and there was a bunch

John N.

That's some out of this world light setup! Looks very ingenious and a lot of fun and hard work to built it. However for $91 I think an ahsupply.com kit might have done the trick too.

Anyways, I think it's really cool. On second look I thought you had a zillion CF bulbs in there, but it looks like your using a mirror for a reflector. Cool. What kinda tank is that, 46 gallon bowfront? It looks great, and obviously this setup is work for you!

-John N.

BryceM

The AH kits would have either given me 96 W (2 wpg) or 2x96 W (4wpg). I wanted a little more than 2 so I would have gone with 2x96 and run each for for 6 hours during a 10 hour period (2 hours of overlap). Cost for that project would have been:

$115 - AH kit 2x96
$66 - 2 x 96 W bulbs
$40 - pre-made enclosure

$221 - plus shipping.

replacement bulbs for me = 5$ x 8 = $40
replacement bulbs with AH = $66 + shipping.

I think I saved a few $$, had some fun, learned a lot, it works fabulously and now that I've accomplished that, I'll go with AH's kit next time for sure

Better reflectors = less wasted electricity