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Any Aussie APC users? I need you!

2K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  BiscayneBoulevard 
#1 ·
I hope this is posted in the right place...

I am looking into upgrading the lighting on my 35 gallon goldfish aquarium, and have not been able to find much in Australia (specifically Sydney). Currently on the tank I have a two foot Dalbarb reflector with two tubes (18 watts each). Since this isn't really enough light to grow much, I wanted to upgrade the hood - I thought I'd be clever and buy normal fixtures from a hardware store instead of spending the exhorbitant prices at all the lfs. My problem is, nobody makes 3 foot lights except aquarium companies! But that's alright, no problem, I'll just buy two 2 foot fixtures with cords and stick them in my hood (while we're here - is it okay to put fixtures onto the "door" of the hood? The part that flips up for feeding?)... but no, it seems that they don't make 2 foot lights with cords. I'm not particularly handy, and don't fancy electrocuting myself, so don't really want to wire my own. For Aussie users, I have been to three different Bunnings, Hardware and General, **** Smith, Tandy's, and two wholesalers, all to no avail! There are small 1 foot fixtures (with cords) that give 60 watts of light, but these are somewhere around $50 each. I can buy a 3 foot single tube Dalbard fixture online for $74, so I don't really think it's worth $100 or $150 for two or three of these little 1 foot things........

Is there no where that I can buy cheap lights in Australia? Can anybody help me out?

Also - I haven't been able to find blue led lights (for moonlights)... would my best bet be a junk store? I've heard of American users buying strings of blue led lights for $10 or so - all of the fairy lights I've seen here are $15 - $30....

Is there any way?!

How funny, it censored the shop.... anyway... Aussies will know what I meant.
 
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#2 ·
Hey BiscayneBoulevard,

If you specified what type of lighting you were after it would be easier for others to respond. I guess as i have seen Dalbarb lights before that the fixture you have is T8, were you still looking at having the same type or changing to PC or T5?

There has been a recent growth in online aquarium shops , have you checked any of these out?
 
#3 ·
I'd like to keep my current T8 (I think they're T8 ) bulbs and add more fixtures - preferably shop lights as I thought I may be able to save some money. I can fit a single bulb fixture (shop lights only) behind my current dalbard reflectors, and I thought I may be able to put another on the flap that opens up. My problem is that I cannot find 3 foot shop light fixtures, and all of the two foot fixtures have no cords.

So, I can get a two foot single bulb fixture (without cord) from the hardware store for around $20. I'm not sure how much it would cost to have an electrician add a cord.

But that only gives me an extra 18 watts of light, pushing my wattage up to 54 (from my current 36 watts - a little more than 1 watt per gallon)

Actually, I could get another two foot fixture for the flap too - so far that is $40, not including the cost to have it wired up.

Now, there are 1 foot fixtures (I think they are T5 bulbs, or maybe even T12 - very thin) which are 60 watts - but would 60 watts coming from a 1 foot light be enough to light up a 3 foot tank? This light comes with a cord, and is $50.

My priority is saving money - I have checked out the online stores here, and the cheapest I can find are a single bulb 3 foot Dalbarb fixture for $74 (including postage) or $152 for a double tube 2 foot Dalbarb fixture. Quite honestly I'm not prepared to pay that much - I am still a student, and as such, in a state of perpetual poverty.

If I were to buy a $20 single bulb two foot fixture from the hardware store, and the $50 60 watt 1 foot fixture with cord, that's at least $70, not including labour to have the cord put on.

Is this making sense so far?

Or, is it possible that the tiny little 1 foot 60 watt fixture is sufficient?
 
#5 ·
So you're saying there is no possible way for me to get the light I need with my current lights plus another fitting with the same bulbs. What if I were to add a three foot double tube fixture plus my existing two foot double tube fixture? I don't want a high tech set up, I am trying to do this tank with the Walstad method, I don't need lights higher than 2 - 2.5 watts per gallon.
 
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