I have created..... a beast - DIY Aquarium Projects

doubleott05 · 11-15-2009, 06:28 PM

so i will post pictures soon but i was so excited about my new light canopy/hood

it is 288w

Break down:
6 x 22in T5 (3 x 6500k 14w and 3 x 5000k 14w) all connected

2 x 27w 6500k spiral bulbs

1 x 150w 8000k mh

this is all over a 60P ADA tank
thats about 18gallons
thats a whopping 16 watts per gallon BUAHAHAHAHAAAAA

WOWZERS

i have no algae or anything normal ferts
ill post pics soon

everything was hand made and it was designed to sit ontop of the tank and if i wanted to i can suspend it also

it was made from dense fiber board, plumbers straps(metal), lots of screws, black paint, paino hinge,chrome knob, screw in hooks, and two DIY electrical wires.

believe it or not i used very few tools:

el cheapo drill (already had it) $20
small assortment of drill bits $3
small assortment of paddle bits $5
cheap hand saw $8
cheap hack saw $8
and a cheap interchange able screwdriver $4

equals $28 only stuff i paid for
materials:

wood glue $2
foil $2
roll of plumbing tape $3
screws (coarse dry wall screws) $3 for 100ct
hooks $2
DIY electrical wires x 2 $8per
two 3x5 heavy duty fiber boards i forgot but i think about $10-15
small chrome cabinet knob $3
chrome 30in peice of paino hinge $5 i think
2 x 27w bulbs $4
2 x bulb sockets $2 per
3 x T5 strips $22 per
extra 14 guage wire $2
6 x 14 w 18inch flouro tubes $5 per tube
1 x aqua medic 150w mh fixture (had it laying around) about $300

equals $151 materials only stuff i had to pay for

all stuff bought at home depot (except MH and 14w tubes)

all prices are rounded

for a total of about $182

if you were to buy a light with this much power from a store or online you would be paying about $400-$500 and up

enjoy

ghengis · 11-15-2009, 06:46 PM

16wpg??? Holy special fishie sungalsses, Batman! Sounds like it'd be great for a reef tank... How long you had it running? I would be interested in how the "no algae" thing lasts...

Hurry up and post pics!!

ianryeng · 11-15-2009, 09:11 PM

wow, I am certainly interested to hear how this turns out but wont you have problems keeping up with the ferts? My main concern would be for your energy bill

hope it works out well!

doubleott05 · 11-16-2009, 04:28 AM

ill post pics at lunch today i took them last night but was so tired.

anyway i plan to add a 4in fan to it because the heat is crazy i neary burned a hand the other day yikes

ferts dont seem to be a problem keeping up with i have dealt with high octane lights for years now although i must admit i have never had 16wpg before but to remedy this i have always added a UV sterilizer and for all you fert nazis i dont think it impacts my trace elements any. the lights are on a timer and run with the CO2 for 12hrs a day every now and then ill get some specs of green spot algae but that is remedied with weekly maintince and its so minute you really dont notice anyway.

the reason i did this is because i like to get the most out of my plants color wise and the water just seems to shine when the filter polishes it under bright lights like this. i got some wallachii, stellatus, and aromatica that i want turning deep orange (i have seen wallachi this color), purple and bright pink.

as far as the energy bills goes i have all energy saving bulbs. being that im in the army they give me a certain allotment for that bill but if i go over i gotta pay the diff. this tank has been set up like this for about ummm 2-3 weeks with this lighting setup

like i say ill post picks at lunch in about 5.5hrs buahaha you will like
(.....never knew i could fit so much lights under a hood and i still got room for 2-4 more bulbs buahahah)

doubleott05 · 11-16-2009, 04:45 PM

pictures as promised sorry about not getting to it at lunch i didnt really get a lunch break to go home and upload them
needs a water change i think yellowing water
and you dont need all those fancy german reflecters just use foil
enjoy!!!