# How To: DIY Cheap Good Quality Lighting



## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

Kinda similar to what I did with mine.:icon_smil










I just got 3 brushed steel desk clip on lamps from walmart and made use of shelf brackets to make the stand and brace for it.


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## Superluminal (May 28, 2010)

Nice job, that's exactly what I'm talking about. I only needed 1 for my 10G, but you can stack them across for the bigger tanks.

Yours seems to be working just as well as mine. :icon_smil


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

jeff what size tank is this?

also think i can do this on a 75?


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

I tried to make the set up as cheap as possible.:hihi:
tank and stand were from a petco renovation sale (roughly $50 for the tank and stand)
Cheap light set up, check.:icon_lol:

@problemman - this is a 20gal long

I kinda read i4x4nomore's experiment on cfl lighting before i decided to go with this lighting set up.:icon_smil
What are the dimensions of the 75gal?
It may be easier on the 20gal long as this is a shallow tank.


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

Is it possible to buy 2 ft strip lighting and use that in a 20H?


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

Its a standard 75


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

basing assumptions on i4x4nomore's experimental results, this may not work on a 24inch deep tank as the highest point of light source he has is about 18 inches from bottom of the tank which puts the tank at low light level using 23watts cfl.

I'm not sure if there is a higher wattage spiral cfl and if a higher wattage than the 23watts would work for a deeper tank.

Strip lighting as in LED's? I think Hoppy would be the man to look for regarding LED's.:icon_smil


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

problemman said:


> jeff what size tank is this?
> 
> also think i can do this on a 75?


It would be very low light at substrate, and low at mid tank. It would also take 6 or so to get an even distribution... while you could by an odyssea 2x54w off of ebay for 70 bucks for high light or a 2x65watt cfl odyssea for medium-high. (search for 2x54 or 2x65 to find them, using "odyssea" doesn't seem to work.)

I have had my odyssea for a while and I love it. especially for the price.


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

I think overstocked is right on this one.
It will be more economical to get a light hood for that bigger sized tank.


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## Superluminal (May 28, 2010)

jeffvmd said:


> I think overstocked is right on this one.
> It will be more economical to get a light hood for that bigger sized tank.


The only benefit I can see from a traditional strip light is an even distribution of light across the whole tank and the depth at which the light can reach down to. Because these are coming from a funnel shaped lamp, the light comes out in a cone shape. There is also a wattage limit you can run on these lamps. 

Also on larger tanks, you might need several lamps, which might get costly. I would say that this low budget setup works best on a tank that are 18" or less in height.

Regardless of these facts, it still does a terrific job and my plant growth has been excellent. This is the most economical route to go on a tank that's 18" high or less (i.e. 20G, 15G, 12G, 10G, etc.)


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

Strip lighting as in the shop lights with dual flourescent bulbs on a 20H


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Don't forget, Home Depot now has T5NO strip lights, both single bulb and dual bulb. They don't have reflectors, and it isn't real easy to add reflectors, but they are brighter than T8 strip lights, and not expensive either.


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

That's good news


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

Where did you guys find the 6500K CFLs? I went to HD and Lowes and could only find up to 5500K. Will that work?

to Hoppy: yeah I went to lowes for the T5 strips to price them - $23 and I think HD was $24. Thinking about that over my 10 Gall. Would that be overkill?
As for a reflector...could I jerry-rig some foil as a make shift reflector?


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

Guppygolucky~ was the price of the t5's just for your tank? Do you know what bulb is housed in it?


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

The t5's were just for the housing and it was 24" long. Bulbs were not included, I would have to get them from a LFS or some online store. I have right now a PowerGlo and FloraGlo on a 15gal (18"). I don't think there is enough wpg, so for the 10 I want to change it up a bit.


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

Does it just house one bulb?


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

no 2 bulbs, for the t5. I can't find it on their website, but i know that they have it locally. So you are just going to have to physically go into the store and look. It looks like the typical shoplights that you have on the ceiling, except they are 2 ft long and you can mount them as you want them.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

guppygolucky said:


> to Hoppy: yeah I went to lowes for the T5 strips to price them - $23 and I think HD was $24. Thinking about that over my 10 Gall. Would that be overkill?
> As for a reflector...could I jerry-rig some foil as a make shift reflector?


A 10 gallon tank is only 12 inches high, so you can't use the full light output of even T5NO bulbs. If you use the HD 2 bulb T5NO strip light in a wood box hood, with the inside painted white, I think you would get high light, but not too high. Don't try a reflector, or you get too much light. You could even get enough light with a single bulb HD T5NO strip light, but it wouldn't be high light - probably low medium light, possibly higher.


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

Hoppy said:


> Don't forget, Home Depot now has T5NO strip lights, both single bulb and dual bulb. They don't have reflectors, and it isn't real easy to add reflectors, but they are brighter than T8 strip lights, and not expensive either.


Yup they had T5NO strips but I wasn't able to find the 6500K ones in a nearby homedepot. They have T8(48") and T12(24",48") in 6500K.
The T8 and T12 are cheap. I think less than 10bucks for a 2 pack.



guppygolucky said:


> Where did you guys find the 6500K CFLs? I went to HD and Lowes and could only find up to 5500K. Will that work?
> 
> to Hoppy: yeah I went to lowes for the T5 strips to price them - $23 and I think HD was $24. Thinking about that over my 10 Gall. Would that be overkill?
> As for a reflector...could I jerry-rig some foil as a make shift reflector?


I got my 6500K CFL at walmart. they are like 6 bucks for a 2 pack of the GE CFL.


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

Walmart it is!
I thought this bulb would be funny to put above a 5gal Hex!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Feliz-Watt-Grow-Light-6500K/dp/B0034QE9ZY


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## jeffvmd (Apr 16, 2010)

That is one crazy bulb!:hihi:


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## choptop (Jun 27, 2010)

yeah it is a wierd bulb i have a 40 gal breeder that i made a wooden light hood and put 8CF spirals in it 23W 6700k that i bought at walmart plant growth was exelant so i traded out three of the bulbs for a 50/50 to make the tank alittle more white then that piss yellow that comes with the 6700k lights and it took some of it out but not all of it.

as for my 55 i got lucky it came with a CF square pin current hood and it has two 10000ks and two antic bulbs and they make the water look clear and also the plants love the high light


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## problemman (Aug 19, 2005)

You do realize atinics and 50/50 bulbs do nothing for plants?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

problemman said:


> You do realize atinics and 50/50 bulbs do nothing for plants?


Most people don't like the appearance of tanks lighted with actinic bulbs, but I know of no testing that demonstrates that plants don't grow well with actinic bulb light. As long as there is enough PAR, the plants should grow, even if the tank looks terrible.


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## choptop (Jun 27, 2010)

its all to make the yellow color not be so bad make it a little more plesent to the eye and all my plants are doing great i get a huge amount of trimmings every other week from the two tanks


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

Was about to pick up the t5 double bulb enclosure at HD, but no t5 bulbs that had 6500K or more. Any ideas on where to get them?


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## reybie (Jun 7, 2007)

I have found some mini CFLs in the 6500-6700K range at my local walgreens.


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## guppygolucky (Nov 9, 2009)

to Hoppy: Since you have so much knowledge on the lighting subject. I was wondering: if I have in 2 CFLs (15W a piece at 6500K) that sits right on top of a 5.5 gal, how much lighting do I have?
If I wanted to grow plants, without CO2 or excel, should I cut down on the photoperiod? In there right now are peacock moss, christmass moss, and ricca.
If I move it to a norm 10gal, will the lighting still be enough or do I need to add in another bulb?
Thanks for your help. I ask you because I want answers...and you sir...have ANSWERS! (Correct ones!)


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