# Desk Lamps



## Welsh (Nov 9, 2010)

Hi. A few months ago I bought a fish tank that came with no hood or lighting and after a few more months of looking I still can't find the suitable hood for my tank. A lot of people I've spoke to seem to use desk lamps to grow their plants and I was wondering whether the ones that I have found would be any good. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hansa-EasyF...4E/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1289308495&sr=8-21

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daylight-Tw...X0/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1289309345&sr=8-12

I would like my tank to grow the basic low light plants such as anubias, java fern, moss,etc and also cabomba and other bushy plants  

Thanks


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

I would not recommend the first one, as LEDs are not necessarily the best way to light up an aquarium with the current technology available to us at present. The second fluorescent light may possibly work, however, there may be cheaper alternatives.


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## Welsh (Nov 9, 2010)

I didn't realise it was an LED light, I saw 6400 kelvin and flourescent and thought it would be OK. lol. This lighting thing gives me a headache haha.


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## m8e (Oct 16, 2009)

Both are flourescent. The first might look like led because of the honeycomb _reflector_.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

I stand corrected; the first appears to be a fluorescent light after all. The reflector does appear to be quite poor though.

In addition, as I mentioned, like the second light, I feel that the fixture is overpriced.


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## Welsh (Nov 9, 2010)

It is a little on the pricey side, however I've been looking for cheaper lighting tonight and came across a desk lamp that needs an 11 watt PL bulb. I found the bulb on Amazon which is 6500K, I'm just wondering whether the 11 watt bulb is enough to grow the plants, or doesn't it matter since the colour temp is 6500k? Theres so much to get my head around lol


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Depending on the size of your aquarium, the reflectors, and what kind of growth you are looking for, a single 11W may be enough light.

Colour temperature has less of a role to play with regards to the growth of plants. 

Perhaps you can go to a hardware store and find cheaper light fixtures there? Any desk lamp fixture that has a screw in type socket will work.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Look for a desk lamp that uses a 27 watt linear quad Fluorescent bulb.
4-pin bulb. 6500 Kelvin temperature
In the US, the big box stores have fixtures by Hampton Bay that use this bulb. It works well on up to a five gallon tank.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Look for a desk lamp that uses a 27 watt linear quad Fluorescent bulb.
> 4-pin bulb. 6500 Kelvin temperature
> In the US, the big box stores have fixtures by Hampton Bay that use this bulb. It works well on up to a five gallon tank.


I am using a fixture that has that bulb as well as two normal clamp on desk lamps with spiral CFL's in them. I get plenty of light out of the setup on my 10 gal, and it does not look to entirely bad.


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## Welsh (Nov 9, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> Depending on the size of your aquarium, the reflectors, and what kind of growth you are looking for, a single 11W may be enough light.
> 
> Colour temperature has less of a role to play with regards to the growth of plants.
> 
> Perhaps you can go to a hardware store and find cheaper light fixtures there? Any desk lamp fixture that has a screw in type socket will work.


Its a 6.5 UK gallon tank which is about 8 US gallons. 

I have been looking in hardware stores for normal energy saving bulbs and I found a 18watt philips genie daylight bulb but I think the colour temperature is about 2400k.


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## Spachi (Oct 27, 2008)

Whoa, UK gallons aren't US gallons?


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## Satirica (Oct 3, 2005)

What you might want is http://www.amazon.com/Sunlight-Lamp...2?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1289405399&sr=1-2. It uses the 6500K bulb shown above.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Spachi said:


> Whoa, UK gallons aren't US gallons?


Not at all. ;-)
Google it. 


Hey, maybe that's where the insane "advertised" MPG ratings come from.


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

I remember seeing a post awhile back in which somebody commented about how a certain desk lamp was probably ridiculously commonly used by people with nano tanks. I can't find the thread, but it was probably a Hampton Bay desk lamp. Home Depot sells a clip-on for 9 or 10 bucks, and I wonder if that's the one he was referring to.

edit: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


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## GitMoe (Aug 30, 2010)

Im pretty sure this is the Hampton Bay lamp that is extremely popular with the nano crowd available at Home Depot....


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## kevmo911 (Sep 24, 2010)

That's probably it, but I just did a search at homedepot.com and didn't see it. Got any other info on it?


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## Satirica (Oct 3, 2005)

kevmo911 said:


> That's probably it, but I just did a search at homedepot.com and didn't see it. Got any other info on it?


I linked to that exact lamp sold on Amazon just before your post.


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## Prostock442 (Oct 22, 2010)

I don't think there are Home Depots in the U.K. That's where the original post is from. I'm still having trouble with light in my 30G. Currently using a 4' shop light with 2 40w T-12 tubes. I think my plants are all dying. Time will tell.


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## Welsh (Nov 9, 2010)

No they don't have those lamps over here, or on Amazon UK. I did come across this lamp though, which is 27 watts, 6500k and a lot better priced than the other 2 links I posted. What do you guys think, any good? 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lifemax-Vis...PK/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1289490919&sr=8-11


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

That is what we had in mind. 
Interestingly, or probably annoyingly to you, you pay more in Euros that we do in dollars for the same lamp.


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## Prostock442 (Oct 22, 2010)

This is the one I'm thinking on getting if my 4' shop lights don't start working. Figured I'd get 3 of these with a Plant Lamp for each.

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...-1373-FL-300NPDQ12&storeId=10151&rel=nofollow


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## Welsh (Nov 9, 2010)

Ahh so its the same lamp as you suggested? I thought it looked similar lol.
We don't use euros over here, its pound sterling I'm not sure whether that makes any difference though, I suck at maths aswell as lighting haha


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