# Shop Light Growing Ability?



## Mark Fisher (Dec 29, 2011)

You're putting a 48" light over a 30" tank? Why? 

I had two shoplights over my 90 gallon and I could grow just about anything.


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## DaveK (Jul 10, 2010)

That's actually a fairly good and inexpensive way of doing things. A 48" shop light and off the shelf bulbs is a bargain. 

It's not going to look quite as nice or work quite as well as something like a two bulb T5 fixture and specialized bulbs. 

You may have too much light and to solve that you'll need to raise the fixture one way or another. You could also use a sheet of translucent plastic to block some of the light. See those thin 2'x4' sheets for use in a suspended ceiling in the lighting section.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Perhaps this will some inspiration on how to hang a light.

I started my 29 with 2 T8s. Could only grow low light plants in it. I think you could grow most these plants listed at plantfinder Probably not Alternanthera reineckii 'lilacina for it does better with co2 injected.


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## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

bevsies said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Does any one know if two _Philips Fluorescent 32W T8 48" Daylight (6500K)_ in a 4" T8 2L Shop Light would grow plants well?
> 
> ...


Any aquatic light has its ballast protected from water more over than any shop light. I pour over the lights on water changes. I have damaged my marineland lights this way. 

That being said, go with the shop lights anyways
cheaper
better growth you will get watch...


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

CO2 and shop lights on my 75g tank a few years ago...



That was early in the process too...it grew faster than I could keep up with and I ended up dialing it back and removing the CO2. I like to enjoy my tanks and not spend all my time maintaining them...and that's what I was doing...constantly trimming and moving plants and dealing with ferts and all that crap. Not my idea of fun.


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## frog111 (Feb 13, 2006)

I had two shop lights on a 55, DIY co2, no dosing, and I could grow anything. Home Depot might also have a 24" shop light, would work well for the 29 gallon.


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## Wheelchair Critter (Mar 26, 2016)

Don't know if these light count but at tsc they have a 48 inch led shoplight on sale under 50 bucks


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## MCHRKiller (Jul 25, 2008)

I use the diamond plate shop lights from Lowes on my 2 planted 75Gs, and planted 55G. I use a black version of what you posted on a 4ft 50G(petsmart special) as well. Same phillips bulbs you posted as well. Excellent results. The diamond plate ones from Lowes are actually pretty efficient and have good reflectors just the 2xT8s gives me a higher low/low medium lighting. Which is ample for most common plants. 

Shop lights are safe if you use glass tops or hang them an ample distance from the water. Honestly they don't look bad....I have them on tanks that are "out of the way" such as my fish room and bedroom, however if I painted a diamond plate one it wouldn't look much different from standard aquarium lighting so again not a bad deal at all.


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## Leeatl (Aug 8, 2015)

Wheelchair Critter said:


> Don't know if these light count but at tsc they have a 48 inch led shoplight on sale under 50 bucks


Do you have a link to that or is it Canada only ?


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