# Sietch's DIY Rimless 122g - Light fixture test



## banderbe (Oct 10, 2005)

pretty ballsy filling it for the first time in your house!

how much did you spend on the materials for the tank itself?


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## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

Looking awesome! Can I ask the reason for the odd sizing?


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## RobChuck (Mar 9, 2006)

The tank looks very nice! How thick of glass did you need to use for the walls to avoid crossbraces or Eurobraces?


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

*banderbe*:
Not much risk, as you can see the living room is 30cm below the rest of the house, it is all tiled with large glass doors openning on the garden...
So in case of leak all I have to do is to push water outside :thumbsup: 

Under special instruction from Home Prime Minister :icon_roll I removed the carpets before the test  
In the worst case only the couch's feet would have been wet !

On the other hand, and based on Scolley's experience, I also choose to test it on it definitive stand to be 100% of the rigidity and levelling of the support.

Also you can see that the filling hose is in the water and (still) connected to tap : it could be use as a reverse siphon in seconds to start emptying tank in case... 

Cost: roughly 300 US$ for glass (12mm thickness) plus 18 US$ for silicone that I brought from France (no high tensile strengh silicone available here).

*AaronT*:
Thanks but I still have to clean a LOT of silicone :icon_evil 

The odd dimensions are because I am using some Ikea kitchen doors, as hinged doors in the front of cabinet (you can see the hinges), but also to cover sides and back !
I will post some pictures of these.

Sietch


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

*Stand picture*

Here is an image of the 'almost) completed tank before I removed doors and sides to be able to use the stand as support for gluing the glass:










You can see that doors and sides are rising above support level : this will allow them to hide the bottom glass an seam.

My first intention was to have the stand directly on the floor, but the floor is not levelled at all at this location so I had to fit some adjustable feet (from Ikea again, primirally sold for bathroom furniture) under the stand.
I fitted 8 of these to minimize weight on each of them.
I also had to cut them to 5cm as they are sold at 15cm height and I wanted to minimize overall height.

Sietch


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## Brilliant (Apr 11, 2006)

Isnt that where Garfield always sent Odie?

Just looking at that tank makes me nervous I couldnt imagine owning it.

Nice job, everthing looks great! I wish I had tile like that.


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## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

Don't forget Nermal too. He gets shipped to Abu Dhabi several times. 

That's a nice looking stand as well. Is the tank going to be there permanently or did you set it up there for testing purposes? I like the idea of being able to walk around the whole thing, though it makes for a challenging aquascape.


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## Anti-Pjerrot (Jan 20, 2006)

I see a lot of IKEA ... the chairs and the low black table... And the children chair is Trip-Trap (Danish)... Scandinavian furniture is widely spread...

By the way the tank is looking awsome. I like the size and dimentions. 

What are your plans for light?


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## TheOtherGeoff (Feb 11, 2003)

i also see a big eheim canister chillin off tot he side. this is gonna be a neat tank.


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## jay1st (Jan 22, 2006)

Nice job !

Are you planning to put some foam or what ever between the stand and the tank (just in case)?

Super boulot..........


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## quilting chick (Jul 14, 2006)

You are so brave. I don't think I could talk my DH into letting me test it in my LR. (It's not tile, but it is vinyl.) It's beautiful. Simple, classic, beautiful. Congratulations! I can't wait to see it filled.

Terri


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Thank you all for your comments !

*AaronT: *Yes the intent is to have the tank permanently at its present location !
I have two childrens, 5 and 2 yrs old : they will both have one side to look at directly at their height as you may have notice that there is a 30cm height difference in the room  

But I know for sure that the scape will be challenging, especially for a beginner like me...and due to the limited choice of plants available here  

*Anti-Pjerrot:* Are you working for Ikea or (like me...) do you know their catalogue by detail ???
This thing is a treasure for DIYers.....

*TheOtherGeoff:* Good view ! It's a 2028, and there is a 2026 from my other tank that will join this one...

*jay1st:* There is already foam under the tank: a thin sheet of extruded polystyrene called Depron (can be found at DIY stores for insulation, also used by R/C hobbyists for building very light indoor planes, one of my other hobbies....)
Mode French on : Merci pour le commentaire, je vais essayer de poster en parallele sur Aquasquale !
Mais c'est ici que j'ai eu l'inspiration et les conseils, a eux la primeur !
Mode Francais off !

*quilting chick:* Thanks for the comment !
BTW, I don't know if I am brave of crazy, please ask my wife for confirmation :icon_mrgr 

This WE is for plumbing and lightning...
I will post pics of progress I any...

Sietch


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## pineapple (Jan 22, 2004)

Floor tiles are cool in more ways than one - and especially when it comes to minor drips. Here in NYC, with antique oak floors it's a different matter - especially with downstairs neighbors!

I imagine you have plenty of sand substrate available. But not much peat. ;-) I wonder what you will use for substrate when it comes to doing that? T5 lighting might work well on this setup.

I look forward to following your steps. Nice photos, by the way!


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## chickenball z (Aug 30, 2005)

what's right behind the stand...
from the picture, on the left of the stand are 2 steps... on the right it's just one big step (or dropoff)


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Thank for your comment !

Yes floor tiles are cool for that but if I have the coice I definitely prefer a real wooden floor !



> I imagine you have plenty of sand substrate available. But not much peat. ;-) I wonder what you will use for substrate when it comes to doing that? T5 lighting might work well on this setup.


You're right there's plenty of sand all around here :icon_mrgr :icon_mrgr :icon_mrgr 










I did put some in a corner my other tank, it is of red color and looks very nice ! 
And snails love to dig into that !
Unfortunately it is extremely fine and as long, long, long, time ago this place used to be underwater, the sand is raising hardness of water a little....
But I still may I use a little of it for a sand path or something like that...still thinking about it....

For substrate there is not much choice here..

Believe it or not, when I came back from my last vacation I had in my bags, 45 kg of substrate I bought in a well reputated small shop near Paris !
Fortunately the attendant at the registration counter did not charge me extra luggage weight for this roud: 

Sietch


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## Anti-Pjerrot (Jan 20, 2006)

hey Sietch

I dont work there, but since IKEA is so big in Denmark (I got 3 stores within a few kilometers) i recieve the catalog by mail (like all danes), and kinda know their "style". I only have 2 shelves (Since my girlfriend wanted them) but IKEA-stuff is found in almost any Danish home. My friends apartment is 99% IKEA furniture, cutlery ect...

I look forward to see the lighting and aquascape...


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## scolley (Apr 4, 2004)

*Congratulations!!!*

Hey Sietch, job well done!

I saw this and was thrilled for you. You've got to be excited! That big cube of water looks way cool in person doesn't it?!!

I'd really appreciate if if you could post a link to this thread from my tank building thread. People need to see that you can do it.

And also please do mentioned what you learned, how you deviated from my recommendations. We only learn from sharing. So if you have the time to share that, it would be great.

I'm especially interested in how you did your seams. You mentioned not getting a serious commercial silicone. THAT IMO took guts. I wish you the best on that one. But hey, most of my tank is held together with the regular stuff too. I only resorted to the expensive stuff after I couldn't get one side on right (multiple times I'm afraid).

Also, and not to laugh, :biggrin: but I noticed you said you had a LOT of silicone to clean. I know how hard that is. So I'd also be real curious, AFTER you've cleaned it all off, if you are glad you didn't take the time to mask and cover everything. Depending on how neat you were, I'll bet masking would have saved you lot of work overall.

But that's just me guessing, we all need to learn from YOUR experience.

Congratulations again pal! I couldn't be happier for you. Looks awesome too!:thumbsup:


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Hi Scolley,

Thanks for the comments !!!

And yes this big cube of water looks terrific !!!

Unfortunately, mine is not made of low-iron glass....
Now, I can imagine how incredible your tank might look !!!!
Next time may be !

I will follow your advice and add my experience to your tank building post !

As for silicone to clean, I still have to do this, the tank is still full (which is a good news in itself !) and I am working on the plumbing. I got my 2028 started yesterday.
I made the pipes out of white PVC as I did not get the courage to go with drilled bottom and bulkheads (do not forget it is my first DIY tank, big & rimless/braceless was my own limit this time  )

I am now working on the lights:
I am building a suspended fixture with plywood. Lights will be 6x55 W powercompacts with electronic ballasts.
Pictures will come later....

Sietch


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## Anti-Pjerrot (Jan 20, 2006)

6 x 55W sounds fantastic. Its gonna be a real treat for your plants :icon_wink


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## wendle (Feb 24, 2006)

nice work, the tank looks great.

I would be concerned about the strength of the plastic feet if the tank gets bumped or nudged sideways.


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Wendle, 
Thanks for the comment !

Those feet are made of steel, so I guess I do not face any problem....


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

*Plumbing started*

Here are 2 pics of my plumbing work :

Intake/outflow to the tank:









2028 hooked up in its side of the cabinet:









I need to do the same on the other side to connect the second filter.
One will have intake at gravel level/outflow at the surface and the other intake at surface/outflow at gravel level.


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

*Taking shape*

Right side view with the wood panel attached:









Now you can understand why the odd dimensions


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

And this is the reason worth all the efforts, this view:


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## fresh_lynny (Mar 9, 2006)

Sietch looks fantastic! Can't wait to see it progress....


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## jbrown (Jul 24, 2006)

Sietch31, your tank is impressive WOW!!:drool: 

Having lived in ME for a few years myself, I was tickled to see your sand-dune picture  (Sigh - fond memories).

Quick question, what are you doing for the water - if I remember correctly, the water we got was the processed sea water but still had lots of calcium/mineral deposits in it...(esp. if you boil the water, it forms a layer on the heater, you know what I am talking about 

Good luck with your tank. You have a beautiful house.:thumbsup:


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## Anti-Pjerrot (Jan 20, 2006)

Wow man. I am so envious of you right now. (Even though i just won this http://akvariesiden.dk/konkurrence/effectline.jpg 250L )


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Anti-Pjerrot said:


> Wow man. I am so envious of you right now. (Even though i just won this http://akvariesiden.dk/konkurrence/effectline.jpg 250L )


Did you actually won it ?????


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## Architect1 (Feb 19, 2006)

Wow nice update I can't wait to see more pics.


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## Anti-Pjerrot (Jan 20, 2006)

> Did you actually won it ?????


 yep - with 2 x 39W T5 dimmable canope (And i got so i can install 2 more)

But its not as good looking as yours.


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## wendle (Feb 24, 2006)

Sietch31 said:


> Wendle,
> Thanks for the comment !
> 
> Those feet are made of steel, so I guess I do not face any problem....


coolness.
as long as the mounting footprint where they screw up to the underside of the cabinets is pretty big you're all good.

that tank is gonna look great in that room when it is all green and lit up.


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## firethorn (Aug 9, 2006)

I must say that is a gorgeous tank..


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

wendle said:


> coolness.
> as long as the mounting footprint where they screw up to the underside of the cabinets is pretty big you're all good.


Those feet have a 2"x2" base plate screwed under the stand right under the four stiff bulkhead, I think its pretty safe.



wendle said:


> that tank is gonna look great in that room when it is all green and lit up.


Thank, I hope to see that soon !


firethorn: thank you for your comment and welcolme to the forum !
I am honored that your first post was here...althought lots of other members incredible tanks would have deserve it more than my empty tank...


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## pineapple (Jan 22, 2004)

That photo of your sand is an award winner alone. Your glass water box is amazing. I look forward to seeing this story unfold and I will refer to it when I build a similar aquarium in the future.

I've been thinking for some time it would be nice to use less power to maintain an aquarium. In the NE of the USA (where I am) one needs electricity to heat the water in the winter and to filter and aerate it year round. I have been thinking that it must be possible to channel solar light from the outside via a fibreoptic system of cables to deliver light to the aquarium. Having the aquarium near the outside wall might help. Having to switch light on and off would no longer be an issue. Fibreoptic cable is not so very expensive. I would have to do more research to see whether it is possible to have a larger collector on, say, the roof from which smaller fibreoptics could channel the light. Having a fibreoptic cable the area of the top of the tank would not be so practical... ;-) Maybe I am dreaming here... Back to the drawing board.

Look forward to hearing more from you.


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

pineapple said:


> That photo of your sand is an award winner alone.


Thanks !
But in my opinion this photo (and specialy the one reduced to fit the forum) is really not very good....exposure, contrast.....:icon_roll 

Well I'll stop here it is not a photo dedicated forum... 

Regarding the sun light and your idea of fiber optic to drive it from roof to tank, I think it may be difficult..
You will first have to concentrate sun rays in highly focused and high intensity, fiber optic diameter rays of light I guess...

But it may be worth thinking about it :icon_idea


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

OK I made this afternoon a first mock-up of what could be a light fixture above that tank :

Side view:










Front view :











ON these pictures, the "thing" is hanged 27cm (a little more than one foot) above water surface.
Any input will be more than welcome to try to improve :icon_smil


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## scolley (Apr 4, 2004)

Sietch, I don't know a thing about light fixtures, but I think it _LOOKS _awesome!

For the hanging hardware, it looks like great stuff. But if this doesn't have the functionality of the "grip-lok" cables that they sell with Tek lights, you should take a look. They have a little sliding grip mechanism that makes raising your light almost as easy as just lifting it up. It's quite convenient for a cable mechanism, and comes in handy when you want to get your suspended light out of the way a bit. Give'm a look at reef geek.

Either way though, that fixture looks outstanding! :thumbsup:


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## Jason Baliban (Mar 3, 2005)

Thats a pretty slick system.

Do you think you could have the braces coming from the sides instead of the back? I would do that if it were possible.

jB


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Thanks Scolley !

But I am still not convienced that it is right:
It obstructs the view of the surface more than I would whish (and the photos are at the best angle)....
It is may be a little high above water for very good light efficiency....

Thank you for the link to reef geek and their suspension device : i do not understand how it works but it seems to be great !
However, 30$ a piece (x2) plus shipping to UAE (if they do that) is quite expensive for two pieces ot SS cable to my opinion...

Those two cables with ends and screw stops devices cost me less than 10$ at the local Ikea store !
I can adjust them by slididng the upper stop device, not easy but no big deal either...


I will continue on that way and fit the PC lights and ballasts that I have already to go t othe end and check everything, them I will see if this will be worth keeping of go to metal halides....or nothing !


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Jason Baliban said:


> Thats a pretty slick system.
> 
> Do you think you could have the braces coming from the sides instead of the back? I would do that if it were possible.
> 
> jB


Thanks !

Yes I try to make it as "minimal" as possible....
In a definitive version I think I would try to build that "box" 1 or 2 cms thinner...

I thought about fitting those braces on the sides, even thought to a complete kind of arch supporting the light...
I finally went for the present solution thinking that in case we move in another home or change the location of the tank this set up would fit well along a wall.

Home Prime Minister has still not given 100% green light for the central location of the tank :icon_roll 

Lots of elements to be taken in account in such a project :icon_mrgr


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## Architect1 (Feb 19, 2006)

Vary nice tank again but what I would do to make it a little stronger is to put a cross brace in the back and then put on each pice of steel over hang a 35 or a 45 if you can get it in there. I like the set up so far.


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Architect1 said:


> Vary nice tank again but what I would do to make it a little stronger is to put a cross brace in the back


Thank for your idea, but I am not sure I understand well...

Where would you put a brace ?

And what do you mean by:


Architect1 said:


> put on each pice of steel over hang a 35 or a 45 if you can get it in there.


 ?


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## Guillermo (Dec 19, 2005)

Hi Sietch, I've been following this thread since the first day, it's an awesome setup, congrats and keep us posted !!


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The tank looks great! But the stand is absolutely beautiful!! I really like the appearance of it, and using kitchen cabinet doors like that is a great idea. My wife and I made our first visit to IKEA last night. I could wander around in that store all day and never run out of things to look at. Please keep posting photos of your progress as you complete this whole setup. (One final congratulations - you picked a great Home Prime Minister! Mine would be in a dead faint if I filled that tank in our living room like that!)


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## Badcopnofishtank (Jan 20, 2004)

One of the big things for testing lamp height is the positioning of viewing areas nearby where people sit frequently. If you find the right height for the lamps over the tank, sometimes the lights shine right in your eyes from the viewing areas. It can be very frustrating to find the right balance.


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Hello all !

I have quite a bit abandonned this thread ...

I posted earlier some pictures of my height-test for my light fixture, but it was an empty box !

Here's a look at what's inside :



















And here is the first lighting test :










It is quite bright when all six PC lamps are on !!!!

And I have no reflectors (yet)...

Here is the first picture of the tank, lightened with only two lamps (!):


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## TimT (May 19, 2006)

Great project!

Although Scolly keeps telling "everyone can do it"  i'm still in awe that you can build an entire tank from scratch!!

Funny thing is that your design, including the lighting, is almost exactly like I'm planning for about 9 months. 
I saw on your last photo's that your electronic starters for the lamps are on the "underside" and next to the lamps. Aren't you afraid that evaporated water builds up under your hanging lights and might cause problems with the electronic parts hanging there????


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## Anti-Pjerrot (Jan 20, 2006)

:thumbsup: looking good


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Well, what a great thread. The tank looks so......SHARP! I'll be curious to see how that sand acts/looks over time.

I don't think, with the current amount of space between the tank and the lights, that evaporation would be a huge deal. 

Are you thinking of DIY reflectors? It doesn't look like you have much room height-wise inside of that "raised canopy".


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

You can buy AH Supply reflectors without getting their whole kit. They would be very light weight and would nest for shipping, so it might not be too expensive. They are great reflectors and would almost double the amount of usable light you get from those bulbs.

This project continues to be an inspiration. How are you handling CO2 injection?


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Well its been a while since I came here last time, so I will try to answer last of your posts :

*TimT*:
Thank you !
Go ahead that is not so difficult. I have seen the threat you started and as far as I can gve you advices I will try to help you.

As for the evaporation in the hanging light, I am not too concerned as this is hanging 25cm (1 foot) above water.
Time will tell...

*Anti Pjerrot*: Thanks !


*esarkipato:*
For time being sand is OK, with a small built up of either brown algae or brown tanins from the driftwood...
That remainds me that I need to update my photo album thread....


*Hoppy:*
I am still thinking about reflectors...
I didn't see that AH Supply was selling only their reflectors, although these are not cheap.
I just sent them an enquiry for a quotation on shipping costs to UAE...
But at this time as it is tank starting pahse it is not a big problem to keep it relatively low light/efficiency.

As for CO2, I don't have it yet, and I will monitor the tank in the coming weeks to understand if there is need for it or not...
I am keeping only "easy" plants (cryptocorynes, valisneria, echinodorus and anubias) and I am not planning to add more apart from one nymphaea.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

You do have a lot of light! I doubt that you can avoid using CO2 with that much light. But, at worst you will just have to clean the algae out and try again with CO2.


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## Sietch31 (Feb 13, 2006)

Hoppy said:


> You do have a lot of light! I doubt that you can avoid using CO2 with that much light. But, at worst you will just have to clean the algae out and try again with CO2.


I am not lighting with full power right now.
First two weeks I lighten 2x55W for 8hrs/day.

For one week now I am lighting 2x55W 9 hrs/day + 2x55W 2hrs/day.

And without reflectors (only white paint as you can see on the pictures).

Do you think it is a lot of light ?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Wow, amazing...just saw this thread for the first time just now....beautiful!


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Sietch31 said:


> I am not lighting with full power right now.
> First two weeks I lighten 2x55W for 8hrs/day.
> 
> For one week now I am lighting 2x55W 9 hrs/day + 2x55W 2hrs/day.
> ...


Now that I stop and think some more....that light fixture hangs above the tank, right? If it does, that greatly reduces the amount of light you have. Without reflectors directing virtually all of the light down into the tank, a lot of it will spill over the edges of the tank. So, my guess is that if the fixture is about a foot above the tank, you don't have very high light, and you can go without CO2. You could raise it some more if you start to run into algae problems. Light is the primary driver of algae. Sorry if I worried you about this.


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## CardBoardBoxProcessor (Sep 17, 2006)

do reflectors matter much? I men it is is a mirror thatis flat.. doe sit not sjut bouce light back down at the light and not into the tank?


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Most reflectors are, roughly, in a V- or parabolic shape. Well, the good reflectors are shaped like that. This collects light from around the top half of the bulb and directs it past the bulb back into the tank, rather than letting it spill out.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

Reflector with lamp clips holding the bulb.


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

The only thing I see troublesome with raising the fixture to reduce light is, as already mentioned, the surrounding viewers being blinded! 

On the other hand, you made a good decision to be able to waaaay up the lighting if you want in the future (and stick some co2 in there).

This is gonna be one to follow (as long as you keep us updated, Sietch!).


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