I've been running this tank for over 15 months. Recently the light fixture has begun to let off a musty smell. At first I thought maybe mold or dead snail behind tank, but no. This smell is surely coming from the light fixture. The white plastic reflector is warping, and the smell is strongest when the light is warm.
I plan on drilling holes the help vent the hood of heat.
Now I am wondering if anybody else has noticed this, and should something be said to Petco about the product.
I had something similar happen a long long time ago with a plastic light hood that was over the tank, my theory is that the plastic is fairly cheap and porous, and heating it up, cooling it down, heating it up again etc... causes the water that evaporates and builds up on the fixture to basically evaporate on the fixture over and over again, and it builds up the scent but it permeates into the plastic, cause no amount of washing made the plastic parts smell ok.
The fixture takes a standard T8 18" 15 Watt bulb. It is in fact installed in a Bookshelf which limits airflow. It is in fact a Bookshelf Aquarium by design and marketed as such by Petco. 24 inches in length maybe 9 inches high and 8 inches deep. It does look awesome on a bookshelf.
I'm gonna go ahead an drill the hood for better ventilation. I am just disappointed after growing plants in it for over a year and having them do so well, that things could come to an end due to design issues of the hood.
Well thanks for letting me vent. Here is a pic for you viewing pleasure.
Might be worth trying to rig up a small computer-type fan to get some circulation in the air around the hood.
I'd also check the material of the bookcase itself, see if there is any noticeably mold, mildew, swelling, or discoloration.
Good luck
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