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Need some help picking proper lighting for my 20L

2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Desolas 
#1 ·
Hi, I'm new to planted tanks(and plantedtanks.net). Yesterday I bought a 20gal long (30'' x 12'' x 12''). I'm pretty excited about getting it set up, but I've run into some trouble picking lighting for it. Currently I have a perfect-a-lite top w/its default lighting - "Eclipse F18T8 Natural Daylight" which looks like the one in this picture http://www.bulbman.com/browseproducts/F18T8CW30.html. The bulb itself is of the 22 inches long variety. So, I'm trying to order proper lighting from Dr Fosters (to save on shipping, I'm poor), so which, if any, of these choices would be the best(and cheap) for my new planted tank, or could anyone suggest something better? I'm pretty open to options.

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http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3783&Ne=40000&R=84&N=2004+113176 - the CD-518992 Ultra-Daylight Twin Tube 8800K (65 watt, 22" L) Regular $ 32.99 Special 16.99

Would 65 watts for a 20L be considered "high" lighting? is 8800K too high? I don't wanna wash out my fishies with too much light.. :( Would the pins even work with my current light? What would I need to do to make it work?
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http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=11422&Ne=40000&R=107&N=2004+113176

I guess the 65 watt options. Once again, would they even fit in my current setup? How would I make 'em work :-/

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http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8069&Ne=40000&R=489&N=2004+113176

I guess any of the 55 or 65 watt options on the page, but once again, I have no idea how to pick which one would work with my system :(
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Any insight would be MUCH appreciated. I'd hate to pick the wrong thing and be outta the money, or deal with the hastle of returning it, or worse yet, postpone setting up my fish tank ! Thanks :)
 
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#2 ·
hey nebulous,

welcome to the board.

I think most pople would tell you to go to http://www.ahsupply.com
for lighting retrofit kits. They're well made, and inexpensive. I'm saving for one now :)

I'd recommend going for the 1x55watt package. I don't see why you'd need anything
more, being that you've got a 20g. That should promote plant growth, but not
let anything get too out of hand.

Good luck!
 
#3 ·
You'd have to consider the length of the tank. With a 22" bulb, like the 55/65W PC bulbs, you would only light the center and have some pretty dark sides! Also, none of those bulbs will work with your existing fixture, you would need a different ballast and fixture.

If you want to go the PC way, AHSupply is indeed a good place. There you could get the complete kit, including a pretty good reflector. And you could choose the 55W kit, for a center-weighted lighting, or better, a 36W and a 13W kit, which together should light the 30" alright.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies! :)

I guess I decided on ODNO - so I hit up the hardware store this evening and picked up a pretty nice ballast, and 2 17w lights, each light is 2x overdriven, so I'm looking at, correct me please if I am wrong, around 68 watts total? I've tested it briefly just all connected up w/electrical tape and it seemed to work fine and was signifigantly brighter :) Now I'm in the process of making it look purdy and fit in the housing properly. Hopefully I'll be done by tomorrow.

Does this sound like a decent lighting system for a 20g long? I'm definitely going to have co2. Thanks!
 
#5 ·
ODNO seems to be the cheap alternative that works, just make sure you keep your heat issues in check with a fan if needed. I am running two overdriven 4x 20W bulbs over my 20 long myself and am enjoying it greatly.

Two 17w lights should be enough to give you some decent results I think. Make sure you wire nut your connections though, twist and tape is not a good method for long term use in an area that may get hot.

If you've got a camera, take some pics and post what you've done. We're all interested in DIY projects.
 
#6 ·
Whew, I've basically finished the project - I have some pics too, just need to find the cable to my digital camera :-/ Anyway, I don't have a reflector right now, so I need to make one, any suggestions? I have some foil tape that I was thinking about using to tape the interior housing where the lights are as a reflector, but I wasn't sure how effective that would be...otherwise, I might just paint it white or something, I'm not sure. Does anyone have any experience w/foil tape? Does it work well? Or should I do somethin else?

Thanks!
 
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