Tubes will allow you easier maintenance, you can make a fixture to operate like a drawer and move the lights out of the way for a whole row of tanks in one motion.......DCBasically I have a tank rack that is 4 feet long x 1 feet wide x 6 feet tall.
Distance from bottom to second bottom shelf: 24"
Second bottom to third bottom: 20"
Third to top: 20"
(See links for pictures: http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3825/96543971ip6.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/6997/66194108jp7.jpg)
Planning to have tanks in this either these formats:
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
OR
|-----------|
|[5.5][2.5][5.5]| (16" + 12" + 16" = 44")
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
Right now, I have 4x 10 gallons sitting on the bottom two rows.
On the middle row, the left-side tank is up and running with 3x 18" 15w fluorescent bulbs, 45w in total. The tubes are set up on the underside of the shelf above.
Plan (lighting is loosely defined): middle row = high light, bottom row = low light, top row = medium light. All lights secured on the underside of the shelf above.
I need some help on what to do with the rest of the tanks. I'm confused with the lighting requirements, as the footprint is different from typical dimensions.
One standard 10g's footprint is about 20"x12". Two side-by-side makes 40"x12". Also, since the depth is quite shallow, only 10", this might be a factor when it comes to the amount of light needed.
Does anyone have any ideas on what lighting system to do?
I'm thinking of going with 36" NO fluorescents on the top and bottom shelves because this would be ideal for a long, shallow tank footprint. If I run one tube on the bottom shelf, that would be about 30w for two 10gs. Then for the top row, 2x 30w would make 60w--ideal for a medium light set-up of 2x 10gs again. For the middle row, I might scrap the current 45w set-up on one side, reuse some of the parts, and go with 3x 36", 30w per tube, making 90ws for 2x 10gs.
What do you think?
Any ideas on lighting system for a tank rack?
Basically I have a tank rack that is 4 feet long x 1 feet wide x 6 feet tall.
Distance from bottom to second bottom shelf: 24"
Second bottom to third bottom: 20"
Third to top: 20"
(See links for pictures: http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3825/96543971ip6.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/6997/66194108jp7.jpg)
Planning to have tanks in this either these formats:
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
OR
|-----------|
|[5.5][2.5][5.5]| (16" + 12" + 16" = 44")
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
Right now, I have 4x 10 gallons sitting on the bottom two rows.
On the middle row, the left-side tank is up and running with 3x 18" 15w fluorescent bulbs, 45w in total. The tubes are set up on the underside of the shelf above.
Plan (lighting is loosely defined): middle row = high light, bottom row = low light, top row = medium light. All lights secured on the underside of the shelf above.
I need some help on what to do with the rest of the tanks. I'm confused with the lighting requirements, as the footprint is different from typical dimensions.
One standard 10g's footprint is about 20"x12". Two side-by-side makes 40"x12". Also, since the depth is quite shallow, only 10", this might be a factor when it comes to the amount of light needed.
Does anyone have any ideas on what lighting system to do?
I'm thinking of going with 36" NO fluorescents on the top and bottom shelves because this would be ideal for a long, shallow tank footprint. If I run one tube on the bottom shelf, that would be about 30w for two 10gs. Then for the top row, 2x 30w would make 60w--ideal for a medium light set-up of 2x 10gs again. For the middle row, I might scrap the current 45w set-up on one side, reuse some of the parts, and go with 3x 36", 30w per tube, making 90ws for 2x 10gs.
What do you think?
Distance from bottom to second bottom shelf: 24"
Second bottom to third bottom: 20"
Third to top: 20"
(See links for pictures: http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3825/96543971ip6.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/6997/66194108jp7.jpg)
Planning to have tanks in this either these formats:
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
OR
|-----------|
|[5.5][2.5][5.5]| (16" + 12" + 16" = 44")
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
|[10g] [10g]|
|-----------|
Right now, I have 4x 10 gallons sitting on the bottom two rows.
On the middle row, the left-side tank is up and running with 3x 18" 15w fluorescent bulbs, 45w in total. The tubes are set up on the underside of the shelf above.
Plan (lighting is loosely defined): middle row = high light, bottom row = low light, top row = medium light. All lights secured on the underside of the shelf above.
I need some help on what to do with the rest of the tanks. I'm confused with the lighting requirements, as the footprint is different from typical dimensions.
One standard 10g's footprint is about 20"x12". Two side-by-side makes 40"x12". Also, since the depth is quite shallow, only 10", this might be a factor when it comes to the amount of light needed.
Does anyone have any ideas on what lighting system to do?
I'm thinking of going with 36" NO fluorescents on the top and bottom shelves because this would be ideal for a long, shallow tank footprint. If I run one tube on the bottom shelf, that would be about 30w for two 10gs. Then for the top row, 2x 30w would make 60w--ideal for a medium light set-up of 2x 10gs again. For the middle row, I might scrap the current 45w set-up on one side, reuse some of the parts, and go with 3x 36", 30w per tube, making 90ws for 2x 10gs.
What do you think?
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
Tubes will allow you easier maintenance, you can make a fixture to operate like a drawer and move the lights out of the way for a whole row of tanks in one motion.......DC
That's actually a good idea--I have no idea how you make sliding drawers though, care to give some more ideas please? I'd seriously consider this.Tubes will allow you easier maintenance, you can make a fixture to operate like a drawer and move the lights out of the way for a whole row of tanks in one motion.......DC
I thought about CPF and clamplights, problem is, I have no space to hang them--there's not a lot of clearance between the tank and bottom of the shelf on top. I COULD mount the clamp lamps on the side, but that would make lighting uneven.yarrr clamp lights form lowes and Compackt floresant skrew bulbzzz
I've wiretied some of my old black light fixtures to the industrial shelving units (those black or chrome wired ones) and they basically consist of a light and the plastic fixture. It makes it a lot easier to move the light without having to use screws or anything. And if I break one of the fixtures it's only like $8.
However, I don't know how practical that may be for you...
Kevin
However, I don't know how practical that may be for you...
Kevin
Hey, I thought about the idea of a moving fixture, and I have decided not to go with moving lights. Knowing my clumsy self, fragile fixtures + movement = bad idea. It'll be in the back of my mind for now.I've wiretied some of my old black light fixtures to the industrial shelving units (those black or chrome wired ones) and they basically consist of a light and the plastic fixture. It makes it a lot easier to move the light without having to use screws or anything. And if I break one of the fixtures it's only like $8.
However, I don't know how practical that may be for you...
Kevin
Anyway I did some light fixture shopping today, the day after the big snowstorm. The streets had low traffic--which was awesome. I hit Canadian Tire, Rona and Home Depot.
I noticed that 36" fluorescent fixtures are really rare + even more expensive than 48"! On top of that, the bulb selection for 36" dwarfs those of the 48"s. So I decided that I might as well go for the 48"s, they're hard to beat in terms of variety, price, and overall durability, since manufacturers have perfected most 48"s bulbs--they have longer expected life.
I found a really good price for "used" double 48" T12 shoplight fixtures at Home Depot. The packaging box looked all worn out, but inside it were as if brand new.
Basically, the fixture is a metal box with a magnetic ballast + wires to each end cap, with a painted-white metal reflector to hide the wires + ballast. It came with chains to hang them as they were designed as shoplights, but I drilled them to the wood supports under each shelf.
The "new" double 48" fixtures uses T5. The ironic part is that it costs more money for the T5 bulbs/fixtures than T12s bulbs/fixtures... AND it costs more for less wattage. I'm sure there are some things in comparability that I don't know about though.
So now:
- 2x double tube T12 fixtures; $17 each
- 2x 48" 40w Philips Plant and Aquarium 2700k (I have used the 18" version since I started planted tanks, and have seen really good results with it); $5-6 each
- 2x 48" 40w Philips 6500k daylight deluxe; $7 each
1x 2700k + 1x 6500k for each 2 shelves, painted gloss white metal reflectors (which if you research will find to have decent reflectivity!)
So 80w for each shelf, that's about 4wpg for each 10 gallon!
160 watts total...all for the price of ... less than $60!
Edit: Link to the Philips Daylight Deluxe specs.
Good comparison of Philips Fluorescent Bulbs!
Just make a box out of 1x3s and mount drawer slides on it then mount 2x4s on your stand to hold it......DCThat's actually a good idea--I have no idea how you make sliding drawers though, care to give some more ideas please? I'd seriously consider this.
I thought about CPF and clamplights, problem is, I have no space to hang them--there's not a lot of clearance between the tank and bottom of the shelf on top. I COULD mount the clamp lamps on the side, but that would make lighting uneven.
1 - 6 of 6 Posts
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