[TigerLilly]

So after much reading, threads, debate, time, and hard decisions I finally picked up a halogen shop light with two 150 watt bulbs. I realize that a lot of that wattage will be used up in the form of heat energy, but I ran out of options. I know that a lot of the light will not be going straight into the light, but I don't need it to. I'll post pictures of the tank after I have it all done.:thumbsup:

 

[Rex Grigg]

So you actually have closer to a 50 watt bulb?

Halogen lights are nothing more than fancy incandescent lights.

 

[Urkevitz]

Why couldn't you use a flourescent shoplight? A 64 watt t-8 shoplight is cheaper and brighter, and costs way less to run.

 

[TigerLilly]

Why couldn't you use a flourescent shoplight? A 64 watt t-8 shoplight is cheaper and brighter, and costs way less to run.

I know that halogens were not as efficient but I didn't know they were *that* inefficient!!!The highest wattage fluorescent shop lights they had there would give me under two watts per gallon.

 

[Rex Grigg]

I was mistaken. That's what I get for not checking. You have about 75 watts.

Incandescent to fluorescent is about 1:4

 

[TigerLilly]

::sigh:: back to the drawing board:icon_redf :icon_cry:

I have a question. I have a hood from a 29gallon that is outfitted to run two incandescent light bulbs. Can I just buy two CF spirual bulbs, of the highest wattage I can find, from walmart and put them into the hood? Will this work?

 

[Rex Grigg]

You can get bulbs around 25 watts each. They are at best 50% efficient. That means that if you get two bulbs you are going to get about 25 watts or so into the tank in the best case scenario.

 

[TigerLilly]

Why would I have 25 watt bulbs than? Why not 85 watt bulbs?

 

[Rex Grigg]

I doubt you can find 85 watt spiral bulbs.

You have to look at the florescent watts and not the wattage of the incandescent bulb they replace.

A common 15 watt spiral CF bulb will replace a 60 watt incandescent bulb. But for our use you have a 15 watt bulb.

 

[Boz]

Here's an 18W cf a friend just picked up for use in her incandescent hood. They were backordered, but she got them pretty quickly.
http://www.bulbman.com/index.php?main_page=product_bulb_info&cPath=4595_4628&products_id=9422

 

[TigerLilly]

Ok. I went to walmart today. The highest wattage CF bulb I could find was 42watts. This was the watts of the actual CF bulb not the incandescent bulb it would be replacing. You said earlier that they are only 50% efficient. Meaning that only 21 watts would be usable of the 42watt CF bulb?

 

[PAINKILLER1009]

Make sure the bulbs dont get to hot and burn the plastic of the hood.
I had two 20 watt bulbs in a 10g plastic hood and it started to bow a little. So I think the heat off 42 watts would be much more dangerous.

 

[whitepine]

Just go to HD and buy the cheap 4 ft. shop light. It should be around $9. then buy some nice T5 bulbs in the length and wattage you want. Cut one end of the metal shop light to the proper length for the bulbs. If you use these bulbs you won't have to cut anything.
http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/54w-48-inch-5000k-t5-ho-fluorescent-lamp-2pack-p-1019.html

Cheers, Whitepine

 

[Blacksunshine]

Just go to AH supply and get a retro fit kit. slap a couple PC's in it and your done.

 

[Rex Grigg]

whitepine. You forget one important thing. Cheap shop light ballasts generally won't fire T5 bulbs. So that would be a lot of wasted work and money.

 

[kunerd]

ah supply is your best option!

 

[macclellan]

the t8 shoplights homedepot currently has for $10 (here anyways) might be a nice compromise. the box is orange and white.
$16 w/bulbs = 64w.

I got two, you can see them in my photojournal.

 

[aman74]

ah supply is your best option!

I think the poster is trying to be price conscious.

In addition to the home depot options maybe try some of the hydroponics stores. And ebay stores.

Since you don't seem to be worried too much about cosmetics it seems that you can save alot of money at some of those stores. Maybe google the length of fixture and type and amount of bulbs you are looking for. I found alot of cheaper options that way. You just don't get the sleek enclosures.

Also, check Truvu. They have empty enclosures for retrofits. It's funny how all these places sell retrofit kits, but they don't sell enclosures because then you could just build your own for half the cost.

I'm trying to find some more enclosure options for retrofitting, but that was the first one I came across.

 

[TigerLilly]

I think the poster is trying to be price conscious.

Yes, I am. I'm a poor college student on disability. Can't work or drive right now. Therefore, I can't just go out and buy the top-notch $200 lighting system and another $200 on pressurized CO2. I just want to be able to keep my plants alive and propagate them. My budget is $40 for light total. That's it! That's all I have. The AH kits are around $118 for what I would need, without shipping. Unfortunately, it's not an option for me. I think I'm just going to have to buy two shop light fixtures and put those over my tank. I saw a fixture that housed two T8 40watt bulbs. So I could get 160watts of light total, even though I realize that that amount wouldn't be going into my tank. Oh well.

 

[fredyk]

Try the Home Depot shop light. Gwapa.org has an article on overdriven shop lights from Home Depot. You get two lights and make it into one, using the two ballasts, each ballast lights one bulb, thereby overdriving each light bulb. Lotta bang for your buck.