DIY Light for a 60?

mysticganja420

Was thinking i need to get a good light for my 60gallon but what the pets stores sale are very nice but seem very over priced! So i was thinking whats the best/esyest/safest DIY light i can do? Will a shop style light work?? and if so how can i keep any moister/water from getting onto the bulbs? The light i would perfer is one that can grow plants(in case i ever switch up down the line) and over all make the tank as bright and visable without the "yellowish" tent you get off some lights.

Varkolak

I'm highly impressed with what i bought for $70 online for my 60gal planted I'll throw some links at the end of my post. If you want to DIY lights then look into white plastic gutters for reflectors and mounts, find ballasts and mount them to a peice of plastic and super glue it and run your wires back to a converter and plug - way to much hassle for me to do but I have a nice one that I got with a tank that was made like that

DIY Rain Gutter Aquarium Hood alot cooler DIY lights then the ones I have

Db Solarmax HE2 Dbl T5 Strip at PetCareRx.com
Buy 99 worth of product and petcarerx has a 30 off so i got the 48inch for 91 and some flourish tabs for free and paid 70, free shipping no tax

46" T5 28 Watt, 6500K 2 Pack at Menards
Swapped the blue bulb for a 6500k from menards but kept the 10000k and the color is great but you an swap both for better plant growth - My tank is thriving as is

mysticganja420

thanks m8 thats prob the best way to go and not to much.

Varkolak

Yup just note its high efficiency not high output so its basically a dual t8 and isn't considered high light. If you wanted the high output they sell it there as well and it will run you around 110 if I remember correctly but I would advise against it until you make the plunge to heavy ferts and co2 systems, all my plants are growing great even my dwarf baby tears which are a high light plant

mysticganja420

Oh he I would LOVE to have a fully planted tank like you see others have but always been a bit over whelmed when it comes to a CO2 set up and how that would work in heavy planted tank with fish(if even possible lol) but if I ever do would start smaller on my 20g hehe but the light looks good just need to get some Romney set aside for that as for the bulbs would home depot have them? The site you linked don't shipped the bolbs I myself am in southern California outside los angelus in San dimas so maybe that helps maybe not :P thanks again for the light link now that I have seen that its almost worthless for me to build my own
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Varkolak

I only found the bulbs at a Menards around here but it wasn't the closest menards to me, if you check the store locators I'm sure you can find a store around you that you can pick some up but if not I know lowes will order them so I'm sure home depot will if they don't already carry them but the home depot around here didn't have any. Just make sure you know what you want from them T5 6500k 28w florescent bulb and if they still can't find it say Sylvania is the maker. Shop the internet for phone numbers and see if you can get it locally because the price can't be beaten if you don't have to pay for shipping

eaturbyfill

I remember someone suggesting shop lights to me. Home improvement stores have them for about $10.

mysticganja420

I thought about going that route but after looking at some st my local home depot and Lowell's they are cheaper but also much more open... What I mean is looks very easy to get a splash of water into the wireing and shorting everything out. Maybe if I was going to suspend the lights over the tank but don't care to have something suspended tbh.. But as always I'm open to suggestions for the shop light route
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92smokeaccord

and bam!!
diy hood mod take 2

less than a page away.

mysticganja420

Okay so looked at some of the shop lights this morning at my local home depot while picking up some work supply's and may of found something but unsure if it will do or not. It was a 4ft T8 two light shop light with a frosted cover around the lights and like most I then needs to be wired up(not hard ofc) but was unsure of A few things.. For one is T8 good? Also with it having a frosted cover over the lights will that hinder the lighting when on the tank(make it darker then it should or bad on plants) or will it be fine?
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