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Lighting

4K views 20 replies 5 participants last post by  herefishy 
#1 ·
Where can I find one of those retrofit kits everyone talks about?
 
#2 ·
I just went to the pet store looking at the lights. and I don't understand what everyone has been trying to tell me,lol. The watts and spectrums don't match up from what everyone is telling me to get. Am I suppose to get a double hood or something? That is the only way for it to make any sense to me... please help. Explain it in "special terms" so I can get it this time around :oops:
 
#3 ·
Ok- I always send people to AH Supply for retrofit kits, it's a website online.

As for looking at hoods @ the pet store, were you looking at the standard Perfect or All-Glass Aquarium ones? If so, those kinda stink, and won't fit your needs. Look for Coralife or Current USA brand. Compact fluorescents, not tube fluorescents, they're much more bang for your buck.
 
#4 ·
Hahah oddly enough they were the only 2 brands that I saw....hmmm, guess I better take my behind across the bridge! Petsmart..Petco get ready for me....oh, about how much am I looking at. I don't want to have to trade in my daughter for a hood and light. Well it depends on what kinda day you ask me,lol.
 
#7 ·
Retrofitting means you take the old lighting system out and putting the new one in. If you don't have anything covering your tank, well, that's another story. In that case, you usually need to either buy or make a topper that's got a feeding slot and then either buy the lighting fixture that will go on top of it or make a enclosure and then fit it with what you want. I'd advise going to http://www.drsfostersmith.com to get some ideas, don't buy at Petsmart or Petco, the choices are very limited and a more expensive.

One question though...do you have to put a cooling fan in with the compact fluorescents when you retrofit?
 
#8 ·
cooling fans? oooo, now we're getting fancy,lol. I will never figure this thing out. Right now I do have a hood, with the feeding slot, and whatever. But I need a light that is more efficient for my plants. My fixture is only a 19 watt, but the bulb itself is 15. ANd neither one will do my plants any good.
 
#11 ·
Oh, I don't want to have to use a cooling fan but I don't think I do. Not many plants yet (most are fake), since I have only the strip lighting that came with the tank and I can't really afford anything else until our tax refund comes back. :cry: Oh well, the fish are happy and healthy and I guess that's what matters.
 
#12 ·
I have very few hoods left these days. I have found that using glass canopies is the way to go. These are glass covers that, imo, allow much more light into the tank. the plastic "lenses" on commercial plastic tops oxidizes too quickly. A decent light and canopy runs very close in cost to a plastic top. Using the canopies gives you more versitility when selecting lights fixtures also.
 
#16 ·
The entire top is glass withg a plastic piece intetween to pieces of glass so you can lift them when you need to.

PErsonally, I have switched to Egg crate, the square stuff used on flourescent light fixtures. This blocks almost 0 light and you almost never have to clean it to keep it from blocking light after it gets a little dirty like glass does. Might not be the best choice if you have little fish that like to jump out but for most fish it should work.
 
#17 ·
Yeah, I just like the glass cuz it's easy to flip open the top...and I've got some jumpers. Egg crate is good- especially if you're outfitting an entire fish room, but the glass is more aesthetically pleasing.

You can get them online, or pretty much at any LFS. I believe Perfect0, All-Glass Aquarium and just about every brand makes 'em. They all fit standard aquarium sizes, although my Marineland one is a bit tiny for an All-Glass Aquarium I have, I'm the only one who would notice that. They come with a little plastic strip on the back 1.5 inches which you can take off, or cut so that the filter, etc fit into the tank and you have the most coverage possible.
 
#20 ·
I found one today, it was only $15, not to bad. So I threw my other hood away and put in the glass top, and my tank instantly brightened up!!! I was so shocked. It looks great! It is still cloudy from the mini cycle and flourite, but it is really taking a good turn. I have made small changes here and there for the past week or two and I am really pleased with the outcome. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful. Many thanks!! But when should I get conerned if the cloudiness continues??
 
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