Cheap Lids and Light for 125 gallon

[WOLF2013]

I recently picked up a used 125 gallon aquarium. However, it is an older 125 gallon with very thick glass and probably has different dimiesions than the 125s of today.
I need a good sturdy lid as I plan to get a fire eel and to raise a silver arowana. What are some cheap lid ideas?
As for lighting, could I use a shop light for like $20 at wal-mart?
I used egg crate (I think it was) on my 90 gallon.
Thanks for your help,

 

[lp85253]

shop light , basic 10,000 k bulb .. i use wire shelving(home depot ) for my lids(4 ft tanks, i never checked but i would think they have 3 ft or 6 ft shelves).. the shelving is sturdier about as cheap and looks better , imo.. it needs to be replaced on occasion(they rust after a while) ...

 

[WOLF2013]

shop light , basic 10,000 k bulb .. i use wire shelving(home depot ) for my lids(4 ft tanks, i never checked but i would think they have 3 ft or 6 ft shelves).. the shelving is sturdier about as cheap and looks better , imo.. it needs to be replaced on occasion(they rust after a while) ...

Awesome... I will be getting the lids and lights on Thursday. How can I prevent the lights from burning out from the water?

 

[lp85253]

Awesome... I will be getting the lids and lights on Thursday. How can I prevent the lights from burning out from the water?

i try to find a piece of glass that will fit , but that can be tough.. you could use clear plastic hallway runners (also at home depot),,, as long as you don't have a bubbler splashing water on the light it takes a long time for the light fixture to even get rusty (couple of years), but the plastic runners will fix that problem...

 

[Rass]

If your not worried about evaporation you can use egg crate light diffusing material for lids and shop lights. I like to build light weight canopies to hide all my equipment so it doesn't matter what it looks like underneath. Your fish will look better under some LED's though. Check out Aquaneats on Amazon. I have three of them now and they I like them for the money. You want the blue and white ones though. I've heard the plant ones with the green and red diodes aren't nearly as bright. Also a good material that will hold humidity in is the corrugated lexan sheets they use for green house walls. It works like a glass top but it's much lighter and more budget friendly, especially if you doing multiple tanks. Aquarium CO-OP has a video on YouTube on how to cut it.

 

[Rass]

Also worth noting, I run fluval 3.0 plant lights on two of my tanks as well. So I have experience very expensive lights, and very cheap lights. The aquaneats are great for general led lighting on a budget in my opinion.

 

[TheWolfman]

IMO shell out the proper money for the glass lids. They will keep evaporation and more importantly heat in the aquarium. The words cheap and aquarium don’t go together. Your talking about keeping large expensive fish, your going to pay for it one way or another, so why not do the right thing from the start.

 

[Clintsmith07]

I’m a big fan of the beams work aquarium lights. Very good budget friendly lights. Nice thing about it you can purchase the Optional Timer/dimmer. Big Plus is it comes in a 72 inch links

 

[mattybecks]

I have always gone to the glass place around the corner from me here and had them cut me some glass according to what sizes I need. I find this the most affordable option. You get the added benefit of having it cut to your own custom size and shape.

I had two glass lids cut at the beginning of the year:

2 x sheets for my 180 gal (6mm thick) standard 180 gal dimensions split into two parts, one slightly smaller than the other. = 19 USD
3 x sheets for my marine 45 gal tank (6mm thick), 38cm x 100xm spilt into three parts. = 16 USD

lights:
Two grey ones one the side are LED, cool white. 12 USD for everything including the bulbs and brackets.
The very top light is like a LED strip. This a chinese one that was 2.5 USD. Ridiculously cheap. I keep on from 7am to about 10pm. Last for a year before the diodes start dying. Then I replace. This lighting wont be good for growing plants in water, but works well for pothos.

You can see the light and glass lids in the video.