For DIY lighting look no further than....

[X24]

Menards of course!

today i went there to look for some lights for my 29 gal project. Well as luck will have it, i found some 12ish" T8 strip lights for $7 that are very compact. i was gunna get 4 of them to run on my 29, but looking right below that i saw 20" T8 strips for $7 aswell.

I picked up two of these bad boys and threw them on my plexiglass hood, and although the light looks a little green compared to my original light, they turned out awesome.

next trip to menards i'm picking up some replacement bulbs for these and maybe a 3rd light so i can boost my lighting from the original 20w, +40w (two i got today) +20w from another one, giving me 80w of good lighting on my 29.......a planted tank here i come.

pics soon

 

[AnDr3w]

All right good job!

Looking foward to pix!

 

[X24]

haha u shouldn't be, its like the most rube goldberg'd thing, i even put aluminum foil on it lol.

 

[AnDr3w]

Still its the DIY part so there not made to be pretty. lol. I need new lights so I want to see your Idea so I can steal it!

 

[EelOwner]

pics

 

[X24]

Here are the pics!!!!

as you can see i still have to finish making a reflector out of foil (lol, but i'm waiting for my 3rd set of these lights) so right now the foil is just so it doesn't blind you when you walk in the room.

i had to remove my auto timer, so now i have to turn the lights on and off, but thats easy because the power strip has an on off button.

and two pics of some fish.

what bulbs do you recommend to put in these bad boys when i get around replacing them?

 

[X24]

am i taking this too far lol?

100watts of 65 lumens per watt lighting right now. i think i'll stop there.

 

[AnDr3w]

WOW! Really affective. I want to do that instead of buying a 300 dollar light.

 

[X24]

you'll be happier with the more expensive light though. really i am not even close to where i need to be to have those really nice planted setups.

 

[AnDr3w]

No I wont. Ill be furious if I buy a 300 dollar light. lol.

If every drop of light is in your tank, thats 13.79 wpg!

You have plenty of light!