inexpensive lighting for QT tank?

fishface · #1 01-21-2007, 06:34 PM

was wondering if anyone has any ideas for inexpensive lighting for QT tank? i'm gonna build a canopy for my 10g but i need suffincient light, hopefully not at the cost of an arm or leg. recommendations or ideas appreciated

thanks,

skylord · #2 01-21-2007, 07:12 PM

These are quick and easy....under $50 including bulbs. I use one one on my QT and another on my fuge.

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s...t_ID=PC-AL2028

Scott

fishface · #3 01-21-2007, 08:09 PM

good idea Scott, i may just scrap the DIY canopy and go that direction unless anyone else has any "less expensive" alternatives.

cheers

kwirky · #4 01-21-2007, 08:42 PM

is it for quarantining anything photosynthetic? Or is it a nano? I don't know why somone would want bright lights when quarantining a fish. usually NO lights is the recommended thing.

if it IS for things photosynthetic, those "dairyqueen" style PC lights that screw into regular light sockets and have the ballasts built in are often used by nano-reefers. Cheap too, compared to normal PC setups.

If you just want a light for over the tank, the coralife normal output T5's are not bad. I have one on my cichlid tank. Not too bright, not too dark, and very compact.

fishface · #5 01-21-2007, 09:30 PM

it'll be a quaranine for anything, fish, corals, inverts...from what i've read everything should have a QT period of at least 1 month.

fkshiu · #6 01-21-2007, 10:28 PM

Just get a couple of desklamps and put in some 6500K "daylight" screw-in CFs (the aforementioned Dairyqueen soft-serve icecream bulbs).

Your goal is to simply keep anything photosynthetic alive in the QT and not to have to frag it at the end of the month. Worked very for me and my little 10 gallon QT.

Ask Seahorse_Fanatic, he keeps well-planted FW tanks under nothing but these things.

BMW Rider · #7 01-22-2007, 01:33 AM

These are what I'm using. I have two of them (one was supposed to be for my refugium, but I never got round to using it there). I've had no trouble with keeping photosynthetic critters with them.

MikeP · #8 01-22-2007, 01:45 AM

I bought everything I needed to wire my own PC lighting from a local lighting supplier. I got everything (ballast, socket, 55watt lamp and plug) for $50, and it was easy to do.

andsoitgoes · #9 01-22-2007, 05:32 AM

The desk lamp idea is probably the most cost effective. To get 2x27w 6700 (or 6500, don't remember which) bulbs plus light fixtures, you're looking at all of $25 - no they don't have any actinic, but for use in fragging it'd be great - and 1 over for QT would be sufficient at least.

Maybe one day I'll get into doing QT... =/

BCOrchidGuy · #10 01-24-2007, 12:26 AM

Bravo for using a QT Tank, I lost a lot of fish and coral in the past because I didn't. As far as a light goes unless you are keeping something that has a really high light demand the clip on desk lamp idea with self ballasted daylight fluorescent screw ins works well. Two or three of these for corals will usually be fine unless of course it's Acro and even then if you put it on a PVC support to get it close to light it should do fine, it may loose a bit of colour though. QT should be for 4-6 weeks or longer, try a FW dip for fish before going into QT as any parasites will fall off. I like to use SeaChem Marine buffer to get the pH right, keep the fish in there for 10 min or until they start to show signs of stress then move them into the QT tank. There are a lot of medicated dips for corals that help to get rid of flukes and flat worms etc, research them, some just use a couple drops in a gallon of water where others use teaspoons or more.
Again, bravo for the QT Tank.

Doug