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Cheap Lighting ideas?

Brian Murphy

Member
Joined
20 Oct 2012
Messages
592
Location
Omagh, N.Ireland
Ok, I've been looking around online at what my cheapest way of providing light to my new tank idea. The tank is a clearseal one I've been using for keeping gerbils for a few years (needs re-siliconed), dimensions are 32"x16"x18" making it around 39 gallons or 150 litres. I can't afford a brand new luminare at the prices they are asking. I would like to just use normal T5 tubes like on james's planted tank idea James' Planted Tank - T5 Lighting On The Cheap but am struggling to find anything within my budget and what would be best to use. Any ideas please
 
You could buy one of the Arcadia twin 39watt starter units which are about £30 then pick what ever tubes you want along with reflectors. They would probably be your cheapest option


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I was actually just looking at that ..... would have to figure out a way of mounting it above the tank but that shouldn't be too hard. Might go with that if no-one else comes up with any ideas
 

I wish I had of seen that a few weeks ago before I bought this not realising I couldn't get proper Tropical tubes for it, but that alps looks the biz. Now to sell this one I have


T5 Aquarium Fish Tank Overhead light Lighting aluminum Lamp 3 Model UK Stock | eBay
 
I do not have the new model that u found but the old model. They have done me wonders on a 3x1x1 ft tank. I had to take a bulb out but this was due to my own preference and growing style. Overall I imagine the newer model is just as good :)

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Another option is DIY LEDs. You can pick up 10w LEDs from eBay with optics and a driver for very cheap.
a3ynydyt.jpg

Mount them on heatsinks and suspend them above your tank and you could create a slick looking energy saving setup that will give you some nice shimmer. Adding in some warm and neutral whites will give a nicer colour rendition (something I'm working on now).
u7yhugy2.jpg

4a3ubeju.jpg
 
T5 Aquarium Fish Tank Overhead Lighting Two Tube System | eBay

This unit is now cheaper on ebay, at £112 (cut from £124).

A question - The wife wants to have a 'moonlight' phase on my tank, after main lights go off. Would the Marine Blue tubes give a 'moonlight' effect in a tropical tank? Would there be any effect on the plants?
 
Another option is DIY LEDs. You can pick up 10w LEDs from eBay with optics and a driver for very cheap.
a3ynydyt.jpg

Mount them on heatsinks and suspend them above your tank and you could create a slick looking energy saving setup that will give you some nice shimmer. Adding in some warm and neutral whites will give a nicer colour rendition (something I'm working on now).
u7yhugy2.jpg

4a3ubeju.jpg

Would love to see a more indepth walk trough of your LED DIY build mate. Would you start a new thread?
 
Quite a difference in style from the cool stylish aluminium LED light unit to the metal bendy coil light socket. That acrylic unit Looks pretty nice Mate, I think I would prefer the acrylic holder to the proposed aluminium?

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I am looking at some led lighting solutions at the moment, going to get a load of 3w cree less mounted to led pcb bar and then mounted to an aluminium bar. kinda like an aluminium version of this.
7844569392_05fc6cc359_z.jpg


Other things I have been looking at are these two in combination...

03.jpg

85~265V E27/E14/B22/G24 8-10W 5050 SMD 44 LED Light Lamp Bulb Cool / Warm White | eBay

and

022966_02.jpg


New Flexible E27 LED Lamp Holder On off Switch 60Cm Power Cable Cord w/ Clip #1 | eBay

The ada unit uses lower powered LEDs. You may not be able to make it as slimline with 3w Crees due to needing them to be cooled a lot more so a heatsink with big fins would be needed. Possible using more LEDs than needed and running them at a lower MaH/Voltage would work with a slimmer heatsink. That Ada light is a work of art. I own some 3w Crees that I've yet to have a play with. Ill take a look and see what is possible one day.
 
The ada unit uses lower powered LEDs. You may not be able to make it as slimline with 3w Crees due to needing them to be cooled a lot more so a heatsink with big fins would be needed. Possible using more LEDs than needed and running them at a lower MaH/Voltage would work with a slimmer heatsink. That Ada light is a work of art. I own some 3w Crees that I've yet to have a play with. Ill take a look and see what is possible one day.

Yeah that was my thinking, I have a dimmable driver that will run more led's than I need, so I was just going to stick a few extra on then reduce the current, I have a Cree XM-L 1000lm torch and the heatsink on that is tiny and the light is ridiculously bright, I could probably light my tank with 2 XM-L leds running at full power going by the brightness from the torch. I think it will work out with just the bar as heatsink... Going to try that to start with 9 3w budget led's because I can get 10 for £4, then if all go's well might think about some crees and getting some acrylic laser cut at uni. Have you seen these badboys for a wire free look.
2P x 30CM Aluminium PCB Circuit Board for 6 x 1w,3w,5w LED in Series | eBay
 
Yeah that was my thinking, I have a dimmable driver that will run more led's than I need, so I was just going to stick a few extra on then reduce the current, I have a Cree XM-L 1000lm torch and the heatsink on that is tiny and the light is ridiculously bright, I could probably light my tank with 2 XM-L leds running at full power going by the brightness from the torch. I think it will work out with just the bar as heatsink... Going to try that to start with 9 3w budget led's because I can get 10 for £4, then if all go's well might think about some crees and getting some acrylic laser cut at uni. Have you seen these badboys for a wire free look.
2P x 30CM Aluminium PCB Circuit Board for 6 x 1w,3w,5w LED in Series | eBay

I'm unable to see the item but I did a similar search and I'm liking what I'm seeing. Just remember that mixing different colour leds will give you a better colour rendition so those boards are perfect. I may well buy one to play with and see what I can come up with. dialed down LEDs on them with a nice DIY controller etc built Into a well made enclosure would be really nice. Such a good find. I'm a bit obsessive when it comes to lighting. I've been looking into building an Ati style t5 dimmable luminaire. What driver are you using then?
 
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