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Thread: Lighting

  1. #1
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    Lighting

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    Hi all

    I'm a newbie to this aquarium/planted arena (<6 mths)
    My issue is with the lighting 'system' i have for my 2ft tank.

    I notice fr the postings in this forum that some (in particular Simon) have suggested 2x20W or even 2x36W for a 2ft tank. For me whose tank has a cover/hood with room for only an 18" bulb, i dunno how i can accommodate a 20W or a 36W tube? Or is there actually a 18" 20W or 36W tube? Unless you are suggesting i remove the hood....which would be a shame coz it's nice wif the hood...

    I want to incr the wattage of my tank lights, but i'm restricted by the hood dimensions. It's one of those tanks with a built-in overflow filter system (i think dat's wat its called). The brand of the tank is Nathura....

    Any soul can enlighten me? TIA...

    Nizz[]

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    Hi Nizz, I hardly give advices on lighting these days.. and yes, i do recommend a min of 2x20w for low to middle light plants or 2x36w for highlighted plants.. but do consider since u have a hood, heat building up inside yr tank, so u need to DIY a fan or something to help u ventilate yr tank

    u can prolly DIY the lights on yr hood to accommdate more light tubes, r u local?.. wat is yr present lighting? if u r not able to DIY the lights, I suggest if u r a local to go Nature Aquarium and look for Chan, he can DIY them for u... and if u r those who luv to do it yourself then go to the equipment section, u shld find some interesting articles or advise to help u out

    (ps. welcome to AQ, care to intro?)

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    Hi Simon

    Firstly, thanks for the welcome. Yes, i'm local. Staying in Tampines area. Just started this hobby less than six mths, but doing it very seriously...hope to fit a 4ft into the TV room in the near future....the thot itself is oredi exciting...

    Incidentally, i've DIYed 02x 80mm fans...but of course, there's the added prob of 'evaporation'. Is it true dat the more expensive aquarium -specific tubes generate less heat?

    My current lighting is 01x 15W, which is insufficient for the hairgrass & the aponogeton crispus (but enuf for the bacopa which is growing thick & fast...)

    I intend to put in mini riccia soon, but need to incr the lighting first. CO2 system is already in place. So where's Nature Aquarium? I'll definitely check the place out...

    Thanks for the input...

    Nizz

    ----------------
    On 1/16/2002 3:10:25 PM

    Hi Nizz, I hardly give advices on lighting these days.. and yes, i do recommend a min of 2x20w for low to middle light plants or 2x36w for highlighted plants.. but do consider since u have a hood, heat building up inside yr tank, so u need to DIY a fan or something to help u ventilate yr tank

    u can prolly DIY the lights on yr hood to accommdate more light tubes, r u local?.. wat is yr present lighting? if u r not able to DIY the lights, I suggest if u r a local to go Nature Aquarium and look for Chan, he can DIY them for u... and if u r those who luv to do it yourself then go to the equipment section, u shld find some interesting articles or advise to help u out

    (ps. welcome to AQ, care to intro?)
    ----------------

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    ----------------
    On 1/16/2002 3:30:11 PM

    Hi Simon

    Firstly, thanks for the welcome. Yes, i'm local. Staying in Tampines area. Just started this hobby less than six mths, but doing it very seriously...hope to fit a 4ft into the TV room in the near future....the thot itself is oredi exciting...

    Incidentally, i've DIYed 02x 80mm fans...but of course, there's the added prob of 'evaporation'. Is it true dat the more expensive aquarium -specific tubes generate less heat?

    My current lighting is 01x 15W, which is insufficient for the hairgrass & the aponogeton crispus (but enuf for the bacopa which is growing thick & fast...)

    I intend to put in mini riccia soon, but need to incr the lighting first. CO2 system is already in place. So where's Nature Aquarium? I'll definitely check the place out...

    Thanks for the input...

    Nizz


    ----------------
    Hi Nizz, direct yr fan to blow thru space between the lights and yr water surface and not directly on the water... in terms of heat produces

    MH/MV = High
    PL = medium
    FL = low

    some of the expensive brands have UV protection on their tubes (FL)
    best if u can replace the present lights totally... Nature is opposition Thomson Medical centre

    address
    Blk 1, Thomson Road, #01-340 Balestier Hill Shopping Centre (its under some HDB flats) tel: 2556051

    we r having an outing this weekend to Gan's and teo aquatic plant farm.. wanna join us?

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    Hi Nizz,

    I got 72W (4 x 18W FL lights) on my 2ft tank. Done using air-con trunking as hood.



    As your hood size is fixed, perhaps you have room for a PL light instead? They come in 36W. I wonder if 40W and 55W versions are available locally because I saw them at http://www.ahsupply.com/

    See this link for some setup instructions: http://www.ervine.per.sg/articles/upgradelights.asp
    koah fong
    Juggler's tanks

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    ----------------

    Hi Nizz, direct yr fan to blow thru space between the lights and yr water surface and not directly on the water... in terms of heat produces

    MH/MV = High
    PL = medium
    FL = low

    some of the expensive brands have UV protection on their tubes (FL)
    best if u can replace the present lights totally... Nature is opposition Thomson Medical centre

    address
    Blk 1, Thomson Road, #01-340 Balestier Hill Shopping Centre (its under some HDB flats) tel: 2556051

    we r having an outing this weekend to Gan's and teo aquatic plant farm.. wanna join us?
    ----------------
    That's a very interesting proposition, indeed. Where r these places Gan's & teo aquatic plant farm?

    Wat r the details for the 'outing'? & when u say outing, do u mean 'shopping outing'? I'm keen if the timing's rite...thx for the invite!

    Nizz



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    Gan and teo is at LCK.. we are meeting at Yio Chu Kang MRT at 10am this sat..

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    Hi Simon

    Ok. How long will the whole thing take? I'll get in touch wif u again to confirm by tomorrow, can? BTW, how many ppl going?

    Nizz...

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    Hi Juggler

    Yeah....i think i saw ur setup in the equipment forum. Yah...maybe i try the PL u mentioned & get the 36W one, coz dat's abt the only one dat can fit my hood. Know any gd shop to get it?

    Thx again for ur input.

    Nizz

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    till 1-2pm.. abt the number of ppl.. i dunno.. but got minimum 6-7 ppl at least

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    Nizz, I also have the Nathura (80cm) and I have already given up the hood. The hood not only restricts the amount of tube you can place, plus there is no proper holder for the tube (so it'll be a problem to put a PL tube and you have to change the ballast as well). And also the original compartment holding the FL ballast prevents light reaching half the tank.

    I have basically thrown away the hood, got 2 x 2.5ft PL (Makro) lights and sit them over the whole tank (including the filter). This way I get 72W for about 20gallon. On hind sight I don't think the Nathura tanks are very good for planted tank.
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

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    Ahhhhh....finally....someone who understands my predicament...

    Thanks for the feedback Choy (can i call u dat?). I'm now contemplating 2 things:
    1) Remove the hood, internal filter system & stick in a simple eheim filter or something alike....or maybe even one of those external canister filters.

    2) Get a fren to customise another cover/hood to accomodate 2x36W PL tubes.

    Personally, i feel option 1 is preferred coz there's the other prob of heat build-up with a hood/cover. Wat do u think?

    Also, why do u say the Nathura is not gd for planted tank?


    Nizz


    ----------------
    On 1/17/2002 12:39:49 AM

    Nizz, I also have the Nathura (80cm) and I have already given up the hood. The hood not only restricts the amount of tube you can place, plus there is no proper holder for the tube (so it'll be a problem to put a PL tube and you have to change the ballast as well). And also the original compartment holding the FL ballast prevents light reaching half the tank.

    I have basically thrown away the hood, got 2 x 2.5ft PL (Makro) lights and sit them over the whole tank (including the filter). This way I get 72W for about 20gallon. On hind sight I don't think the Nathura tanks are very good for planted tank.
    ----------------

  13. #13
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    Nizz, (yes you can call me Choy)

    have toyed with the idea of ripping out the internal filter (wasn't that great anyway) but it is glued to the glass and I'm not sure if it can be accomplished without damaging the glass.

    Also due to the height (or the lack thereof) of the internal filter compartment you can't fill the water very high so effectively I am getting 30cm water depth for a 36cm tank. For a planted tank it is ideal to have a bit more height and width. 30cm width is quite limited in terms of landscaping for fore and background. I would have preferred a size of 90x45x45.

    If you try to rip out the internal compartment, let me know!
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

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    oops clicked "submit" twice... []
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

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    Choy

    Just to let u know dat i've removed the hood & took the light set fr my other 2 feet tank (2x15W FL) & placed it over the tank. It now looks brighter but a bit ugly wif the internal filter exposed. Will get fren to make cover for filter.

    Haven't tried ripping out filter yet.

    Ciao....Nizz

    ----------------
    On 1/17/2002 2:16:30 AM

    Nizz, (yes you can call me Choy)

    have toyed with the idea of ripping out the internal filter (wasn't that great anyway) but it is glued to the glass and I'm not sure if it can be accomplished without damaging the glass.

    Also due to the height (or the lack thereof) of the internal filter compartment you can't fill the water very high so effectively I am getting 30cm water depth for a 36cm tank. For a planted tank it is ideal to have a bit more height and width. 30cm width is quite limited in terms of landscaping for fore and background. I would have preferred a size of 90x45x45.

    If you try to rip out the internal compartment, let me know!
    ----------------

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    Nizz, I used to have 1x18W that came with the 80cm Nathura. Tried riccia and they grew pretty good although didn't bubble, but then when they reach 1cm high they started floating off the mesh. Understand now that this is due to insufficient lighting. Strongly suggest you upgrade to 2x36W PL.

    Also you mentioned that the Nathura is an overflow system. I'm not sure what the definition of overflow is, but it seems more like a stuck on internal filter driven by a powerhead. Anyway, do you find that the flow is agitating the CO2 too much?
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

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    Hi Choy

    I will seriously consider ur suggestion on 2x36W PL.
    As for agitating the CO2, I'm not too sure wat u mean by 'agitating'. My CO2 diffuser is in the opposite corner (front), & given dat the powerhead's rate is only 300L/hr, it doesn't seem strong enuf to agitate anything in the tank []

    Wat does 'agitating' the CO2 mean? Thx.

    Nizz

    ----------------
    On 1/18/2002 1:07:23 AM

    Nizz, I used to have 1x18W that came with the 80cm Nathura. Tried riccia and they grew pretty good although didn't bubble, but then when they reach 1cm high they started floating off the mesh. Understand now that this is due to insufficient lighting. Strongly suggest you upgrade to 2x36W PL.

    Also you mentioned that the Nathura is an overflow system. I'm not sure what the definition of overflow is, but it seems more like a stuck on internal filter driven by a powerhead. Anyway, do you find that the flow is agitating the CO2 too much?
    ----------------

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    ----------------
    On 1/18/2002 8:34:37 AM

    Hi Choy

    I will seriously consider ur suggestion on 2x36W PL.
    As for agitating the CO2, I'm not too sure wat u mean by 'agitating'. My CO2 diffuser is in the opposite corner (front), & given dat the powerhead's rate is only 300L/hr, it doesn't seem strong enuf to agitate anything in the tank []

    Wat does 'agitating' the CO2 mean? Thx.

    Nizz

    ----------------
    On 1/18/2002 1:07:23 AM

    Nizz, I used to have 1x18W that came with the 80cm Nathura. Tried riccia and they grew pretty good although didn't bubble, but then when they reach 1cm high they started floating off the mesh. Understand now that this is due to insufficient lighting. Strongly suggest you upgrade to 2x36W PL.

    Also you mentioned that the Nathura is an overflow system. I'm not sure what the definition of overflow is, but it seems more like a stuck on internal filter driven by a powerhead. Anyway, do you find that the flow is agitating the CO2 too much?
    ----------------
    ----------------
    agitating of the water which cause c02 loss

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    Another stupid qn....is the loss 'visible'? As in wat am i supposed to look out for to know if there's a loss? Mine (CO2) just floats to the surface slowly & end of story. Surface not disturbed much as powerhead not very strong. So i guess no agitation?

    ----------------
    On 1/18/2002 8:38:43 AM

    agitating of the water which cause c02 loss
    ----------------

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    jus a waste of co2, nothing is gonna happen

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