# need help with light fixture



## rocky00 (Mar 27, 2007)

does anyone know how to change the light fixture from a 2 bulb to a fluorescent?

i bought this topfin 10 gallon setup 2 or 3 years ago. and i would like to know if anyone has ever changed the fixture on it?

or is there any bulbs for live plants?


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## leifthebunny (Mar 13, 2007)

What type of plants are you going to do? Low light plants will work with the standard bulbs.


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## rocky00 (Mar 27, 2007)

i am putting anacharisses in there.


i have a fluorescent bulb from costco pack, they're only for lamps. not for aquariums


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## leifthebunny (Mar 13, 2007)

Ok, those are moderate light plants, so you'll need spectrum bulbs. You might want to check with your LFS on bulbs. To be honest with you, I'm not sure if you would be better off just buying a new fixture or just replacing the internals (my electrical engineering is lacking).


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## rocky00 (Mar 27, 2007)

i would like to replace the internals i wonder if that cost the same. if they do, i might as well buy the new fixture. bleehhh 

:? 

i guess no one has ever tried to replace the internals.


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## AF_medic (Feb 18, 2007)

what does your light fixture look like? I only ask because the fixture that came with my ten gallon could never fit a decent fluorescent lamp. 

if your fixture isn't tall/wide enough, I would recommend just getting a short flourescent desk lamp fixture and building youself a simple hood from a few peices of plywood. Just go to home depot/lowes/whatever and look around for simple and cheap fixture that are the same length as your tank.

but be sure to seal your new plywood hood up with something to waterproof the wood, otherwise condensation will build up on the inside and rot the wood.


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## Lonewolfblue (Jan 16, 2007)

Check at Walmart. I hear some are starting to carry the GE screw-in CF bulbs that are 6500k. Just make sure the package says that they are either 6500k or 6700k, and not the 3000k. Those aren't really plant bulbs. Also, I would look at getting either 15W or 20W bulbs. These bulbs are in the regular bulb section, and not the fish section.


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## usmc121581 (Jul 31, 2006)

Lonewolfblue said:


> Check at Walmart. I hear some are starting to carry the GE screw-in CF bulbs that are 6500k. Just make sure the package says that they are either 6500k or 6700k, and not the 3000k. Those aren't really plant bulbs. Also, I would look at getting either 15W or 20W bulbs. These bulbs are in the regular bulb section, and not the fish section.


The LFS I work at uses those flourescent bulbs to light all they tanks even the planted section.


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## Lonewolfblue (Jan 16, 2007)

usmc121581 said:


> Lonewolfblue said:
> 
> 
> > Check at Walmart. I hear some are starting to carry the GE screw-in CF bulbs that are 6500k. Just make sure the package says that they are either 6500k or 6700k, and not the 3000k. Those aren't really plant bulbs. Also, I would look at getting either 15W or 20W bulbs. These bulbs are in the regular bulb section, and not the fish section.
> ...


Many of the lfs's that carry the bulbs are usually just 10W bulbs. They are common, but are considered low light. And you really don't need CO2 until you get to the 25W bulbs. I have a non-CO2 tank with 20W bulbs, and it's just fine. But I had to add CO2 to the one with the 25W bulbs.


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## rocky00 (Mar 27, 2007)

it's okay everyone,


i suck...


so i forked $30 to petsmart for the new lightstrip.


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