Can I use a regular worklight instead of buying an Aquarium light strip for a planted aquarium?
Can I use a regular worklight instead of buying an Aquarium light strip? Because its cheaper, you can put T8 fluroscent bulbs…Really what is the point of buying of buying a a Aquarium light for 100+ when you can buy a cheaper ugly worklight, but will it be just as good? light wise?
Yes, you can do this. If you have the option, get the newer T-8 shoplights instead of the oldder T-12s. The tubes have a narrower diameter and better light output. You can get the T-8s for around $13-$15 at WalMarts.
I belong to a planted aquarium club, and several of our members use T-8s on their tanks. This is also a good method when you’r using racks of 10 gallon tanks, 1 shoplight can light 4-5 tanks if they sit so their fronts/backs are together and you’re looking in them from the side.
Buy full spectrum tubes if you can afford to. You can also do 1 full spectrum and 1 cool white which is a little cheaper and the plants don’t seem to mind.
Absolutely! As long as the bulb is of the proper type, there’s no reason to think that a worklight won’t be good for your tank. Like you said, it may not look to pretty, but it works!
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Use worklight hoods for my reptiles’ UVB lights.
Yes, it works fine.
It’s the type of tubes that matters, not the light fittings.
So you can buy hardware store light fittings and fit them with high colour temp tubes (5-7000K) and they will be fine for a planted tank.
Standard ‘warm white’ lamps have a yellowish light around 3,000K, not so good for growing plants.
Ian
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Yes, you can do this. If you have the option, get the newer T-8 shoplights instead of the oldder T-12s. The tubes have a narrower diameter and better light output. You can get the T-8s for around $13-$15 at WalMarts.
I belong to a planted aquarium club, and several of our members use T-8s on their tanks. This is also a good method when you’r using racks of 10 gallon tanks, 1 shoplight can light 4-5 tanks if they sit so their fronts/backs are together and you’re looking in them from the side.
Buy full spectrum tubes if you can afford to. You can also do 1 full spectrum and 1 cool white which is a little cheaper and the plants don’t seem to mind.
References :
I had a 4′ florescent double bulb fixture on my saltwater reef tank and it grew coral and algae like nobody’s business. I would go to home depot and get some aquarium/plant bulbs, they carry them in the lighting section, go with a lower wattage because you don’t want excess algae.
Good luck!
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