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Websites to purchase aquarium lighting?

Would someone be as kind to direct me to a website(s) where I can purchase lighting fixtures that go on top of aquariums, along with plant growing light bulbs to accompany them? The one I have now is mediocre at best, and while my Burkei has flourished like crazy for the past two and a half years (without ever needing to be fed no less, just water and light), anything else I put in there such as flytraps linger.

Wish I could just put them outside or in a windowsill, but with Vegas weather I might as well just put them in a microwave. :p
 
A regular, single tube lighting fixture for an aquarium won't be enough in most cases. You would do better going to walmart. They sell 4 foot, dual tube shop lights for about $8. You also don't need special plant growing light bulbs .. the cheap cool white bulbs are just fine ($4 for a pack of 2 or $10 for a pack of 10).

It probably won't fit your aquarium, but anything smaller than a 4' light will actually cost more, not less (just gives you a reason to get a 2nd aquarium to sit next to it, lol).
 
What is the size of your aquarium? the 4 foot lights are the most economical and will be adequate for most cp's. If you are wanting real nice lights, try the tek-5 lights, they use the high output slimline bulbs called t-5's. Expect to pay for them though, they are quite a bit more than the shoplights from walmart. You can find them with 2 tube or 4 tube. The 4 tube 2 ft fixture will cost about $150. It will fit nicely over a 20 gallon regular tank.
to find suppliers, just type in fluorescent lights into Google! Hydroponic suppliers can be great places to find lights.
Peter.
 
Dude, if you really want a cheap one, go to a fish store & buy a used one.
 
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I may use those compact fluorescent lighting somehow
because I want to make a really nice highlander tank.
 
PC's are nice but they get hot. Get a model with a fan. T-5's are nice, too but expensive... but the tek-lights are sexy and you can fit 8 T'5's over a tank when you can only fir 4 t12's or PC.

Don't buy a Odyssea / JEBO light. They are cheap but that's because they are MADE cheap and mine lasted 2 months before it burnt out! They don't even have a real end cap! Spend a little more and get an Orbit or a Coralife.

If you want to save some cash you can go to www.ahsupply.com and get a retrofit and install it in a canopy yourself. When it comes to lighting I don't like to skimp. Always get the best you can and if that means waiting a month when you have extra cash, do it.

Metal halide... my favorite! It's intense because it's a single point light source unlike flourescent. 1 250 light per 4 foot tank is pushing it. You'll have to grow real shade-lovers on either side. I wish I had another 250 watt unit because 1 MH per 2 feet is optimal, but not necessary if you plan where your plants go. If use a grow chamber instead of a terarium you won't waste as much light out of the sides (front and back) like I do.

They also get very HOT.
 
Check on Ebay, I've bought plenty of lights on there (along with plenty of other stuff too) with no hassles. You can get anything from normal flourescents, PCs to metal halides to high tech LEDs. Infact I've bought all these off ebay way cheaper than pet shops, plant stores and those kinds of places.

If you do go to Ebay check under: Home & Garden>Hydroponics & Seed Starting you'll find a whole section of just lighting.
 
T5's are the best route to go, unless you want to deal with Metal Halides. I love Metal Halides, but they present a whole new mess of problems with heat. If you go for the T5's, get the Tek 2 series reflectors from www.sunlightsupply.com. Another good source for lighting is www.hellolights.com, but it is geared more toward aquariums.
 
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