# DIY/cheap 35 gallon hex light



## iris600 (Feb 12, 2004)

I just bought a 35 gallon hex (went to an orchid show, and came home with a fishtank).
I'm trying to figure out how to light the darn thing. I was hoping I could find some fixture, perhaps designed for outdoor or other lighting, that used either compact flourescents, or perhaps even HID light. I hope to use a pendant lighting system on this tank, although sitting on the top wouldn't bother me too much. 
The depth of this tank, compared to the surface area,as well as the shape will make this tank an interesting one to work with. I'm eager to hear some thoughts from you guys/


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## iris600 (Feb 12, 2004)

Ok,.. so in my explorations I came across a couple lighting options, so far none are DIY, but I'm waiting for your input on that.

First, I have a friend selling a metal halide (210 watt, which is really too much light, maybe??) that was used as a pendant on a reef tank. Price is great.. would this be ok for a planted tank? Too much light even if running Co2?

Second is a relatively inexpensive oddysea fixture, I think ti would fit on the tank well.
http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=243

but I don't know much about the oddysea brand. Are they decent lights? Do the bulbs change out easily? Reliability?


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## acbaldwin (Nov 3, 2005)

Try asking *Lauren* about this... She has a hex tank that she just put a MH setup from aquatraders.com onto. 210w MH would probably be fine on a 35 hex. If the pendant was used on a reef tank make sure that the color is around 5000-12000k. Reefers tend to go with 20000k.


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## titan97 (Feb 14, 2005)

I have a 35 hex and I DIY'ed a wooden box with 6 24" T8's each with a 4x32W electronic ballast overdriven to 4x. With that setup, I estimate that I'm getting about 8WPG of lighting. The 210W MH should work great. Plus, the MH will penetrate deeper, and it will look pretty nice too. I've always liked the look of the MH/HQI shimmer. Just be sure to lease enough room between the lamp and the tank to avoid overheating the water.

-Dustin


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## iris600 (Feb 12, 2004)

I saw the aquatraders light fixture too, that is another possibility. What is Lauren's username?
I would like to talk to her about her setup, and what problems, if any, she's had.
Thanks


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