# Buying lights from a hardware store...



## j_chicago (Jun 3, 2006)

I upgraded my 29g to a 55g (Petco $1/1g), and I desperately need new lighting. I see so many people getting by (and doing it well) using shop lights or flood lights that made me wonder why I should buy a $200+ lighting fixture. But, I get the whole wpg using PC lighting (right now I have 1.1 wpg since the upgrade and want to get to the 5 wpg range to get a nice HC carpet going) but what are some general rules for using shop lights or Halide flood lamps (how much would I need?) and I don't plan on doing any fancy OD rewiring, and I know I need a electric and not magnetic units.
Any advice or suggestions would be great,
Thanks Jason


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## MrSanders (Mar 5, 2006)

A 55 or 75 gallon tank is great because they are so easy to light, normal old 4 foot shop lights work just fine for them. I dont really know what your expierence is, or what type of set up and equiptment you have.... but I really dont think you need that much lighting. You would really need to be on top of things and have a nearly error free ferts and CO2 worked out to not run into problems with that much light. 

I would be more than will to bet on it that if you went with 2 T8 shop lights, that you would have more than enough light to grow a nice carpet of HC


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## j_chicago (Jun 3, 2006)

Thanks Mr Sanders!
This is my 1st planted tank, not including my 29g I torn down to switch to this one. So my expertice is pretty much null on the plant keeping. Besides keeping with a EI dosing and DIY CO2 (which worked fine in a 29g, but plan on getting pressurized soon, hence the desire to save on lights)
Thanks again.

Any other advice for others is always welcome


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I would have to agree. I used to use 2 shop light fixtures, each putting out 80wts, from 2 40wt bulbs, on my 55gal. My plants grew pretty good. This is what that fixture helped me get. At that time, the only ferts I used were flourish and flourish excel. I have since moved to a 125gal and have to use compact flourecent lighting, due to the tank depth.


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## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

I use two dual bulb shop lights over my 4ft 60 gallon for ~3 wpg and I can grow most anything....It even kept my rotala rotundifolia short and squatty


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## bpimm (Jun 12, 2006)

Home Depot has T-8 shoplights with electronic ballasts for about $32 and they have daylight bulbs for $2.5-5 each. it's a good starting point.


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

$32 for the fixture... a bit expensive. I bought mine at walmart, and they were $9 each. Also bought the bulbs there too, $7 each I think.


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## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

I agree....Walmart $9 fixtures rock

I did get the tubes there also but I think I only paid $5 a piece for the gro bulbs...


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## Kenneth (May 22, 2006)

Home depot has shop light fixtures with electronic ballasts for around 8 bucks and a 2 pack of t8 daylight bulbs for under 7 bucks. have two on my 55.


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## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

Ya I dont beleive its absolutely necessary to buy the grow bulbs....

In my two fixtures I have cool whites on the outside and grow bulbs in the middle


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## bpimm (Jun 12, 2006)

How do the bulbs last in the $9 fixtures? I remember the early electronic Lights of America shop lights, and they could eat a set of bulbs in about 4 Months because of the crappy ballast. when I threw them away and went to real electronic ballast's my bulbs lasted over a year. you could easily save money by buying the better ballast. of course this was 10 years ago so the technology has come a long ways. I'm just leary of the >$10 fixtures, maybe theyre ok now.


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## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

Ive had mine up for at least 6 months and they still turn off and on......

Bulbs seem to be doing ok too, I have yet to see any black inside at the ends.


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## bpimm (Jun 12, 2006)

I guess I'll have to give them a try.


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## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

> I agree....Walmart $9 fixtures rock


 I purchased one of these from Wal*Mart and for what I purchased them for, they worked fine.

After I had purchased them just before springtime, I was in Home Depot looking at what they had and the prices.

It was not until I had gone to AHSupply.com that I realized that the difference in price was because of the ballast and how close the bulbs were to the hood and 'reflectors'. When I read about restrike and what it means and how it works, I almost considered returning mine to get the more expensive Home Depot light fixture with the better less tight 'restrike'.

I didn't in the end. But when looking for light fixtures, if the lowest price is not the top priority; you may want to consider restrike.

For what I needed to do the light fixture and bulbs seemed to work out just fine. :smile:


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