Need help--creative fuge lighting

[schneijt]

Ok, my fuge is 10.5" long by 16" wide by 20" deep. I've always used the fuge bulb suggested by Melev on his website, which is kind of like a floodlight bulb that gets screwed into a socket.

Since the stand is rather short and the fuge is so tall, I only have about 4" of clearance to work with between the top of the fuge and the bottom of the tank. So, any suggestions for a fuge light that would grow chaeto well and be 4" tall max??? Ideally I'd like something that covers a good bit of the 10.5" x 16" area, so that I can get maximum light coverage over the surface of the fuge.

I have yet to look for options on my own, so while I'm doing that, I thought maybe some of you might have suggestions for my future fuge lighting.

Thanks!
Joe

[jenglish]

well, if you were willing to spend the scratch a PC bulb would be perfect. I might look into some of the circle like fluoro lights in home depot. You could try to make a socket with a side typed reflector intesad of a vertical mount the bulbs would be horizontal.

[schneijt]

I've been looking at some of the 12" PC fixtures on Marine Depot. I'm just not sure how well two 18w PC bulbs would grow chaeto. Anyone out there with experience using PC bulbs to grow chaeto?

-Joe

[jenglish]

how about the 15 inch 32 watt ones? 2 of those would be pretty good. Honestly I have one 20 watt screw in bulb in a shop light and it grows chaeto decently. I'm sure the brighter it is they faster it will grow and the more nutrients it will take up

[mitchmac]

did u ever thinlk f shining the lght through the glass lol ??? it will grow still maybe at a slower rate but it will still grow buddy ! thats how plants grow by windows ! lol

[Afish4u]

I was just going to suggest that also. Light it from the back? Many people have done that on mods to there nano tanks.

[schneijt]

That's actually not a bad idea. Especially since it's 20" deep, I think I might do a 12" PC fixture on top, and then the "Melev bulb" on the side lighting it from behind. Good call!

-Joe

[OneDummHikk]

Remember, the lower the K rating on the bulb, the better it will grow chaeto. Get two sockets for a standard light bulb. Then get two standard twirly light bulbs. The CF bulbs that they sell. Not sure what they are actually called but the little curly Q bulbs. Mount them horizontally over the fuge. Then get a mirror and place above the lights to reflect back into the tank.

If you get a standard size mirror, standard sockets, the most expensive part of a setup like that is going to be the light bulbs themselves and they won't be 10 dollars for two of them.

Good luck with it.