I decided to pursue a semi-planted tank for the immediate future.
As I am able to purchase more plants the artificial plants shall be replaced.
Today I purchased 2 java ferns, 2 clumps of anachris and 1 marimo ball.
These plants may be seen in the following pictures.
To begin with, I reviewed the stickie (
Everything...about DIY lighting...) and decided that I wanted to do something similar.
I needed to boost the WPG in my 20 gallon high from 0.75wpg to 2.0wpg.
In order to raise the WPG I purchased 2 CF bulbs (u-shaped) each of 20w.
The bulbs are 6500k.
The first thing I did was disassemble the existing NO florescent light.
I needed to know what was behind the fixture and ballast.
Behind are 2 screw holes on each side of the fixture that I thought could be used to hold the DIY sockets.
I didn’t want to drill any holes for nuts and bolts.
I made a trip to Menards to acquire the pieces needed.
I went right to the electrical department and located the light sockets.
I purchased ceramic sockets because those were all they had which were pre-wired.
Easy is the name of the game here.
Next I needed something to attach the sockets to the screw holes.
I found several sizes of tube straps and choose the 1.5” size.
These were very malleable to fit around the sockets.
The original screws would fit through the matched up holes.
The tube strap holes were a little large for the screw holes so I purchased a couple washers to place on the back for the support it needed.
By using washers, the tube strap was then able to tighten properly and securely hold the fixtures.
I lined the inside with aluminum foil for reflectivity, screwed the bulbs in place and attached the sockets.
I used wire nuts to fasten all the wires together.
The original power wire, switch wire and switch were also used.
There is enough space remaining to add a third bulb and I may need to shortly.
As you can see from the "room lights off picture" the center of the tank is a bit dim.
But on the other hand the "room lights on picture" shows ambient light is penetrating the water.
I will still add another light to even the light out for more plant growth.
I was amazed as to how inexpensive the DIY method is.
The bulb were by far the most expensive at $8+, the sockets $2+, washers $1- and everything else was pre-existing.
Using as much of the existing conditions as I could (screws, screw holes, wiring, etc) the cost was also kept to a minimum.