Considering using sealed garden CF lamps

[pepetj]

As some of you know, I am keeping my Oscars in a planted tank. Recently I designed and built a simple DIY-tank height extension for above-surface floating plants (e.g. water orchids, water lettuce).

That worked quite well, but now I want to keep my submerged plants with proper lighting. I figure that I could keep floating plants in most of my tank, say 2/3 of the tank surface, and keep some uncovered part, say 1/3 of it.

Being an Oscar tank, I have been very careful keeping the lights low. That made my previous attempts with Egaria Densa (Anacharis) to fail. I want to give that plant another try, so I am considering using the extended internal space provided by the height-extension glass assembly -which holds the canopies and extra lights to place some sealed garden CF 13W lamps.

Finding a way to attach them could be a challenge, but that's one of the advantages of being a fishlorian... I have your help.

The lamps I found are for sale with a good discount and use standard CF 13W lamps, these lamps are designed to be "nailed" to the ground with a somewhat large, arrow-like shape stick. The ballast is built inside the lamp assembly.

Pepe
Santo Domingo

 

[zeebo]

impressive

 

[Tavel]

Post some photos of the lamps so we can see what you're working with.

 

[soldieroffortune1974]

I am thinking something along the lines of suction cups,velcro or JB Weld epoxy (more permanent) if you plan to mount them against the glass.

 

[lmatthews]

sorry to rain on your party but I noticed that no one mentioned the colour tempreture of the lamps. this isn't as important to fish as it is to plants. plants require light from the blue and red spectrum. To much red and you get algae problems, to little and they won't thrive like you really want them to. The human eye responds to green light so I added a 6500K lamp to my tank for daytime lighting ( 10am-4pm ). This gives my tank blues, reds and green for me. Wattage depends on your tank volume and depth and your personal opinion. I have 3 different types of light for my fishies which are automated for dawn, mid day, dusk and moonlight.

 

[pepetj]

sorry to rain on your party but I noticed that no one mentioned the colour tempreture of the lamps. this isn't as important to fish as it is to plants. plants require light from the blue and red spectrum. To much red and you get algae problems, to little and they won't thrive like you really want them to. The human eye responds to green light so I added a 6500K lamp to my tank for daytime lighting ( 10am-4pm ). This gives my tank blues, reds and green for me. Wattage depends on your tank volume and depth and your personal opinion. I have 3 different types of light for my fishies which are automated for dawn, mid day, dusk and moonlight.

No need to be sorry matthews, feedback as yours is what I look for when I post here. There's so much to learn about light spectrum and plants!

I happen to have UV sterilization installed in that tank already set for algae control since I had a white-like algae bloom in the walls of the tank before; if I get another algae bloom, then I have all of you to properly deal with it.

The sealed garden lamp has a standard CF rated at 13W. The reason I'm upgrading this intentionally dimmed (low light) tank in just some parts of it is so I can keep some low to mid light plants, which I don't mind if they grow slowly as long as they can adapt, while I keep my Oscars comfortable.

Pepe
Santo Domingo

I found easy solutions. I just placed them on the rear, around center brace of a 45gal planted where I used to have two CF at 9W. Fitted perfectly there.

In the other tank I used it (so far I have mounted only one here) is the 145gal where I built a DIY tank height extension. I just screw the unit to the plastic canopy, using three flat screws-those that come with wall mounted AC outlet fixtures- I cut to 1/2" length using cutting plyers and held in place by screwing them to non-used hollow tubes (intended to hold screws) already built in the lamp assembly, which I carefully perforated through the outside with a stove heated thin nail.

Pepe
Santo Domingo

 

[opusgamma]

Saludos Pepe From Santiago,Dr
I was woderign where you buy your supplies from...
I am looking to set up my reef thank that I had in Phoenix before moving back to Dr but have not done so because of the lack of supplies in the local market...
Ah.. I have also built a Small pond looking to put some oscars, pacu and a Arowana....
My question is Will they be okey in my back yard it gets lots of sun...

 

[pepetj]

Saludos Pepe From Santiago,Dr
I was woderign where you buy your supplies from...
I am looking to set up my reef thank that I had in Phoenix before moving back to Dr but have not done so because of the lack of supplies in the local market...
Ah.. I have also built a Small pond looking to put some oscars, pacu and a Arowana....
My question is Will they be okey in my back yard it gets lots of sun...

HI opusgame, from Santiago, DR.

I go to the usual hardware stores (e.g. Ferreteria Americana). The experience of other fishkeepers has been huge for me. I also place orders with a LFS for some accessories I need, and then I wait. If you place some water hyacinth in that pond, you could provide dimmed light environment Oscars rather have.

Pepe
Santo Domingo

 

[opusgamma]

pepe The Pond have about 8x4x3 section which get full shade all day long...I plan on plating this area with some local water plants.. any suggestion? To make it a suitable environment for Oscars..
Ah can I not use a Heater.. you know Edenoter will kill me with the light bill.
Albin
Opus Gamma

 

[pepetj]

You won't need a heater except maybe for emergencies, in which case you move your fish to a small tank. A 30gal would work well for hospital/quarantine use. I barely use heaters at all. What's the usual minimum temperature in Santiago? I figure it is within healthy range for Oscars.

Pepe
Santo Domingo