Remmy14
- #1
Sooo I was always wondering why my plants were dying... I had plenty of C02 in the tank, used fertilizers both liquid and solid, had plenty of fish to give off other nutrients, removed all plecos and snails....and still my plants kept dying. So I turned to the only remaining possibility... More Light!! I did my own little DIY project and thought I would share it with you.
The tank in question is a 29 gallon tank with an oak stand and an oak topper. It originally had only 1 light strip going across. The first picture shows the basics of the topper. I picked up a 4 light ballast from the hardware store, along with 8 brackets that fit T8 bulbs. I then simply ran two strips of wood going from the front to the back that were exactly 24" apart (the length of a 20W bulb) and attached the brackets. I wired it up according to the diagram shown on the ballast.
I mounted the ballast on the back of the aquarium and out of the way as shown in the third picture. The last picture (and I guess the first one, too) shows a light switch that I threw in to make it easier to turn off, and I think it makes it look a little more professional, too.
The second picture shows the final product, as seen from the front. Overall, I spent roughly 60 bucks and quadrupled my wattage!! The algae has never been thicker, but once the plants take off that should be good.
I was a little nervous about running the electrical, but it was veery simple. Just follow the ballast diagrams and it is pretty simple. Let me know what you think!
The tank in question is a 29 gallon tank with an oak stand and an oak topper. It originally had only 1 light strip going across. The first picture shows the basics of the topper. I picked up a 4 light ballast from the hardware store, along with 8 brackets that fit T8 bulbs. I then simply ran two strips of wood going from the front to the back that were exactly 24" apart (the length of a 20W bulb) and attached the brackets. I wired it up according to the diagram shown on the ballast.
I mounted the ballast on the back of the aquarium and out of the way as shown in the third picture. The last picture (and I guess the first one, too) shows a light switch that I threw in to make it easier to turn off, and I think it makes it look a little more professional, too.
The second picture shows the final product, as seen from the front. Overall, I spent roughly 60 bucks and quadrupled my wattage!! The algae has never been thicker, but once the plants take off that should be good.
I was a little nervous about running the electrical, but it was veery simple. Just follow the ballast diagrams and it is pretty simple. Let me know what you think!
