Grow a planted tank with shop lights cheap!

Subject: Grow a planted tank with shop lights cheap! Mon Feb 11, 2008 1:34 am

I've used shop lights to grow low-light-requiring plants with great success. I used a 4 foot long 4 bulb 40 watt flourescent shop light with "plant" bulbs on a 60 gallon tank to grow Java moss and fern, Anubis nana and bartari, and Amazon sword. These plants grew very well and the cost of this light was minimal compared to high output aquarium lights, power compacts, or halides. You won't be able to grow some of the grasses or any plant that isn't of the 'low light' catagory, but you also won't have as many problems with algae as you'll have with more powerful lights and replacing bulbs won't make you broke either Idea

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Cool! I am going to try this!
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I have been keeping aquariums most of my life. I have kept both fresh and salt water, cichlids, catfish, loaches, clownfish, wrasses, and everything in between. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Visit my blog at http://fgaquarium.blogspot.com/

I have used regular shop lights they work great and the price is right.
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I forgot to mention that these lights are designed to either hang or be screwed to a surface like a fish tank hood. I've put them directly on top of some tanks, but it's not too safe and looks pretty cob-jobish. I would buy the bare-bones single fixtures which are pretty narrow and group them together and screw them up to the ceiling of a hood. I would probably make the hood myself as it doesn't seem too difficult. Just use wood that can withstand moisture so it doesn't warp.