T5 Lighting VERY CHEAP

Hi Everyone, i may have found a rather cool diy lighting option....

i have a small 4G betta tank which i bought second hand, it came with a condensation tray but no proper lid (was fod goldfish previously). i have been gradually setting it up over the last few months for a betta however the only light i could fit in the lid i bought seperatly was a pygmy lamp (otherwise known as an Oven bulb - yes thats it supposed to be put in an oven.) the problem is the tank is only 14" long and a flourescent tube would be too long and end up looking pretty shabby.

Well at last i found the solution. i went to the local DIY store to "Browse" and get ideas when i came across the kitchen section.

i cant find it on the web to post a pic so all i can say is they sell self contained light units designed to fit under your kitchen cupboards (the ones at head hight) so they illuminate the work surface below. the unit consists of white plastic housing with a clear bulb guard and uses an:

8W T5 Tube..... i never knew they came that small. Anyway the point is it fits under the lid perfectly... Hurray see pic

now for the good bit it cost £8 plus a plug

they come in all sizes, biggest i saw was about 2 foot long for £15


i am no expert but i assume if you changed the tubes for T5 plant growth tubes you'd be saving £100's over the equivelant set up from your LFS.

only drawback it's not waterproof but there are ways to over come that..

hope someone finds this usefull B)

You know, come to think of it, the eclipse lights are T5's. I think they're 8w too.

The thing with T5 lighting is it's more than just T5 or T8.

As I'm sure you're aware the T# relates purely to the tube's diameter in 8ths of an inch. 8W T5s have been around for a long time in the hobby.

The T5s most people (including myself) aim for are the VHO (Very High Output) tubes and ballasts. This is when the tubes start to give out more power (I think mine are 55W from 4' instead of around 40W) and are thus more useful.

Jimbooo:

Sounds great!!! Which store did you find this in? What is it called?

Focus

www.focusdiy.com

but dont bother trying to find it on the web, i've looked for ages and cant find it. if you go into a biggish store just ask for under cupboard lighting and you'll find it. lots of different sizes available.

i have no idea what light spectrum the bulb is but my Java fern loves it and the tank looks much better now

Thanks. I will find my nearest store and pay them a visit