Can Anyone Help Me Out With This?

[CKutz]

I'm really anxious to get working on this project if it will work out, or I'd wait a little bit longer for replies (it's been a day).
Please check this out if you have any experience with cold cathodes..or lighting in general, i need suggestions, mine sucks.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=287886
Thanks!

 

[boswell1995]

Buy a new fish tank with intergrated lights

 

[CKutz]

I don't understand what is so difficult about this..
I don't have the money for that type of expense..any tanks i do get i'll be getting off craigslist, as i did this one.
I could make this whole set up for about $15-20...and it would be fun, and pretty cool if it all worked out.

 

[mixmaster jay]

cold cathodes are good as long as you know what your doing wiring wise and it can be expensive too

[URL="http/www.instructables.com/id/EVSO9B1KO5EV2Z9T0L/"]http/www.instructables.com/id/EVSO9B1KO5EV2Z9T0L/[/URL]
[URL="http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_moonlight.php"]http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_moonlight.php[/URL]

have a look at these mate see if these help at all, someone has done a thread on this before try and find that that will help you too

 

[Mikaila31]

CC are probably the cheapest lighting you can do. But I don't think you can grow plants with them. It's something I want to test in the future though. Wiring the two blue ones for moonlight on to my 55gal cost $10. I have 6 blue CC in my car to, I forget how much just the CC cost, I put a lot of lights in my car.

When I'm able to have my own fish room, I will plan to just use white CC in series to light tanks. It would be easy enough to do and save on electric costs. I've yet to test how well a white CC lights in an already light room. With the blue ones, when the room light is on, they don't look like they are making a lot of light.

LED's I've never worked with, but seem more complicated than CC. CC you just by two tubes and a inverter, usually comes with a molex connector for computers. Chop the connector off, find a AD/DC inverter and cut the end of off of it. Strip 4 wires, attach the two wires from the cc to the two wires from the AC/DC inverter. If they don't light switch the wires around, then presto light!

 

[CKutz]

Yea i'm going to follow the steps in the DIY moonlight thread.
Most people have the moonlights though, so i was wondering how well the white ones work..like 2 12" ones..in a 36" long tank. i'm not trying to grow plants..just want to illuminate the front of the tank better

Also how water safe are they, because i am considering putting a plexiglass cover on the lid, using aquarium silicon or anything else that might work?
Also wondering if it is possible to wire it into the switch that goes to my main lighting...and wondering if i set up and additional moonlight CC can you wire in a switch to turn it on and off..or must it be plugged and unplugged?

they have LEDs in a waterproof tube, so this is a possibility also, but a little more expensive, but i think it comes with a regular plug, so might work better?

 

[Mikaila31]

To use CC or LED's you are going to need a separate on/off switch. These lights run independent of the other lights, they need there own plug in too. Mainly because both CC and LED's rub on DC, while your standard lighting runs on AC.

I honestly don't think running CC's along side the current lighting is going to make much a difference. My blue ones light up the tank really well at night, but if the main lights are on you can't tell if the moonlights are on at all.

Super bright LED's or large(1 watt) LED's would make more light, but may not light very evenly.

 

[CKutz]

aw crap..
I guess I'll try the LEDs then
Thanks for that clarification on the AC DC thing, i wasn't sure what the deal was with that.

is there a better bulb I could get for my tank? not a whole expensive lighting apparatus, but just a bulb.
I don't know what the light classes are..or what i have..or what would work better
Thanks for your help by the way!

 

[CKutz]

is it possible to include a lightswitch in the set up of the cold cathode?

I'm not really familiar with what type of devices need what type of electric and so on..but could you just connect the power supply wires to the light swithc, then the switch to the inverter box?

 

[CKutz]

..i guess i should have said "don't move this" sorry, i know where it belongs, but the post i already made was gettting no attention..now that this was put in the same section..it is getting no attention..

..i think the users on this site need to diversify their browsing