Help With Using Cfl Bulbs

[ChrissyBoy]

I've been reading recent posts regarding CFL bulbs as I'm starting up my aquarium again and want to try my hand with a bit of aquascaping etc. I've got a 200L tank and have been using 2 T8 bulbs but cant get enough WPG for the plants I want.
 
I've also got a bit of a weird tank, it hasn't got a hood it's got lid consisting of 2 pieces of wood hinged together which sit on plastic struts on either side of the tank. Theres about 6 inches of room between the wooden lid and the sliding glass shutters underneath.
 
I'm probably going to buy a few CFL bulbs but have no idea how to use them. I need to know the following:
 
- How I can power the bulbs
- Can I use my existing starter units
- How to fix these inside the void between the wooden lid and the glass, can I just sit them on top of the glass?
 
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks for your time

 

[dgwebster]

You have many questions and may need to go googling each part and read up a bit. But to get you started:

Cfl are usually self contained units that contain an electronic ballast, so its a standard bayonet/screw type holder. So they dont need your existing starter. You do get compact tubes designed for particular solutions that instead of a straight tube want something pretzeled. You can buy screw/bayonet bulb holders, flex & a plig and wire up like a beside lamp. The holder would need screwed on horizontally somehow.

You would probably be better off switching to 3/4 x T5HO bulbs of comparable wattage. E.g. a 36" long 36W T5HO will give out more light than the same 36" 36W T8 tube.

 

[DrRob]

If you want to go high light then you're looking at T5HO as above or LED, unless you're going to cover the tank in lights.
 
The main issue we see with CFL's is waterproofing. I've been around long enough to have electrocuted myself on tanks because there was damp in the light connections. I do now tend to kill all the power before messing, it's a habit that's never really left me.

 

[dgwebster]

FYI i have been looking at increasing the light in my own tank recently and found the following:

DIY T5HO is cheap enough to do, until you add waterproof bulb holders. At that stage, might as well spend a few quid more and buy the ready made unit from arcadia or other supplier.

LED is ideal, however dont expect any savings. To do it properly for a fish tank, expect to spend more than a T5HO setup and still spend the same money on powering them. However, you will get some more light and definitive control over the wavelengths provided.

For me I am going down the route of adding an extra twin T5 unit.