Led Strips

[OohFeeshy]

I'm looking to use these to light my 4ft, which doesn't currently have any lighting and isn't really a candidate for normal bulbs due to heat and attatchment and stuff.

Having had a look on Ebay, however, there are about eleventy squillion different sellers selling twelvety squillion different types. I know I want white, for sure. Tank size, as mentioned, is 4ft. I'm not much of a wizard with the soldering iron so the easier to set up the better- and also the safer the better, because any wires are fairly likely to get wet at some point and I don't want to die a horrible zappy death. Er... Well, cheap as possible would be nice. So if anyone has bought any that have turned out to be decent, reccomendations much appreciated.

Edit- oh, and also. Is there an accepted method for attatching them for the hood, or should I just attack it with a glue gun and whatever else I've got laying around?

 

[Mikaila31]

I wouldn't do it. At least not on a 4ft tank. The normal LEDs you are looking at do not cast a lot of light. You would have to use much fancier higher power LEDs. These are more expensive and you will need to know how to wire them and mount them. They also get hot. It will take a LOT of the tiny LED strips to reach a normal looking light output on the tank. Little LEDs work great for night time illumination, but they look very weak during the day.

IMO you will get much better and cheaper results if you just buy a 4' single tube shop light from menards/home depot. It can be dismantled and mounted in your existing hood or used as is. If heat is an issue, the ballast can be mounted the the outside of the hood. where ever you put it make sure their are some nut spacers between the hood and ballast.

 

[haowin]

Not really sure on what specific white light you should get but when i was buying a moonlight effect led strip, i found this
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/300MM-MOONLIGHT-BLUE-15-LED-LIGHT-KIT-ANY-AQUARIUM-/190399177940?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item2c54ace4d4#ht_3854wt_1165
"A SINGLE STRIP WILL ILUMINATE APPROX 3FT OF AQUARIUM"
so goin by that, 15 leds with a span of 3ft

After i bought the item i found somebodys page, using christmas tree lights. The pictures the guy showed looked pretty #40## good. argos lights or something. They sell them cheap.
£4.99 for 80
£11.99 for 240
Presumably it'd be sufficient lighting. dont think it'd be safe to say you could submerse them, but you can get indoor/outdoor so they;re going to be resistant to rain so should be safe with the moisture content if you stick them to the roof of your hood.
Also theres operations you can put the lights on. you could have a rave with your fish or something. (watch your ph tho)
http/www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4328427/Trail/searchtext%3EWHITE+LIGHTS.htm its £20 quid, its pricey but it says its got a solar panel.... genius

Only my thoughts on it. hope u find it useful

 

[OohFeeshy]

I wouldn't do it. At least not on a 4ft tank. The normal LEDs you are looking at do not cast a lot of light. You would have to use much fancier higher power LEDs. These are more expensive and you will need to know how to wire them and mount them. They also get hot. It will take a LOT of the tiny LED strips to reach a normal looking light output on the tank. Little LEDs work great for night time illumination, but they look very weak during the day.

IMO you will get much better and cheaper results if you just buy a 4' single tube shop light from menards/home depot. It can be dismantled and mounted in your existing hood or used as is. If heat is an issue, the ballast can be mounted the the outside of the hood. where ever you put it make sure their are some nut spacers between the hood and ballast.

I'm not looking for loads of light, just 'more than none, so you can actually see things'. I have been using about 4ft worth of rubbish indoor fairy lights which did the job well enough, but obviously aren't even splashproof and are a bit naff.

The hood is like this-

The previous owner made it, out of what I'm not sure. There's only about 4 inches between the top of the inside and the condensation cover, which isn't much space to fit anything and isn't much of a distance for heat from the bulb.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Well, this seems most like what I want-

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aquarium-120-LED-Moonlight-Light-Strip-Fish-Tank-White-/150413442857?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item230556ff29

The main issue being, what invertor would I need and how much can they be had for? Because I'm not wanting to spend very much at all. Well, and also, would using an invertor actually work, or would the short wires and proximity to water make it not a good idea?

Does anyone else have any lighting ideas?

 

[AdAndrews]

The problem is, as stated, these strip lights do not have a high output, im not really into the reasons why and why other leds are super bright and all that, although speaking from experience, its almost like the light you get off your mobile, point that into the tank and you will see where we are going.

The thing to do would be to get some t8 or t5 starter units, and then the flourescent tubes to match and do a DIY jobby inside your hood.

Adam

 

[ENR]

I have a 4' tank and bought one of these:
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320492186903

it has uber sticky backing and is low voltage (as are all led's, but thats not my point! ) so as not to electrify the fish if it ever dies.
the mains transformer is ajustable too, so you can change the brightness on them. lights mine up after 12pm midnight, when the strips go off.
cheap too.

 

[OohFeeshy]

That's more like what I wanted, but it's only 24cm and quite expensive for multiple units.

Bleh, looks like I'll have to get a starter then. I'll probably go for a 2ft bulb, I don't need a heap of light and makes the bulbs cheaper and easier. Or possibly a bit bigger. I dunno. Haven't decided.

How exactly do they install, my DIY skills aren't epic at all and I don't want to end up burning the house down with hot bulb next to wood.

 

[ENR]

That's more like what I wanted, but it's only 24cm and quite expensive for multiple units.

Bleh, looks like I'll have to get a starter then. I'll probably go for a 2ft bulb, I don't need a heap of light and makes the bulbs cheaper and easier. Or possibly a bit bigger. I dunno. Haven't decided.

How exactly do they install, my DIY skills aren't epic at all and I don't want to end up burning the house down with hot bulb next to wood.

http/www.screwfix.com/prods/95083/Lighting-Lamps/Commercial-Industrial/Fluorescent-Lighting/Batten-Fittings/Arrowslim-T8-1-x-18W-Batten-Pack-of-2\

when you say how do they attatch, did you mean the leds or the flourescent fittings?
Mine are screwed into the lid with reflectors on, like this...

thats 3, 3 foot fittings, one with a plant light in, one with a fish light in,and one spare!!