Lighting, Whats Necessary

[nsomnia]

hey everyone, im looking to get lighting for my aquarium but what should i look for, the tank is a cichlid tank with no plants, 104 inches long and 24 inches wide, the local pet store recomended t5s and quoted me 600 buck which im not willing to pay, i would like to have good lighting but am also loking for the best bang for the buck.

 

[nsomnia]

could i run a couple t5s along side a couple normal florecent lights.

 

[nsomnia]

anyone...

 

[aly_starh]

If you haven't got plants, you can get away with any lighting

 

[OldMan47]

At 104 inches long, I would suggest a custom made wood box to hold two simple shop lights. A few pieces of 1x6 and 1x8 wood would make the basic boxy structure and the light fixtures could be simply screwed into the top of the enclosure. My 6 foot is made with a single shop light and a couple of ceramic screw type fixtures to fill in the ends and avoid dark areas. I use screw in fluorescents in those end fixtures. Don't forget to drill several large holes in the back side high up, to provide ventilation for the heat the fixtures will produce. By drilling high up, you don't get any light leaking out the back and looking funny. Another option for good ventilation would be to simply leave a small gap between the top and the back board so that the slit formed would function as a vent. If you have more than beginner skills with wood, you can easily make the ends of the box overlap the tank's top trim so that it carries the weight of the whole fixture and the fixture can't fall off.