Tank prices

[Gabe]

We are coming into some money so I will be purchasing a bigger tank. I can get a 35 gallon for $59, without hood and light. The hood and light together are $79. Why is it that the light is SOOO expensive? Not even the light bulb but the light fixture? We priced a 65 gallon tank $150 for the tank and $180 for JUST the light fixture. It's another $26 for the hood. I find that isane that the light fixture is more expensive than the tank itself.

Would it be ok to use a normal old florescent(sp?) light from the hardware store? Then we will make a cover for it and use plexi glass to cover the tank.

 

[Alia]

Just thought I'd mention, this might get more play in the Hardware Forum.

Have you tried finding used equipment? I recently picked up a nice 29 gallon with hood and light for $35 at a garage sale. For $75, I could have had an enormous exterior canister filter setup as well, but I didn't want it. I guess they are pretty expensive and I'll be kicking myself one day when I get a huge tank and have to buy one, but never mind that . . . there are also at least one or two ads in our local "Advertiser" for aquariums at great discounts from retail every week.

I have no notion of why aquarium lights/hoods are so expensive, when most generic types of lighting have gotten way cheap. Good question!

 

[steve-0]

usually kits are cheaper for some reason instead of piecing stuuf togetther

 

[Great Lakes]

Gabe, lighting is way cheaper to do yourself.

 

[cichlidmaster]

The shop light will work, but the plexi will not!!!!!!

Plexi will warp after only a few days. I know because I have used it in the past...in fact I still use it on a few of my tanks. I have to flip it over every few days.

You would need to use acrylic instead, but it is a little more expensive.

You may want to try a local glass shop and see what they would charge for two pieces of 1/8 inch thick glass and make a glass canopy. You can get the hinge strip and back plastic strip from just about any LFS.

CM

 

[Gabe]

Thanks for the info everyone! It will come in very helpful when the time comes to purchase everything.

CM, I didn't realize that the plexi would warp. When I lived with my mom we used plexi on our tank, but I didn't notice it warp. Maybe I just didn't pay enough attention, I was quite a bit younger.

Gabe

 

[steve-0]

i also used plexi galss......warps
every clean i had to flip it

 

[Jamnog]

Just thought I'd mention, this might get more play in the Hardware Forum.

Have you tried finding used equipment? I recently picked up a nice 29 gallon with hood and light for $35 at a garage sale. For $75, I could have had an enormous exterior canister filter setup as well, but I didn't want it. I guess they are pretty expensive and I'll be kicking myself one day when I get a huge tank and have to buy one, but never mind that . . . there are also at least one or two ads in our local "Advertiser" for aquariums at great discounts from retail every week.

I have no notion of why aquarium lights/hoods are so expensive, when most generic types of lighting have gotten way cheap. Good question!

those canister filters can be expencive but i would advise getting stuff off the net is much cheaper in many cases. ask around on here for a good online shop that someone has used in the past i got allot of my stuff online and it was allot cheaper than getting it at my lfs