DarkDep's DIY Sturdy Tank Stand and Canopy

[darkdep]

New Article is up on the front page that shows the construction of the Canopy and Lighting.

[sarahbella]

my husband read all of your articles and is confident now that he can build me a stand.  thank you for posting it

[darkdep]

You're welcome!

[BigDaddy]

Given that a particle board stand for a 75 is typically anywhere from $150 to $199... yeah I'd say that's a pretty decent savings...

Of course, there's the time factor... but if it's a labour of love........

[darkdep]

Well, for me, it's not about the money really.  It's about the quality and the "labour of love"...I consider it part of the whole fishkeeping hobby.

Besides, Mr. NLS/Ebo Jager/Eheim/Tanked CO2, you're not exactly someone who advocates saving money anyway, are you?  :lol:

[BigDaddy]

Your forgetting Coralife Lighting, UV Sterilizing and Flourite covering (its bloody expensive to fill a 75 gallon with that stuff!)   :lol:

[darkdep]

Oh damn I should have remembered the Coralife lighting especially...

I'm cheap; I only learn to build things to save cash.

[repeej]

Oh darn I should have remembered the Coralife lighting especially...

I'm cheap; I only learn to build things to save cash.

In the end....our tanks might not be blinged out but at least our fish are African.  

[BigDaddy]

Oh darn I should have remembered the Coralife lighting especially...

I'm cheap; I only learn to build things to save cash.

In the end....our tanks might not be blinged out but at least our fish are African.  

Yeah, I'll try not to hold that against you as well....

[darkdep]

In the end....our tanks might not be blinged out but at least our fish are African.  

It's so true...our fish can beat up your fish, BigDaddy,  

[BigDaddy]

On a serious note... about the canopy article.

Yes, in the short term its cheaper than CF... but in the long term its more expensive.

My two ballasts ran me about $140 for the pair.  They've come down in price since then (I am ordering a few on ebay right now, identical ballasts, for $13 US... who cares how much shipping is!).  Bulbs were $80.

Yes, initial bulb cost was expensive... BUT

You will be replacing your bulbs every 6 months to a year (spectral output changes in that time frame), while I won't.

So in a worst case scenario, you are investing $50 in bulbs per year.  In two years, you will have spent $100 on bulbs while my original $80 bulbs will still be shining with the same spectral output as before.

Not to mention my four 55W CF bulbs are far more effecient and penetrate further into the tank than an F32T8 can


HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES!    :lol:

[repeej]

I don't need anymore than a $20-25 Home Depot special with a couple Daylight Delux bulbs $5 over an African tank.

You see....my fish turn the pretty plants into shredded lettuce in no time.

[darkdep]

Well, with electronic ballasts they actually double the effective life of the T8's, so I really can replace once a year...

Anyway, before this goes anywhere, I don't want to come across as suggesting that T8's are the ultimate lighting solution; it's simply the solution I chose for that tank.

Now, as to your intensity argument...I actually only fire up three of them instead of all 6 now.  6 produced too much light; As repeej noted, Africans and plants are not great neighbours...I keep some in there that live, and grow, but any more light and I get greenwater.

So there

[BigDaddy]

Well, with electronic ballasts they actually double the effective life of the T8's, so I really can replace once a year...

The life... but not the spectral output...

I was assuming with 6 bulbs, that the design was intended for planted tanks... ya... for an african tank that's overkill... which pretty much sums up the whole project    :lol:

[darkdep]

Yes...I guess it's overkill...but it's fun!

I did originally have higher plans for plants in this tank tho.  Ah, experience...

[StylinT]

an no tto turn form the subject but would pot lights work like halogen ones or the type people put up in the porch roofs

I want to go a diffrent route with the lighting by install dimmer switches etc

[darkdep]

I would LOVE to have aquarium lights that worked on a dimmer...