# Let there be light!



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

I am building a new hood, from scratch, for a standard 10 gallon tank.
It will have FOUR bulbs in it instead of the usual two. Using 4 of those compact flourescent bulbs, this hood should provide enough light to grow even the most light-demanding species of plants, at around 8 watts per gallon!

Glossostigma, you will finally be mine! BWA-hahahaha!

Anyway, I'll let ya'll know how it turns out. I might even make some units for other people if it turns out well enough.

It'll wind up costing about 60 bucks, all total, including the bulbs.


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## Torone (Apr 23, 2010)

I will be watching this. I am very interested in doing the same kinda thing for my own 10 gallon. And that cost is really really nice as well.


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## Mikaila31 (Nov 29, 2009)

Sounds cool! The cost actually seems kinda high IMO... What exactly are you using that totals up to $60? Also are you going to mount the bulbs vertically or horizontally?


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## toddnbecka (Jun 30, 2006)

Are you including a ventilation fan in the hood? At 8 watts/gallon you'll also need to run CO2 and a balanced dosing of ferts or you'll have 10 gallons of uber-algae.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2010)

keep us POST  if all do well ... maybe ill build one


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## Cam (Nov 9, 2009)

How is this coming along?


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## Corwin (May 23, 2010)

I may be interested in getting something like this for my 50+g when i eventualy get enough money together to set it up. Would love to see some photos of the finished product when your done as well as some of it on the tank and how it worked out.


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## Bettawhisperer (Oct 1, 2010)

Post pics in the progress.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Well, progress pretty much stopped. I have all the parts handy and could slap it all together in a day or so, but I've just been far too busy with too many other things. People around here locally know that I make stuff, and they tend to pester me all the time to make things for them. The guy I share my building with decided to have a big open house for his half, and once people saw my workshop and the various projects under construction, they've been bugging me constantly for fish and wood work. Sadly, it's not enough to let me quit my day job, so I only have a little bit of time each day to fill orders and work on stuff. Right now I'm bogged down between a a 6-ft tall lighthouse ( with a real rotating light ), some lawn furniture, and a Barbie doll size-scaled Victorian style dollhouse of heirloom quality, which will be something of a masterpiece, if I do say so myself.

Really, though, this hood isn't going to be anything spectacular or especially interesting to look at; it will just have 4 compact flourescent bulbs in it and be self-ventilated.


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## Cam (Nov 9, 2009)

Cool. I didn't know you worked with wood.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yeah, it's my hobby. 

Fishkeeping isn't my hobby anymore. It simply became a way of life. I do it just because it's what I do. Kinda weird, I guess.


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