Home depot floodlights

[rasmusW]

Hi all!

I am considering to switch to floodlights from a home depot store, for a future upgrade of my tanks.
Though I have seen a number of videos, I still have a few questions to help figure out if this is a good idea.

First of a little background or what you would call it.

I’m pretty sure I will still favour dim lit “blackwater-ish” tanks in the future and not high tech, completely even lit, bright tanks.
-so, the lights should be able to provide this.
I am considering floodlights, because I honestly think they are prettier than most current led aquarium lights. I would also be able to angle them towards the backwall and down in the tank. And I like the spotlight “look” with a more confined focus area.

On to the questions…
Would watt, lumen and kelvin would you consider for lights that would be suspended around 30cm. over the tank?
(The tanks would be around 35-40 high).
I am thinking one or two light for a tank size, like the ones I have now (-lenght:120cm, width: 36cm, hight: 36cm).

-r

 

[Mazan]

I have this type of light on all my tanks but one. They are fine and much less expensive than “proper” aquarium lights, the only disadvantage being that they can’t be dimmed. My tanks have lids so the lights are only about 20cm or slightly less above the water. The first tank I set up like this several years ago measures 160 x 60 x 60cm and has 2 x 50W floodlights, 5000k, and I believe they give approximately 20 lumens per litre. I chose these based on what I read was an ideal amount of light for a well planted, but low tech tank with plants of low to medium light requirements. In retrospect and with more experience I think they could be less bright and many plants will still grow well.

My biggest tank measures 200 x 65 x 65cm and I intended it to have lower light as it wasn’t to be a planted tank, it only has floating plants and a lot of driftwood due to the fish I have in there. It had originally 3 x 20w lights but the middle one stopped working recently and I haven’t bothered to replace it as I quite like the light and shadows look in the tank, and the room does get some natural light. These lights are 6500k, which is the easiest to get hold of, for choice I prefer the slightly warmer look of 5000K, but both are fine. 3000 is far too yellow.

My third tank measures 130 x 50 x 50 cm and has 2 x 30W 5000k lights, but this tank is for Apistogramma, tetras and pencilfish, it’s heavily planted and covered with floating plants but it still looks too bright and I have been meaning to change the lights for 2 x 20W.

For a 120cm, 50cm tall, tank I had 4 x 10W lights, but if you like the spotlight effect 2 or even 1 would be better, especially as they will be higher above the tank.

 

[anewbie]

There are rgb dimminble flood lights on amazon (home depot probably has them); some of them are even programmable. They are a little more than the non dim - never tried one - i did try a regular flood light on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BHD8YY?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

This particular model is no longer sold - they were cheap like $20 It did an ok job with frogbit but the light was way too strong for things like buces or anubias.

Of course there are weaker and stronger models - the advantage they might over is they are designed for outside mounting so water proof to a limit.

I didn't answer your question because i don't particularly recommend or not recommend them there are so many variables. What you want to grow what type of fish how bright do you want.

As for off/on that is easy enough with a $10 or $15 smart plug (i like kasa as they just work); of course like all things that talk to the internet in some form they are a security risk of sort.

I HAVE NOT TRIED THE FOLLOWINGS BUT GIVES YOU SOME IDEAS:

Here is a fancy widget of such:

https://amazon.com/Equivalent-Floodlight-Dimmable-Landscape-Lighting/dp/B08T5XR951/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

(no clue if you can get the above one to give a neutral spectrum for fish viewing)

This one is basically white but dimmable:

https://amazon.com/Gopretty-FloodLights-Dimmable-Selectable-Waterproof/dp/B0DCP6BS1R/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Anyway there are 10's if not 100s - whatever you get i think it is prudent for it to be water proof. Also there are a lot of stuff for plant growers (hydroponic) - you could spend a year just looking at all the dizzy products.


Finding a flood light that target the hydroponic market should get you a good spectrum; a quick google search found a lot for under $30 but no clue if they are any good.

At 35cm you will want a fairly weak light - i would think under 50 watt unless you are targeting co2 injection. Also best to make it dimminable though that might muck up the spectrum.

The hygger 957 i have on a 10 for example is 26 watts and i run it around 60%.

 

[Mazan]

Mine are straightforward floodlights, and yes they are waterproof, meant for outdoor use.

I meant to say in my last post that (many) plants seem to do well with these lights, and I have not noticed any difference between 5000 and 6500K in terms of plant growth.