Habitat - Indoor :: Non-UVB lamps for deep tanks

[Scotty9er]

I'm in the middle of a DIY plywood tank build for my two turts that are about 10 years old. It's 48" x 22" x 30" high and will fit in an enclave in my wall that came with my house (I think it was intended for a fireplace or TV). I have the tank build figured out and know that my turts will get their UVB and heat from their basking area, which will be mostly above the tank. My question, which I'm hoping someone here has direct experience with, is the best way to light the deep water so I can see them swim around. Most of the stronger lights are marketed for growing plants, of which I have none, so I want to avoid paying for that functionality. I want a light for just looking at the turtles and it doesn't need to provide any functionality for anything besides me looking at them.

My lamp/fixture questions:

1. I want to make sure I invest in something that will illuminate the entire depth, but I am budget concious. I've looked at t5HO lights (expensive) and LED lights (very expensive) and I wonder if I could just use a normal Home Depot shop light fixture or under-counter light. If anyone has had success with that, how did you rig it?

2. Is there an ideal color temperature / wattage to use for deep tanks? I've seen 6500K, 10000K, 12000K and antitic lights at various wattages depending on length, but everything I read about them is in the context of reefs and plants and rocks.

Please advise, and thanks in advance!

[slider_keeper]

I used a T12 or T8 (can't remember) fixture mounted to my ceiling to hang over the tank. I ran dual tubes and they lit the tank nicely, mind you these were UVB ReptiSun tubes. Reptileuv.com has non UVB full Spectrum 6500K bulbs for about $15 a each. You can get a fixture for the type of bulb they are at homedepot (either T8 or T12). Get a reflector that will go between the bulb anf fixture to reflect the light down on the tank for even more light. The fixture I found was a dual and had a ballast and a power cord with a three pronge plug. I used a 6 ft extension cord to reach the wall outlet. The 65k in a dual setup with a reflector will produce high LUX and provide good viewing for you and your turtle at a cheap price. You can use the plant ceiling hangers with drywall anchors and chain to hang the fixture above the tank. All in all, this should cost around $60 bucks.A very good price for alot of light. Or you could run a single bulb setup for a cheaper price, it's really up to you.

[Scotty9er]

Thanks keeper. Do you remember how deep this tank was that the T8/12 was over? Did you put a reflector in your fixture, and if so, what did you use?

Anybody else have experience with this?

[slider_keeper]

The tank was 25 in. Deep and I used tin foil to reflect the light down on the water. It was very bright and lit the whole room up so it will do wonders for 30 in. of water depth.

[slider_keeper]

Oh and my bulbs were about 45K so 65K is gonna be even brighter;)

[Scotty9er]

Great info, thanks so much.

[Rafa2k]

If you're not looking for any functionality at all you can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a shop light as slider suggested. Get a single bulb one so you save money on buying bulbs. the 2 bulb ones require 2 bulbs installed for full lighting. 1 will light but very dim, using both makes them both shine bright. if you use a single bulb, it's bright on its own. Just remove the light diffuser that comes with it, that makes the light go to a wider area and diminshes it's depth. You can get a 48" shop light for $30 at Home Depot. The bulbs last forever and since they wont serve any functionality, you don't have to worry about replacing every 6 months.