# Can I install these lights in my aquarium canopy?



## LaceyRen

Hi there,

I'm looking to add additional lights to canopy of my aquariums, are these safe to use?

https://www.amazon.ca/Hitlights-Wea...led+lights&dpPl=1&dpID=41f1ZLpobhL&ref=plSrch

The photo I've attached is not mine but I found online, what do you guys make of it when it comes to the safety? Apparently he also silcone glued it in addition to the sticky backing of the strips









Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## coldmantis

should work however I don't know if the adhesive will hold long term. It will probably be best if you glued the strips on with hot glue or something.


----------



## LaceyRen

Thanks, your approval definitely offers a lot assurance. However you don't think silicone glue would be strong enough to hold it? I feel like with hot gluing, the glue gets hard and stiff, with the condensation and humidity over time wouldn't it be weaker than silicone? Unless the one I have is just bad quality, some 5$ dollar crafts hot glue gum

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## coldmantis

Silicone would make a better adhesive I only suggested hot glue because it's easier to remove just in case these "waterproof" led are not waterproof.


----------



## coldmantis

Also if you think adding these will grow plants better I would caution against that.

http://diyfishkeepers.com/forum/showthread.php?3311-Anyone-used-these-cheap-led-strip&


----------



## LaceyRen

coldmantis said:


> Silicone would make a better adhesive I only suggested hot glue because it's easier to remove just in case these "waterproof" led are not waterproof.


Ohhhhhhh....ya I guess they might short out quickly 


coldmantis said:


> Also if you think adding these will grow plants better I would caution against that.
> 
> http://diyfishkeepers.com/forum/showthread.php?3311-Anyone-used-these-cheap-led-strip&


That was an interesting read! Well it sounds like they can aid in plant growth somewhat, for moss or crypts. I wonder if I stuck a lot of it on if that would help? In the winter it can also doubles as a water heater.

Would you happen to have any recommendation on a cost effective light that is good for grow plants? But has to be able to clip under a canopy or even a submersible one. (I've a cat)

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## coldmantis

LaceyRen said:


> Ohhhhhhh....ya I guess they might short out quickly That was an interesting read! Well it sounds like they can aid in plant growth somewhat, for moss or crypts. I wonder if I stuck a lot of it on if that would help? In the winter it can also doubles as a water heater.
> 
> Would you happen to have any recommendation on a cost effective light that is good for grow plants? But has to be able to clip under a canopy or even a submersible one. (I've a cat)
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Depends what's your specs on your tank and what lights are you running now and more importantly what are your expectation from you plants? 1" growth in a week/month or like my tanks 1" growth per day!


----------



## LaceyRen

Looking to put it in my 20 gal downstairs that's getting virtually no natural light. The light in the tank came with it, just a cheapie top fin brand. I noticed a significant lack of growth after I moved it downstairs. length is 24 inches. 1 inch a week is pretty good. 

Omg 1 inch a day!!! What lights are you using?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## coldmantis

That's a great size for a planted tank. Not too tall and not too short. Let's look at this objectively you were considering spending 45 bucks on leds that won't grow plants. So we will take 45 as a baseline on what you are willing to spend.

Goto a hydroponic store near you. They should sell a product called sunbeam 24" t5Ho single bulb fixture (bulb is included), while you are there buy a reflector that is meant for that fixture. Now you have good cheap lights for around 45 bucks that will put you in the higher end of low light to medium light.

Second option is to search kijiji and gtaa buy and sell section. People sell dual t5ho 24" fixture all the time for around $40-80 bucks. This fixture of course would be the better choice since it's an aquarium product for aquariums which will look aesthetically pleasing. With this light it will put you in the medium to low end of high light.

I personally prefer quad t5ho lights on all my planted show tanks with co2 and daily fertz of course.

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk


----------



## LaceyRen

Why the strong preference for t5ho? Don't these light bulbs need to be swapped out periodically? 

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## coldmantis

LaceyRen said:


> Why the strong preference for t5ho? Don't these light bulbs need to be swapped out periodically?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


It's tried and true unlike LEDs (unless you go premium $250-$1000+) any long time aquascaper will attest to this. There is a long debate about swapping out t5ho for plants, I used to swap mines out every 8 months to a year. I don't anymore and just swap them out when they burned out.

Your not going to get a tank that looks like mines with cheapo leds that's for sure.


----------



## LaceyRen

Woooahhhhh  that's a sweet tank. I'm looking at https://www.aquariumcoop.com/products/fluval-plant-3-0-led-light

Would this be comparable to t5hos?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## LaceyRen

All the t5 lights I see are the ones that hang above an open tank, can I have it under my enclosed canopy and just drop my water line about 2 inches? Or will the humidity damage the bulbs? I cannot have an open tank unfortunately.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## coldmantis

LaceyRen said:


> Woooahhhhh  that's a sweet tank. I'm looking at https://www.aquariumcoop.com/products/fluval-plant-3-0-led-light
> 
> Would this be comparable to t5hos?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


I forgot where I read it but the 3.0 has less par then the 2.0 don't quote me on that. The only led I know for sure that will compare to a T5HO are these ones Sb reef Freshwater I only mentioned this not because of what I saw/read/heard on the internet but from personal accounts of a friend who has bought the light and shown me pics of the growth they are getting with their plants.

As for not having an open top, can you not just get a glass lid and place a fixture on top, hell if you are able to get a glass lid you can just use regular CFL 6500K "daylight" bulbs and it will grow plants fine.

This is a very old pic of a tank that has long been shut down, If I recall correctly it has 3 26w 6500K CFL bulbs. I suggest you use 2 26w GE or 23w Philips bulbs. Bulbs are like 10 bucks for a three pack.










20g Long Crystal Red shrimp tank, I think I was using DIY co2 yeast + sugar at that time and I started that tank in 2010?. The "fixture" was just air duct sheets which were very cheap to buy maybe 6 bucks, 3 pigtails from HD 3 bucks? an on/off switch I had laying around. Then I spray painted it black. You can just use two desk lamps or something.

build thread


----------



## Aceman21

coldmantis said:


> It's tried and true unlike LEDs (unless you go premium $250-$1000+) any long time aquascaper will attest to this. There is a long debate about swapping out t5ho for plants, I used to swap mines out every 8 months to a year. I don't anymore and just swap them out when they burned out.
> 
> Your not going to get a tank that looks like mines with cheapo leds that's for sure.


What light is that, that you are running ?


----------



## LaceyRen

coldmantis said:


> I forgot where I read it but the 3.0 has less par then the 2.0 don't quote me on that. The only led I know for sure that will compare to a T5HO are these ones Sb reef Freshwater I only mentioned this not because of what I saw/read/heard on the internet but from personal accounts of a friend who has bought the light and shown me pics of the growth they are getting with their plants.
> 
> As for not having an open top, can you not just get a glass lid and place a fixture on top, hell if you are able to get a glass lid you can just use regular CFL 6500K "daylight" bulbs and it will grow plants fine.
> 
> This is a very old pic of a tank that has long been shut down, If I recall correctly it has 3 26w 6500K CFL bulbs. I suggest you use 2 26w GE or 23w Philips bulbs. Bulbs are like 10 bucks for a three pack.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 20g Long Crystal Red shrimp tank, I think I was using DIY co2 yeast + sugar at that time and I started that tank in 2010?. The "fixture" was just air duct sheets which were very cheap to buy maybe 6 bucks, 3 pigtails from HD 3 bucks? an on/off switch I had laying around. Then I spray painted it black. You can just use two desk lamps or something.
> 
> build thread


Okay looking into glass cutters and nippers right now. I have two more really dumb questions: does it HAVE to be glass? Can it be a sturdy sheet of plastic or acrylic (knowing my luck I can just see a sheet of pre-sanded glass slip throw my fingers )? OR keep my existing lid but have t5 light just propped up on it's side next to the tank. Like instead of a light over the tank it will be adjacent to the tank? If the plants are thin stemmed like rotala rotundifolia or hornwort, so they won't crooked.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## coldmantis

Aceman21 said:


> What light is that, that you are running ?


Nothing special, Just an Oddysea quad T5HO 156w total with dirty reflectors.


----------



## coldmantis

LaceyRen said:


> Okay looking into glass cutters and nippers right now. I have two more really dumb questions: does it HAVE to be glass? Can it be a sturdy sheet of plastic or acrylic (knowing my luck I can just see a sheet of pre-sanded glass slip throw my fingers )? OR keep my existing lid but have t5 light just propped up on it's side next to the tank. Like instead of a light over the tank it will be adjacent to the tank? If the plants are thin stemmed like rotala rotundifolia or hornwort, so they won't crooked.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Plastic and acrylic block more light then glass, also it might bend overtime while glass doesn't. Wear gloves so you don't cut yourself. A red glass cutter can be bought at HD for like 8 bucks? get some scrap glass and practice a few times scoring it. I personally like to dip the cutting wheel in mineral oil first. If you want to make your lid "professional" looking big als north york for sure has glass lid accessories like the middle part so that the lid can bend and open, the thing you hold to lift it and the back plastic that can be cut for filters and wires. To be honest after you buy all those accessories to make a lid plus the glass to cut you might as well buy one that's already made.


----------



## Nebthet78

LaceyRen said:


> Woooahhhhh  that's a sweet tank. I'm looking at https://www.aquariumcoop.com/products/fluval-plant-3-0-led-light
> 
> Would this be comparable to t5hos?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


I have the Fluval 2.0 on my tank and my plants love them!! The light spread is actually very close to T5h0's and you don't get the shading like you do with the cheaper type of leds like Nicrew, where the light mainly just points down.

Here are a couple pics of my tank. April 9th and then approx May 9th, which was before the Fluval 2.0 was added and then one month after.

I need to update my thread on here, but I need to actually go in and do a bit of a heavy trim now and make some more growing room for the plants.

Oh, and the Par difference on the 3.0 isn't significant enough to be anything to worry about on anything other than high light plants. It was only noted at being approximately 3par difference.


----------



## LaceyRen

coldmantis said:


> Plastic and acrylic block more light then glass, also it might bend overtime while glass doesn't. Wear gloves so you don't cut yourself. A red glass cutter can be bought at HD for like 8 bucks? get some scrap glass and practice a few times scoring it. I personally like to dip the cutting wheel in mineral oil first. If you want to make your lid "professional" looking big als north york for sure has glass lid accessories like the middle part so that the lid can bend and open, the thing you hold to lift it and the back plastic that can be cut for filters and wires. To be honest after you buy all those accessories to make a lid plus the glass to cut you might as well buy one that's already made.


That's true, but sometimes the projects in itself is very and fun rewarding. Just sucks I don't the space for it, I would have to go visit my parents and use my dad's workbench. Will continue to keep looking, maybe I'll save myself the trouble and just get premade one.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## LaceyRen

Nebthet78 said:


> I have the Fluval 2.0 on my tank and my plants love them!! The light spread is actually very close to T5h0's and you don't get the shading like you do with the cheaper type of leds like Nicrew, where the light mainly just points down.
> 
> Here are a couple pics of my tank. April 9th and then approx May 9th, which was before the Fluval 2.0 was added and then one month after.
> 
> I need to update my thread on here, but I need to actually go in and do a bit of a heavy trim now and make some more growing room for the plants.
> 
> Oh, and the Par difference on the 3.0 isn't significant enough to be anything to worry about on anything other than high light plants. It was only noted at being approximately 3par difference.


Wow that's amazing growth in a month in my books, sweet set up! Do you also use any fertilizer and CO2? Is that mermaid weed on right side of the tank?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## Nebthet78

LaceyRen said:


> Wow that's amazing growth in a month in my books, sweet set up! Do you also use any fertilizer and CO2? Is that mermaid weed on right side of the tank?
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Hi. The growth in the second month has been just as good.. I need to do a major trim now.

I don't use any CO2 and light on the fertz right now. I use ThriveS.

The plant on the back right is Hygrophillia Disformis (Water Wisteria)


----------



## LaceyRen

Sooo many options......thanks guys for all the info and anecdotes 

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------

