Aquarium Light Fixture Advice

I'm writing this article in order to give some guidance regarding aquarium light fixtures and the precise construction of the aquarium light fixtures of my social aquarium. A joiner created the case for my tank to order. The dimensions are 120 cm x 55 cm x 100 cm. The cover's dimensions are 120 cm x 55 cm x 20 cm.

I chose 4x39W 850 mm T5 lighting fluorescent tubes as the lighting. All in all, it is 156 W for 220 litres of water. I like to have a planted tank and 0.7 W/l is enough in my experience. In order to boost the intensity of the aquarium lighting I attached mirror foil to it. To use T5 lighting fluorescent tubes you need to plug them into the electronic ballasts. I use two pieces of Helvar electronic ballast "El 2x39s". If you have the aquarium light fixture made of wood or any flammable material, you must embed the asbestos bearing between the ballast and fixture. The ballast has a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius when working. To connect electronic ballast with T5 tubes I used cable CY 1.5mm². Finally, you have to connect the ballast with the electronic area.

I think this solution is good and much cheaper than original lightning.

The details of my light fixture can be found on the pictures below (within photogallery at the bottom of this page).Patrik Ruzic alias Wampa (visit my blog at www.aqua-wampa.blogspot.com); patrik.ruzic @ gmail dot com.

Additional question&answer

Due to merging aqua-fish.net/answers with articles and fish, plants profiles we added the following question and answer here on March 23th 2011. You're welcome to post own unique and yet unanswered question, use a form at the bottom of this page for this purpose, please.

• How do I know which lighting fixture to buy for my aquarium?

  Answer: Fish can become stressed if they do not have sufficient lighting. While most aquarium hoods come with a single strip fluorescent light fixture, this is not always the best lighting for all fish tanks. Aquariums that feature plants can benefit greatly from lighting that is closer to natural sunlight. The best lighting fixtures will allow you to feature both daylight and night light in the aquarium. Using a timer to regulate routine day and night can help to reduce stress.