CHEAP AQUARIUM LIGHTING

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Nowadays there are many complete aquarium packages to be bought from the high street retailers, but these all come at a price. Many fish keepers find that they can build up their systems by purchasing second hand tanks and running equipment far cheaper than just going for the complete package.

Included in the running equipment has to be a good reliable lighting system but reliability doesn’t always mean that the price will strain the fish keeper’s pocket. Adequate lighting has to be provided especially if running a planted tank or a reef system but shopping around can pay its dividends when trying to save pennies.

Is lighting a necessity - the answer to that is yes!!! For your aquarium to be successful then lighting will have to be added. There are several reasons for this, when feeding your fish it will help them locate the food that you have just added to the tank, never add food when the lighting has gone off, it will foul your water as it decomposes at the bottom of the tank.

If you are growing live plants in your tank they will need lighting for their growth, photosynthesis is dependant on a good lighting source. If you are running a reef tank the corals will feed from the light, they nearly all use zooanthellae for their growth, these too can only aid the corals if given enough light.

For aesthetic purposes lighting makes for easy and pleasant viewing of the tank and its inhabitants, a well lit display is pleasing to the eye for yourself and any visitors to your house.

For those of you that do not mind using second hand equipment there are several websites that allow guests to sell off any unwanted lighting units. There are generally genuine reasons for the sale, the owners could have upgraded to a more expensive unit or maybe they are just breaking down their tanks due to upgrading the tank as a whole. Some people will advertise if they intend to close down their tanks permanently due to other commitments. Keeping an eye on these websites will ensure that the correct lighting you are looking for can be purchased at a fraction of the cost of a new one, even if you intend to buy a brand new unit, using second hand ones initially will give you a bit more time to save up towards the future costs.

Often in the local papers there maybe be someone who wishes to sell off their equipment for whatever reason, always keep all of your options open for a bargain.

As mentioned in other articles the auction sites on the internet will provide another option for getting your lighting unit. As well as second hand units being available there are plenty of sellers that are selling brand new units for very reasonable prices, always check the postage and packing charges though as some unscrupulous sellers may inflate these to recuperate some of the money. I have often seen on eBay a couple of sellers that do a very good price on fluorescent luminaries or metal halide units, they cover most sizes of tanks and even give you a choice of the lighting that will be sent with the unit, tropical or marine set up can be purchased. One tip when paying out for larger items on eBay is to always try to pay through sites like Pay pal so that if there is a problem with either the postage or the actual item purchased you have some kind of back up as Pay pal will pursue any claims for you.

One particular seller that will ship worldwide is eqj-trading that deal with all luminaries and metal halides. They are based in Germany and have been selling on eBay for quite a while now and looking through their feedback ratings seem to be selling quite a lot of units. As an example a four foot twin T5 luminarie is offered for 100 pounds (200 dollars), this works out at 50% cheaper than other well known brands like Arcadia. Having said that I have never used one of these units but I do know several people who have and they seem well pleased with them. Shipping worldwide is approx. 15 pounds (30 dollars) so the unit still works out quite a lot cheaper in total.

There are many retailers on the net that are competing with each other for business, many a deal to be had. One thing I did find out very quickly is that if you find a good retailer and become something of a regular customer, discounts will start to become quite common with your orders. On many occasions I have personally spoke to suppliers on the phone and explained exactly what I am after, the quotes given are always lower than advertised on the websites, “good customer relations “, the secret to keeping in business.

Another way of saving money on your lighting is to take a step backwards in technology. All of the modern lighting units will have internal ballasts, slim line tubes like the T5’s, this often means that the suppliers cannot sell their stocks of older units as the customers want to get the best and most modern that they can afford.

A few years ago I was still setting up the lighting with the bulky external ballasts and separate tube holders that needed to be fitted to the tank lids. I still have no objection to using these if I have to as the external ballast can easily be hidden from view at the rear of the tank and the tube holders can be fitted to the hood by anyone, they are so easy to do.

There are still external ballasts being made and sold but buying your lighting system this way will always work out cheaper than purchasing an all in one unit. Remember that if you are using external ballast they do get quite hot so please ensure that they do have airflow around them.

Always check out any second hand unit that you may buy to make sure that it is in full working order with no loose connections, loose wiring can lead to electrical shocks, especially when near water!

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Cheap Aquarium Lighting

has been viewed times since June 30, 2009.