Incandescent hood question
- Thread starter Steph_D
- Start date
If the hood is intact (has the little plastic light cover thingies), you can screw in the flourescent bulbs. Lots of people do it, including myself, for a wee planted tank. The hood I'm using currently has the bulbs a little higher and no provision for any light covers but I've used the standard incand. hoods as well without a problem. 
Last edited:
The thing is, the incandescent hoods are popular with people who wish to keep a small planted tank. The small flourescent hoods don't throw anywhere near the watts an incand. hood with compact flourescent bulbs does. True electricity and water don't mix but I don't know anyone who has done this who has had a problem, yet know several people who are keeping plants well with this set-up. These hoods are hot sellers at fish club auctions now when they used to be snickered at.
Wow, I'm glad I read this thread because I just bought a 5.5 gallon tank and incandescent hood from Meijer but I put a screw in cf bulb in it to keep live plants. The hood also has a reflector. Is there anything else I can do DIY, instead of buying a glass top? The hood covers the entire tank, with just a hinged door to feed and a couple of small openings in back for the filter and heater.
I don't know what everyone's talking about... An incadescent bulb has the exact same possibility of electric shock as a compact fluorecent bulb, which comes standard with these things. The important thing is the metal part is competely covered by rubber or plastic, which is part of the ballast for incan. hoods.
The important thing is not overwatting your ballast, but most hoods tell you the maximum watts to use, and with CF, you should be fine, as they use less watts than incandescents.
I've kept an incandescent hood over a ten gallon, and like Seleya, I use compact fluorescent screw-in bulbs with no problems. It's the only way to go with a planted ten gallon. Been up and running for more than a year now. Glass between it will eliminate some of the lighting your plants will get.
MOS, I wouldn't worry about it. Why would complact fluorescents cause a problem when exposed incandescent bulbs wouldn't?
If someone thinks this would be an issue, could they please explain why?
In the saltwater side of fish keeping, we keep lights over water all the time. Sometimes with a plastic shield, sometimes not, but in that case the lights are placed higher above the water.
The important thing is not overwatting your ballast, but most hoods tell you the maximum watts to use, and with CF, you should be fine, as they use less watts than incandescents.
I've kept an incandescent hood over a ten gallon, and like Seleya, I use compact fluorescent screw-in bulbs with no problems. It's the only way to go with a planted ten gallon. Been up and running for more than a year now. Glass between it will eliminate some of the lighting your plants will get.
MOS, I wouldn't worry about it. Why would complact fluorescents cause a problem when exposed incandescent bulbs wouldn't?
If someone thinks this would be an issue, could they please explain why?
In the saltwater side of fish keeping, we keep lights over water all the time. Sometimes with a plastic shield, sometimes not, but in that case the lights are placed higher above the water.