Replacing light in Eclipse Explorer

[tormo]

Hey all. I just picked up an Eclipse Explorer 2gallon tank for my betta, and I noticed that it had a small 7watt incandescent bulb in it. Now, I'm a fan of real plants over plastic ones, and I've already put in two bunch plants in there (java fern, and something else... can't remember the name), and I'm wondering if the incandescent is good enough to keep those plants green and growing.

If not, is there any way to replace the lamp? If there are no replacement flourescent bulbs out there, I'm thinking of ripping the whole thing out and figuring out how to affix a mini-flourescent to the inside of the lid.

As a side note, I checked the Marineland website, and I didn't see my make of Explorer 2 on the site. The one I saw on there (I'm assuming it's a new model) is pretty much the same as mine, only it's missing ANY kind of lighting system at all. I wonder if they started having problems with the lighting?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[sparkydave]

You should be able to put a compact fluorescent in place of the incandesant one. Marineland actually makes one specifically for the Hex 5 I believe, and I have seen the replacement bulbs at Petsmart. Otherwise, you could see if a compact fluorescent bulb from Wal Mart or Home Depot will fit, but those tend to be a bit large. I've never tried one of the incandesants that claim to be plant bulbs (they have a bluish tint), so I can't say how well those work.

 

[twoluvcats]

Walmart has a fish-friendly 7w compact florescent that replaces those incandescent bulbs...they should be in the fish section of your walmart. They are only ~$4, whereas the marineland ones are $9-12. They actually are a pretty ok plant blub. I have 2 of them in my 10 gallon, and its my best lit tank in the house.

 

[ram man]

i had this problem with my 6 gallon. i took the stocklighting from my 10 gallon that now has a corallife 3.8wpg. riped every thing out of the plastic skeleton thing. rewired evry thing and now have 30 watts. you can get the same bulbs i got. they ar 5bucks at walmart and are in the pet section. they are screw in compact flouresents that are 10 watts. this would give you a nice 5 wpg

 

[tormo]

Thanks for the input. My concern about just replacing the bulb is that the incandescent is a threaded screw-in "candlelabra" bulb (like your standard household incandescent bulb, only much much smaller), but alot of the flourescents I've seen have two little prong things on the end. I'll have a look for an itty-bitty screw-in flourescent at the local Home Depot (not that many Wal-Marts here north of the border), but I'm not sure if I'll find one that small. That WOULD be the easiest though.

At my LFS, I saw these small little flourescents that have an arm that clamps onto the edge of a tiny little tank (couldn't have been any more than one gallon)... I actually started thinking of cutting a hole in the lid, figuring out how to break off the clamp arm, then gluing the flourescent to the outside of the lid over the hole. Heh, it would be a tidy little project tho... hope I can find a screw in 7watt flourescent instead.

 

[TitanWarrior]

This is what i think Sparkydave was taling about. I just picked 1 up at Wal-Mart today in there Fish section of the store. Just like that one but I got a different brand

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

 

[turtlefish]

I think they just havn't updated the site. Seems like the Explorer II comes with lighting and the old one does not. I'd try the walmart screw in fluorescent bulb, if you look carefully they have a real tiny one, even tinier than the one linked. Its made by lights of America and MIGHT fit, not sure.