Way Off Topic

I usually reserve this blog for computer-related topics such as Oracle and ColdFusion and JavaScript. However, I want to share with you the transformation of my planted freshwater aquarium after I moved it off of a high-output, 130W compact florescent fixture and onto a mixture of old-tech T-8 florescent bulbs and new-tech LED strip light. The changes are cataloged in a facebook album. I mixed the two technologies because florescent bulbs give a nice warm color between 5,500K and 7,500K that is not currently available in water-resistant LED fixtures. The most exciting part of this project is that I didn’t splurge on $250-$500 LED fixtures from aquarium stores. Rather, I bought some water-resistant LED strip lights from Super Bright LEDs. A little DIY and a little science can save money and yield satisfying results.

The 130 watt fixture generated a lot of heat and obviously consumed quite a bit of electricity. Now, with just under 70 watts of power and about 5-7degrees F drop in water temperature, my plants and fish are flourishing.