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View Full Version : Marineland 60 Gal Tall Aquarium Set-Up Part 1


red34
09-14-2009, 03:33 AM
I just bought this tank and stand on craigslist. I am planning to make it an African Cichlid tank and using mainly artificial plants.

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It was missing the hoods/light fixtures so I am looking over my options for covering my tank. Option 1 is simply replacing with the 2 factory 24" plastic hoods. 2 x $42 = $84

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Option 2 would be buying one of these Hoods that match my stand and adding in my own lighting. Canopy only = $94.00

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My first question is, do I need additional all glass lids with the canopy or just go topless under the hood?

Second question is getting a 5-6 puck style LED lighting system and installing it under the canopy. Would the LED's penetrate through the water and make the tank bright enough? Would they need the protection of a glass lid, or would that just be an unnecessary barrier between the lights and system?

I read about these LED systems in the DIY forum and they seemed to work fine, just worried because my tank is a little taller.