DIY: Homemade Fish Tank Lighting

Aquarium stores and pet shops normally carry fish tank lighting kits and hoods with built-in lights, but they charge high prices for these items. You can build a homemade fish tank lighting system very inexpensively. This do-it-yourself (DIY) project is easy to complete with only limited knowledge of woodworking and no knowledge of wiring necessary.

  1. Hood Construction

    • The hood should be constructed of a light wood, such as pine, that is one-quarter inch thick. You can find this inexpensive wood at any home improvement store. For the first part, you'll need four pieces of wood that match the lengths of the sides of your aquarium and have a width of about five inches. These will form the sides of the hood. Connect these wood pieces with thin nails or screws to create a box with no top or bottom. For the top of the hood, you will need a final piece of wood that matches the width and length of the aquarium plus an additional one-half inch for each dimension. Nail or screw this onto the top of the box. Finally, drill a one-inch hole through the center of one of the ends of the box. This hole will be used to run a cord through.

      If you are not familiar enough with woodworking to put together this box, you can use a high-raised hood purchased from an aquarium store.

      After constructing or purchasing your hood, line its inside with aluminum foil. Use glue or industrial staples to hold the foil in place. This foil will reflect light into the tank.

    Lighting

    • The fish tank lighting system in this DIY guide makes use of several pre-made components so that you do not need to know anything about electric wiring. These components can be purchased at most home improvement and department stores. You will need two compact fluorescent bulbs (these are the fluorescent bulbs used in homes), two light bulb socket adapters (adapters that allow you to plug a light bulb directly into a standard socket), an extension cord with opposing sockets, silicone sealant and a small amount of twine or wire.

      Run the extension cord through the hole you drilled in the side of the hood and attach it to the middle of the hood's top by tying it with the twine or wire and screwing or gluing the twine or wire to the hood. Then plug the socket adapters into the extension cord and screw the light bulbs into the adapters. Use the silicone sealant to seal all of the exposed connections so that they will be water-resistant. You now have a completed homemade fish tank light system. Attach the hood to your tank, and plug in the extension cord.