Re: cp for children's hospital

Barry Meyers-Rice (barry@as.arizona.edu)
Mon, 18 Oct 93 14:09:24 MST

Quick recipe for a low maintenance arrangement.

Get a 4' aquarium or line smaller ones up to make 4'length.

Light it with 4 fluorescent bulbs---hardware stores have "shoplights"
for sale, each costs only about $20 USA, you'll need two.

Light it with cool-whites---grow-lights are lotta bucks for lotta nonsense.

Keep plants in pots, not in a community planting. This will minimize muckiness.

In bottom of aquarium, lay down layer of "egg-crate". This is a plastic
mesh that will keep pots about 1/2 " from bottom of aquarium.

Get a lid for the aquarium. Maybe a sheet of Lexan. Leave a room for just a
little circulation.

This arrangement will need water only every few weeks. Your task is to figure
how to mount the lights right above the lexan top.

Cooling won't be too much of a problem if you have this thing in a place
with good air circulation, esp. around the ballasts. Convection is your
friend.
(so leave an air space of a few cm between bulbs and lexan).

B