Converting this 2.5 gallon desktop aquarium from a freshwater Betta tank to a mini marine tank was done in a pretty traditional fashion, however, any marine aquarist knows a successful marine setup is very much about the right kind of lighting.

This project details the lighting solution this weekend do-it-yourselfer found to work very well for this mini marine aquarium for the office.
Mini 10,000k / Actinic
Compact Fluorescent
Hanging Light Fixture
In this photo, all but one side piece has been attached with the acrylic cement. While the cement works very well, it's quite runny, so don't feel bad of some of it goes where you didn't intend.

The acrylic pieces are usually secure enough to handle within a few minutes after applying the cement.
The fully assembled light canopy has been sanded with a medium grit sandpaper to help insure the spraypaint adheres well.
The exterior of the canopy has been painted with a quick drying flat black paint.

Bits of paper were inserted into the holes on the top to protect the already painted chrome interior from overspray.
This ceremic medium base bulb socket has been disassembled. We'll use the smal screw and nut to attach the socket to one end of our light fixture canopy.
While this photo is a bit out of focus, it was intended to show the recessed area where the nut goes (same place it came out) to secure the screw and the socket itself to the inside of the light canopy.
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welcome to
do-it-yourself aquarium and semi-aquatic background designs beyond the traditional
Dramatic AquaScapes