Tank Lighting And Water Siphon/sand Cleaner

Hi

I have a quarantine tank but it has no light. Can anyone recommend an inexpensive light? The tank is 40cmx28cmx26cm.

Does the tank have a lid? You can also get clip on LEDs but you can't use a lid with this type. However, you can use a condensation tray and cut a bit off the edge to fit round the light fitting, and heater etc cables.

I should have said earlier that you don't actually need a light in a QT.
The fish will be stressed and light could stress them more
If there are no live plants there will be nothing in the tank that requires light
Some medications deteriorate with the light on - some instructions actually say to keep the light off.

The downside to not having a light is that you can't properly inspect the fish for signs of disease.



With a lid, the kind in Littlefish's link would be the obvious choice but I would attach it to the lid as she suggests, and not have it submerged.
I bought a mini strip which is supposed to be submersible (Arcadia AquaBrite strip), and put it under water. It leaked and filled with water. The company said it didn't matter as the individual LEDs are sealed. But then they stopped working one by one and when I complained about this they sent me another one. I now use this with my QT but placed on top of the perspex lid.

I use a siphon tube from a wine making kit.
http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-syphon-pack/invt/0022573
The tubing is narrower than a typical aquarium sihpon and they usually come with a rigid plastic tube (with cap attachment and tap which I don't use) I find these good for a small tank as they don't suck the water out too fast. The downside is starting the siphon. You either have to suck water into the tube to start it, or what i do is fill the tube with water under the tap, carry it over to the tank then with a thumb over each end, put one end in the tank and the other in the bucket.


You also don't need a substrate in a QT excpet for a very few species that must have one. This makes it easier to clean and to see the fish poo. This sounds a bit odd, but being able to tell if their poo is normal is an advantage in a QT.

I use a manual syphon like this one
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/fish/fish-tank-equipment---maintenance/fish-tank-cleaning/syphon-set
squeezy bulb thing great for starting the syphon.

I use a manual syphon like this one
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/fish/fish-tank-equipment---maintenance/fish-tank-cleaning/syphon-set
squeezy bulb thing great for starting the syphon.

I use these too. They are great - nothing more than they need to be 

I hover over the sand and watch the muck disappear up the tube 

I don't know what it is that makes the wine tube easier for me, except possibly that I have terrible hand-eye co-ordination. With the narrower tube I find it easier to clean where I want to. (I can't hit or catch a ball, and if I throw something I'm lucky if it ends up in roughly the right direction. My sons once tried to get me to play darts and there was a loud cheer when I actually managed to hit the dartboard  )

One thing I should menton is that with every siphon I've ever used over the years, I use my right hand in the tank and hold the tube outside the tank with my left hand so that if I suck up something I shouldn't (eg a fish, it has been known) I can immediately squeeze the tube flat to stop the suction so the fish can escape.