Retrofitting Lighting

[Captain Hook]

I found a pretty good deal on a 55 watt compact fluorescent (6400K) and I'm probably going to get it for my 35 gallon tank. Right now I have the standard plastic hood with 24" normal bulb.

Basically I am wondering if anyone done this kind of retrofitting. I am assuming the wiring will be fairly easy. What about reflectors, are there easy to make ones that will fit well? Also what about the ballast, should I be able to mount it in the casing too? Or will it have to be done externally?

Any help you guys provide will be great.

[tomm10]

Where'd you find the good deal? I'm still debating how to better light my 29g and I don't like the idea of $70 (after bulb and shipping) from AH.

Tom

[Captain Hook]

The good deal is from www.brite-lite.com. For the bulb, electronic ballast, bulb holder and socket it is $55 Canadian plus shipping here which is probably another $20. So for you it might be $50 total, not sure though.

[Dabbler II]

They don't sell the PLL55w on the USA site :(
Here are the bulbs I got from Brite-Lite Installed on my 120gal
http://www3.telus.net/public/dabbler/New%20Light%20Set%20up.jpg
If you have any questions please ask because I have bought what you have ordered and fought with it and all is working great.

I used polished S.S. for my reflector.

[Captain Hook]

Dabbler nice job on the canopy. Looks like there is plenty of light in there. Well on the site I noticed beside the PLL55 watt it said new so maybe it was just added. Have you checked the U.S. site recently?

What is the watt and size of those bulbs? How big are they short ways across? Finally, how big is the ballast and where did you mount it?

Edit: How much heat is generated by the bulbs and by the ballast?

[Dabbler II]

Brite lite said they were new back in March when I ordered the first set

The Bulbs are 19" long 1 1/2" wide and 3/4" thick 55watt

The workhorse 5 ballast is about 7" long and about 2" wide
The workhorse7 is 17"long and the same width as the 5
The heat that is generated by the 10 bulbs is enuf to keep my 120gal tank at 83F (no need for a heater :D ), the ballasts are on the out side of the hood they get a little warm but a small air gap between them and the hood is no problem
http://www3.telus.net/public/dabbler/Ballast.jpg

[Captain Hook]

Wow you sure have a lot of lighting over your tank! Thanks alot Dabbler you have been a great help.

How difficult did you find it to wire up everything?

My toughest thing to figure out is what I am going to do with the ballast. I'm going to fit the bulb into the fixture no problem.

Well I've just decided that I'm going to build some kind of thin rectangular box to hold the bulb and ballast. I can't see any other way of doing it to be honest. What I have now is a plastic hood with plastic fixture over it. I don't think it will work though because I can't figure out a way to mount the bulb holders and everything. Think I could screw it on through the plastic?

[Dabbler II]

you should be able to screw the socket on to plastic just use a #8 wood screw it should hold. The bulbs arn't that heavy. Its not hard to wire it up, once you get your bulbs and have the stuff right in front of you just give me an e-mail and i'll send you pictures and walk you through wiring the bulbs up:)