Refitting 10 gal aquarium

WinterWind

WinterWind

Mad pianist
Feb 11, 2005
957
0
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I was thinking about refitting a 10 gal aquarium with new lighting from the AH store, but I'm not sure how this works. I found a product that is 36 watts, and it says it will fit on a standard 10 gal aquarium. I know I have to do some work on it when I get it also, but I'm not sure what the set up would be. Do I install the light and fixtures and stuff into my existing hood, or do I have to buy another hood to accomondate the fixture and ligthing? For those of you who have done this before, could you help? I have a hood that is plastic and has a place for the light, so do I just order and redo the hood I already have? Or do they send me a new hood? Well, thanks for your help.
 
They don't send you a new hood, but they will send you directions on how to make a new hood if you ask them to. I retrofitted one of their 55w lights into the existing plastic hood over my 29g tank and it seems to work pretty well. I did have to mount the ballast on the back of it instead of inside however. I guess it depends on what your existing hood looks like. If you are able to use it you will have to remove all of the existing light fixture. Just FYI...

Does that help?
 
If you have a plastic molded hood that already has the light and balast inside, forget it. If its like the hagen type, its impssible to alter. I cannot understand why these companys don't make molded hoods which would allow you another flourescent bulb to be added, if you so desire. :mad2
 
I refit my 20 gal. from a molded hood to a simple cover glass (20$ can.) Then i bought a double light strip. you could try this way. there are a few models that will fit a 10 gal. Good luck!
~Biggy
 
I have one of those plastic hoods with a light place inside. I won't be able to fix that to add the new light fixture?
 
I'm not sure what kind of fixture Swimfins is talking about so yours may be like his or may be like mine. Mine was a molded black plastic hood with a white fixture inside. I was able to unscrew the fixture from the hood, disconnect the on/off switch, and completely gut the thing. After that I had just the shell of the hood to work with and it was pretty easy from there. If the fixture is permanently affixed to the hood it probably won't work, but screws can come out.

Get yourself a phillips screwdriver and take it apart. That's what I always say :)

Johnny's way of thinking...
***If they used screws they must have wanted me to take it apart.***
 
I took a look at my hood, and it has screws and is easy to take off...

I might be able to do this then. How difficult is installing the wiring and light into the hood? I don't think I will be able to do it. :(
 
I just read through this http://ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm about the lights, but I sitll don't understand.

Do I install the lights into my existing hood, or is that for mounting onto a flat hood or something?

I have a plastic hood with a light fixture, which can come off. Do I install the into the place where the old bulb is? Will it even fit there? Or is the light designed to be fitted onto a flat surface?
 
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