I told the story in another thread- my tank cracked, I needed a new one ASAP, and none of the ones available could handle the 2.4 WPGmy plants were used to.
So, I set out to upgrade the lights myself, with some help from people on here, and also generally following this article, except doubling it- which I still did for only $25!
Before pic (I mean really before, this was just after I stuck everything in there the first night. the aquascaping needs some help still!)
Equipment:
-4x 20 watt CFLs (75 watt replacement) - $10.98 (for all 4, not each!)
-1 tube 100% silicone - $3.94
-2x 6' double sides extension cord - $0.69 each
-4x socket adapters - 2.09 each
-electrical tape $0.82
Inside of the hood, with bulb removed
The wiring after taking off the fixture:
I unscrewed the caps, so the wiring in the fixture is intact. The cord I had to snip off, but it could easily be reattached. I detached the cords where they attach to the On/Off switch, also.
I siliconed aluminum foil to the inside for better reflection
I attached the bulbs to the adapters
Then attached 2 to each cord
I put the bulbs in the hood, the 2 sets next to each other were just about the perfect length.
I had been planning to use the electrical tape to hold it in, but that wasn't working. so I folded the tape in half, and ran it through the vents in the hood, and tied it on the outside. Seems to be working well.
And that's it! It doesn't sit completely flat with the cords, so I'll probably make some openings at some point, but it certainly works.
End result:
It seems a little warm so far, but not to the point I'm worried.
Comments? Suggestions? I haven't done much DIY, so I'll take whatever feed back I can get.
So, I set out to upgrade the lights myself, with some help from people on here, and also generally following this article, except doubling it- which I still did for only $25!
Before pic (I mean really before, this was just after I stuck everything in there the first night. the aquascaping needs some help still!)
Equipment:
-4x 20 watt CFLs (75 watt replacement) - $10.98 (for all 4, not each!)
-1 tube 100% silicone - $3.94
-2x 6' double sides extension cord - $0.69 each
-4x socket adapters - 2.09 each
-electrical tape $0.82
Inside of the hood, with bulb removed
The wiring after taking off the fixture:
I unscrewed the caps, so the wiring in the fixture is intact. The cord I had to snip off, but it could easily be reattached. I detached the cords where they attach to the On/Off switch, also.
I siliconed aluminum foil to the inside for better reflection
I attached the bulbs to the adapters
Then attached 2 to each cord
I put the bulbs in the hood, the 2 sets next to each other were just about the perfect length.
I had been planning to use the electrical tape to hold it in, but that wasn't working. so I folded the tape in half, and ran it through the vents in the hood, and tied it on the outside. Seems to be working well.
And that's it! It doesn't sit completely flat with the cords, so I'll probably make some openings at some point, but it certainly works.
End result:
It seems a little warm so far, but not to the point I'm worried.
Comments? Suggestions? I haven't done much DIY, so I'll take whatever feed back I can get.
