DIY Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Strip Light Retrofit

i did this mod about... a month ago maybe? one of the best things ive ever done. finding the sockets however was hard and kinda expensive once i did find them. ill prolly buy online next time.

i went from 20w to 56w
 
kreesdqban said:
Definitely going to do this mod. Looks great and I want to get some live plants so this seems like a good place to start. My light fixture is only 18" long so I'll only be able to fit 2 bulbs in there and the cathode tube. I have some (but they are red) and they only have the connector for the PC power connection. On Newegg they also have some LED case lights with the same power connection...
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I used this thread for the cold cathode mod:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103075
 
Davy said:
i did this mod about... a month ago maybe? one of the best things ive ever done. finding the sockets however was hard and kinda expensive once i did find them. ill prolly buy online next time.

i went from 20w to 56w
Click to expand...

Glad you like the mod. Home Depot has some dual socket light fixtures for about $5...I've been using those lately instead of ordering online, for the convenience. If you can't find them that cheap, online is still the best option.
 
Awesome! I'll probably end up getting the blue LED's, but I will definitely have to pick up one of those inverters. Thanks BA
 
Finished my mod! Couldn't be happier with the results. All I need now is the blue LED moonlight...

PC150252-1.jpg

PC150246-1.jpg

PC150244-1.jpg


Thanks BoredAgain!
 
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Sure this threads old but i really need to do this. my plants will thank me.

so if anyone has pics of theyre finished fixtures, id like to see some more.

Also, i think it would be cool if someone could post some before and after pictures.
 
I'll be tackling this over the next couple days, my only question is what's the heat output as compared to the normal florecents? Just trying to figure out if I need to vent add vents or not, and if so, how exactly I'm going to do that without too much extra extra light pollution, haha. My 25 gallon as 30 w of light over it, and it's borderline blackwater, talk about low light. Trying to fit 50-60 watts in the limted space afforded by my eclipse 2 hood, this is really the only way that makes sense, thanks for posting.
 
Trigger1985 said:
my only question is what's the heat output as compared to the normal florecents?
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They can get hot and need to be vented in some way or another. The only problem I ran into when not venting the heat is that the bulbs can fall apart. They still worked, just came away from the base. Didn't happen often, maybe twice within a year.
 
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