DIY PC lighting steps?

[TheReefGeek]

You should be able to rig up a few T5 lights, those are you best bet they are the smallest tubes and the brightest. Best configuration is individual parabolic reflectors for each tube. You should be able to find some retrofit kits online, places like www.hellolights.com and others.

[fishmanty]

I recently setup 4 55watt 21" PC's in my Reef tank, and added 2 fans for air movement too cool off the ballasts and just get a little more air around the bulbs...

Easiest thing to do is to go to a lighting store, and ask for a workhorse 5 and 2 straight pin sockets. You can also get 55watt 10k bulbs from lighting stores for around $10 a piece... or if you're in calgary, I could sell you a few of my spares.

You'll then have to go to homedepot or equivalent and buy all the wires, caps, and wall plugs. It can be quite intimidating at first, but its really simple. took me 2 hours from start to finish to have great lights for less than $200.

However, if i choose to do it again, i'd just buy a used coralife system here in town...

[TheReefGeek]

We still dont know what you are trying to keep alive with these lights, so it is hard to be specific.

[Twisted-1]

Fishmanty. How did you seal everything up. Is it completely waterproof. Also did you use a grounded power cable?

[TheReefGeek]

The power cable for the ballast should be grounded and plugged into a GFCI outlet.

[fishmanty]

No, its not grounded, and its near 100% waterproof... I have just used electrical tape tightly wrapped

When I get a new canopy made, Im going to shorten the wires, and shrink tube them. Should do the trick to make it sealed. That way the wiring will be permanent as im cutting it to the exact size i need.


(my workhorse 5 only has 2 cords, a negative and positive. No way that I know of to ground it.)

[TheReefGeek]

Yikes, that is kind of scary for aquarium purposes, but lots of people use the workhorse ballasts I know.

[TheReefGeek]

I checked on the manufacturers site, www.fulham.com

Looking at a few of their wiring diagrams, they indicate

ground case in accordance with the "National Electric Code"

[fishmanty]

Yeah, I remember reading that now when I was following the diagram 11...

hmm, perhaps I'll figure out a good way to ground that.

For all you electricians out there:
If I was to buy a 3 prong plug, 3wire cord (postive, negative, and ground), and attach the ground to the housing of the ballast... would that actually correctly ground the ballast?

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by fishmanty

Yeah, I remember reading that now when I was following the diagram 11...

hmm, perhaps I'll figure out a good way to ground that.

For all you electricians out there:
If I was to buy a 3 prong plug, 3wire cord (postive, negative, and ground), and attach the ground to the housing of the ballast... would that actually correctly ground the ballast?

not an electrician but I have zaped my self enuf but to answer your question if you are putting it in to a plastic housing yes that will ground the ballast properly. thats what the bolt in one of the hols on the ballast is for actualy.

anyways, I would go with the PC's or VHO. I was looking at a T5 set up with two bulbs and was not impressed in the least. only about 1/2 the visual bright ness of a PC/VHO set up of the same size.

from what I have seen for T5's so far they would make great suplmental lighting but I don't see how you could actualy get good results on SPS from them.

Steve