addict
Well-Known Member
Well, I've hinted around a bit about the new lighting going over my tank this weekend, so I figured I'd start a thread to track it's progress.
Yesterday I built the wooden rack that's going to hold the T5HO lighting (all Tek 5 36" 39w retro kits), and once the glue was dried this morning, I got down to business turning it from scrap wood into coral food.
Anyway, things went a lot easier than expected, and wiring up the ballasts was a piece of cake... much simpler than when I did my PC lighting.
Here's what it looked like first thing this morning:
Just the rack with the ballasts, which are AccusTart 5's (program start, rather than 'instant on'... should help with bulb life).
Next I started wiring up the different sets of bulbs.
These two sets will be dawn/dusk lighting, so they're spaced evenly apart across the rack... the four bulbs in between (2 on each end) will be for mid-morning/late-evening.
Now a shot of everything wired up and zip tied.
And next the test firing... keeping fingers crossed:
It works!!! Whoohoo!
This photo was taken under the same conditions lighting-wise as the previous ones, but the bulbs are so bright that the shutter speed on my camera turned way down to compensate... they're almost too bright to look at... and I'm stoked about that.
Here's a shot of how the PFO Mini HQI pendant is going to fit:
It's going to sit to one side over the SPS area, and I'll still have enough room on the other side if I ever decide I want to add another. It's gonna be fired with an ARO electronic ballast. I got the PFO conversion kit for the ballast so the mini pendant will just plug right in without having to lop off the plug end and splice the wires together.
And last but not least, here's a shot of the moonlights:
I decided to go with CurrentUSA Lunar Lights this time around, because my DIY moonlight project only lasted about 30 days before all the LED's burnt out from too much current. There are two of the lunar lights, a primary light, and a 'Lunar Link' add-on second light. They're spaced evenly along the center, every 12" (or thereabouts). You can see the gaps between the three bulbs at the ends and the two in the center... that's where the moonlights are.
Well, that about covers it for now... I'll probably get these guys installed tomorrow or Saturday, depending on household conditions, so I'll post another photo update once they're in and running, and probably a comparison to my old lighting.
Hope your modem isn't frying...
Yesterday I built the wooden rack that's going to hold the T5HO lighting (all Tek 5 36" 39w retro kits), and once the glue was dried this morning, I got down to business turning it from scrap wood into coral food.
Anyway, things went a lot easier than expected, and wiring up the ballasts was a piece of cake... much simpler than when I did my PC lighting.
Here's what it looked like first thing this morning:
Just the rack with the ballasts, which are AccusTart 5's (program start, rather than 'instant on'... should help with bulb life).
Next I started wiring up the different sets of bulbs.
These two sets will be dawn/dusk lighting, so they're spaced evenly apart across the rack... the four bulbs in between (2 on each end) will be for mid-morning/late-evening.
Now a shot of everything wired up and zip tied.
And next the test firing... keeping fingers crossed:
It works!!! Whoohoo!
This photo was taken under the same conditions lighting-wise as the previous ones, but the bulbs are so bright that the shutter speed on my camera turned way down to compensate... they're almost too bright to look at... and I'm stoked about that.
Here's a shot of how the PFO Mini HQI pendant is going to fit:
It's going to sit to one side over the SPS area, and I'll still have enough room on the other side if I ever decide I want to add another. It's gonna be fired with an ARO electronic ballast. I got the PFO conversion kit for the ballast so the mini pendant will just plug right in without having to lop off the plug end and splice the wires together.
And last but not least, here's a shot of the moonlights:
I decided to go with CurrentUSA Lunar Lights this time around, because my DIY moonlight project only lasted about 30 days before all the LED's burnt out from too much current. There are two of the lunar lights, a primary light, and a 'Lunar Link' add-on second light. They're spaced evenly along the center, every 12" (or thereabouts). You can see the gaps between the three bulbs at the ends and the two in the center... that's where the moonlights are.
Well, that about covers it for now... I'll probably get these guys installed tomorrow or Saturday, depending on household conditions, so I'll post another photo update once they're in and running, and probably a comparison to my old lighting.
Hope your modem isn't frying...