Lighting upgrade

[tomterp80]

Ah! I got you now- The lid of the enclosure is the 3 top panels.

Yes, the cover is composed of 3 approximately equal sized wooden panels, that fit nicely into the top.

The canopy Jeff mentions is pictured on http://www.ahsupply.com/diy.htm. You can also use the plastic shell that stock NO Fl. lights come in. Each enclosure contains 2 22" bulb, set end-to-end, so is about 46" long (You need some extra room for the end caps, etc) and spans the gap fine.

Yes, I have remeasured and I think that 2 22" fixtures in the front is the way to go, though I'd use their reflectors, with no housing needed. Two - 1x55w fixtures, laid end to end across the front. Only mod I'll have to make is to place a center brace(s) so there is a place for the ends of these to rest on. I have 50" inside width to work with in the front area, as long as I don't get within the angled corners at the very front.

I would use a 4x55 as Jeff suggested- Divide the tank into "quarters", and place a 55 watt bulb over the center of each quarter, inside one of the enclosures mentioned. You would have room to place those NO FL's in between the 2 rows if you wanted.

Well, while this will work great in the front, two won't fit in the rear, as the filter compartment comes up a bit, shortening the available space. But no problem, the 37" long 1x96w (the "Beast) will fit perfectly in this spot.

Have you seen an AH Supply setup? Based on my eyeball mearsurements, the reflectors make a huge difference, and you may find you don't need the F40T12's anymore. Course, my eyeballs aren't exactly labrotary grade PAR Meters, and you may like higher light then I do.

Right, if I go with a 96w and two 55w, the old fixtures won't be needed. I think I'm going to find a way to use them later on my 55g native tank, but for now they'd be mothballed. I'm convinced that they get more power out of the same wattage than just about anybody can right now.

Great discussion, thanks!

[MarkP]

Yes, I have remeasured and I think that 2 22" fixtures in the front is the way to go, though I'd use their reflectors, with no housing needed.

One of us is missing something here, and it may very well be me. AH Supply Kits need something to hold them together. It can be as simple as a peice of 1x4, or probably even a 1x2, but the bulb holders have to screw into something, and I personally am not sure I'd want the reflectors supporting the wieght of the bulb. I could be wrong- I've been wrong before. If I am, I would love to see the finished product, always looking for lighting/hood ideas!

[tomterp80]

Yes, I have remeasured and I think that 2 22" fixtures in the front is the way to go, though I'd use their reflectors, with no housing needed.

One of us is missing something here, and it may very well be me. AH Supply Kits need something to hold them together. It can be as simple as a peice of 1x4, or probably even a 1x2, but the bulb holders have to screw into something, and I personally am not sure I'd want the reflectors supporting the wieght of the bulb. I could be wrong- I've been wrong before. If I am, I would love to see the finished product, always looking for lighting/hood ideas!

It appears to me there are clips that hold the bulbs directly to the reflector. I currently just lay my bulbs (2 naked bulbs, 2 with attached plastic reflectors) directly on the cross supports, they are not attached to anything. I want to do the same with the AH units, just lay the bulb, with the reflectors attached via the clips, directly on the glass. The reflectors won't be supporting any weight, just laying on top with the clips maintaing the proper distance from the bulb.

But it was NOT clear to me if the end cap (where the bulb plugs in) was in any way attached to the reflector also. Not sure if this matters, though. Am I wrong?

[SCMurphy]

The AHS reflectors are deeper (taller) and stiffer than you think. With the bulbs installed the reflectors can rest on the glass, supporting the bulb and keep the bulb off the glass. What Mark is saying is that to attach the bulb clips to the reflectors you are best off having something on the outside for the screws to go into, I used a piece of 1x2 and mounted the ballast on the top of the wood on my 96 watt sets. You can solve this problem by using bolts with washers and nuts instead of the screws. Tell Kim at AHS that you can't attach the reflectors to anything and maybe he can supply you with alternate hardware for the bulb clips. Otherwise it's a quick trip to the hardware store, which is never a quick trip for me, to get the other stuff.

The bulb sockets are not attached to the reflectors, the bulbs can slide in the clips to allow the sockets and wires to just stick out the end of the reflectors. I'd recommend looking at the length of a single reflector for the two 55 watt bulbs to see if you can fit it in your 'canopy' with the sockets sticking out each end, they add an inch to the length of each bulb.



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[tomterp80]

Ok, thanks Sean, that makes sense. Some sort of backing or washers would be needed to reinforce the reflectors around the bulb clip connection.

As for length, should not be an issue. The total length is 22", and even if you add a inch or two for the endcap sticking out, I should have plenty of room. My interior width is 50" at the intended location, so up to 25" total each one is okay.

Now on the the next question - bulbs. AH sells the 6700k 55W for 18.99. Not sure how this compares to other sources, anybody have any thoughts?

[Bgssamson]

Rob (Ltrepeter2000) is putting together an order from a guy from ebay you might want to email him. Look in the swap & shop section for more details.

-Brian

[MarkP]

Mark is just trying to have something semi-relevant to up his post count and beat Sean to 1000.

I would've never even considered using the reflectors to support the weight of the bulb. The more I think about it, the more I think it would work, but my motto has always been never use a 2x4 when a 4x4 will fit.