Lighting retrofit for Eclipse Hex 5

[Xytrix01]

For my adventure into the nano-reef realm, I decided on the Marineland Eclipse Hex 5 gallon. The first thing I noticed is that the compact florescent bulb they give you is nowhere near the lighting I would need to support corals in this tank. You all know what that means! Get out the dremmel and prepare to void the factory warranty! Let the DIY begin!!!

 

I purchaced 2x 10w mini compact florescent 50/50 bulbs from coralife. The challenge is to cram those into the Eclipse hood.

This is a write-up of how exactly I did that. Let me apoligise in advance for the pix, my photoshop skills are lacking, so the're fixed up the best I could.

 

 

What you will need for this project:

2x -10w mini compact florescent 50/50 bulbs

2x -Light sockets /w key tab

1x -About a foot of black 16/2 lamp cord

2x -10-32x1/2" pan head machine screws*

2x -10-32 nuts*

4x -#10 wasshers*

1x -Can of liquid electrical tape

1x -Package of twist on Wire nuts

 

*All fasteners should be stainless steel to prevent corrotion.

 

Tools needed:

-Drill /w bit for 10-32 screws (not sure on size)

-Wire cutters

-Screwdrivers

-Leatherman multitool

[Xytrix01]

Heres what they give you to start with. :x

[Xytrix01]

The trick is going to be fitting two of these in there.

[Xytrix01]

The first step is to remove the cover from inside the hood. That will allow you access to the stock fixture.

[Xytrix01]

To remove the existing socket, just unscrew the nut arount the switch on the back of the hood.

[Xytrix01]

Unscrew the two wire-nuts from the supply line, and the old socket will be free. I noticed that it is actualy a double socket stuck under that little cover. I toyed with the idea of just moving this socket to the center of the hood and screwing both bulbs into it, but it turns out that the bulbs are each 1/4" too long for this to work.

[Xytrix01]

Here's the hood with all its guts removed.

[Xytrix01]

The next step is to drill a hole through the back of the hood for the first socket.

[Xytrix01]

Put one of the screws through the hole and slide the 4 washers onto the screw. These serve as a spacer to keep the balast off the side of the hood.

[Xytrix01]

Test fit of socket 1

[Xytrix01]

Next you have to drill a hole in one of the vertical supports that used to hold the old socket. Use the new bulb+socket to obtain the location for the hole.

[Xytrix01]

The new sockets have the tab facing parallel to them, You'l need to bend one perpendicular for socket #2

[Xytrix01]

A test fit of both bulbs with the plastic tank cover. Happy to say, nothing touches!!!!

[Xytrix01]

I was woried about what saltwater would do to the contacts on the sockets, as well as potentaly zapping myself due to the exposed connections. This stuff was my answer.

[Xytrix01]

I coated the back of the sockets with this gunk and let it dry.

WARNING! Do this part outside!!! The stuff smells worse than PVC cemment. My kitchen smells really bad right now!

[Xytrix01]

Just hook up the new wires to the existing cord with 2 larger wire nuts. I suppose you could buy a switch and wire it in, but mine is going to be on a timer, so I didn't see the need.

[Xytrix01]

Everything put back together...

[Xytrix01]

"Let there be light!!!"

[Xytrix01]

Full tank shot

[Xytrix01]

Sure beats the stock lighting!!!

I hope you all like my first DIY wirte-up. I have a few more projects I'm working on, and I may post how-to's on those if this one gets good responces. Again sorry for the pictures, I was using my girlfriends camera, and I havent't quite figured it out yet.

 

-Xytrix

[thrasher1472]

Nice job on sqeezing two in the original hood. I didnt have that much energy so I took the stock filter out and used the hood from the filter to mount the other light. I only said all that to let you know you can ugrade to another 10w if you want to.

[Buckaroo]

What I also did for the model of aquarium is to remove the built in filter and in the cover added and other 20W 50/50.

 

But I bought a 70W MH Electonic ballast and building a new canopy for this...

 

My current is done with a 201 PH

 

just my 2C

 

Buckaro

[audiocontrol]

I didnt know there was such a product called liquid electrical tape. I have the same bulbs (2) over the folding lid part of my nano cube (to get more light to the front of the tank) I have been shocked about 3 times already due to my arm bumping into the wire above the water...lol. I will have to buy some of that stuff

[janasleah]

Those directions are great...about as idiot-proof as it can get! Although we'll see....I'm going to try it myself....

 

I also got one of the 10w 50/50 lamps, and yeah it's pretty dim. I removed the stock filter,cut a piece of acrylic to fit over the hole, and got one of those Azoo clamp-on lights (13w). I am just going with a minijet powerhead right now, no filtration, and I'm thinking I need some kind of mechanical filtration. I'd like to mod an Aquaclear into a tiny fuge, but there are a couple problems...1) it would take a mini to hang on the back of the 5 gal hex, and 2) where could I hang it without tearing up the top? I'd kind of like to keep the original filter, in case we go fw with this tank someday, so I'd like to have the top of the tank intact. I guess if I did the lighting mod like xytrix01 did, I could put the stock filter back on and forget the fuge part...although I hate the look of the intake....

 

I'm really new to this stuff...can someone tell me if these ideas are doable? Could that intake be modded to be a surface skimmer without looking nasty?

[Triggeraa]

I removed the stock filter compartment and added the 20w 50/50 screw on bulb. The problem with installing 2 bulbs up front is that rear gets very little light. By installing the other bulb in the old filter compartment you even out the light intensity. Now I am running 40watts of 50/50 lighting on the Hex 5. I also have a 19watt, 6500K bulb I was thinking switching one of the 50/50s with. Would that be better for coral growth?