DIY? Fuge Light

[yankeereefer]

I bought and received cheato for my AC fuge before I had a light for the fuge so I had to do something - Took pix along the way in case it actually turned out half decent (which I happen to think it did!)

 

list o' stuff:

perfecto incandescent hood 12" for 2.5g $6.99

ext. cord $1.47

light bulb socket $1.67

coralife 10w 50/50 $9.99 x2

scrap acrylic

superglue

 

heres the stuff - Hoods already cut - I couldn't cut exactly in half because of the bulb length - But it worked out in the end

 

 

Traced the hood onto the acrylic (x2) , cut it out and superglued them together - I cut a hole big enough for the light socket in one of them before gluing it

 

 

hole for light socket

 

 

Once glue set, I trimmed edges some, wired up and installed the socket - You should probably paint the acrylic before installing the socket - I'll have to go back and do this -

 

Here's what I ended up with

 

 

here's one of 'em on the AC fuge

 

 

here's a couple of pix showing how much light comes off

 

 

 

I'm opting to use the smaller light on the fuge, saving the other for some other project (pico????)

 

Anyways, hope you like my work - It's no coralife mini or palm light, but it does the trick and was a heck of a lot cheaper. And I got 2 for one (kinda)!!

 

c-ya

[montevallofalcon11]

That is a really cool way of hooking up a fuge light. I just did a 110 mod myself and I may have to steal your design!

[ek9vboi]

I think if you would put in a reflector (mirror polished) then it would really have a nice lightout on it. Thanks for the idea, I might be doing something like this later.

[yankeereefer]

I think if you would put in a reflector (mirror polished) then it would really have a nice lightout on it. Thanks for the idea, I might be doing something like this later.

 

I thought about doing that for the bigger half if I use it for a pico size tank - The fuge is actually getting pretty good light - I would post another picture, I took some yesterday, but it was before I cut the hole in the AC lid - I now have a remora on the back next to the AC so I can't get another picture

[formerly icyuodd/icyoud2]

toss the 50 50 out the window, and replace it with a 27watt phillips daylight bulb (6500k)) available at home depot ($5)

its the best mod for your new modified light

the 5050 sucks for cheato growth, i noticxe a huge growth spurt replacing my 50 50 with the phillips (so much, i decided to add 2 more)

 

heres a comparison o f the 50 50 and the phillips.

the yellow light is a standard 2700k energy saver. the blue light is a noma, the 3 white lights are the phillips.

 

 

btw, thats a sweet little light nice work

[yankeereefer]

Wow! By comparison that Philips bulb is a lot brighter! I will have to see I the bulb will fit in the hood - It's kinda narrow - I have seen other PC incandescent bulbs, I think coralife makes a 13w 6500k bulb - It's still probably brighter than the 50/50?

 

Thanks for everyone's kind words.

 

Noone's mentioned it, but the reason the fixture on the left (in the 4th photo) has rubber bands around the bulb socket is because I dremmeled the hole a little too big. It actually worked in my benefit though.

 

Because the hood is kind small it makes putting the bulb in / out tough. The rubber band inside keeps the socket fron coming back out, the one outside keeps the socket in place. When / if the bulb needs changing, I will remove the outside RB, pull the bulb and socket out, change bulbs and then reassemble.

 

Lastly I need to find a rubber cap or something to cover the end of the socket so my dumba** doesn't get inadvertantly zapped!

 

peace

[yankeereefer]

toss the 50 50 out the window, and replace it with a 27watt phillips daylight bulb (6500k)) available at home depot ($5)

its the best mod for your new modified light

the 5050 sucks for cheato growth, i noticxe a huge growth spurt replacing my 50 50 with the phillips (so much, i decided to add 2 more)

 

heres a comparison o f the 50 50 and the phillips.

the yellow light is a standard 2700k energy saver. the blue light is a noma, the 3 white lights are the phillips.

 

btw, thats a sweet little light nice work

 

I just re-read your post- Another problem I might have besides the size of the philips is the wattage - The hood is only rated for <15w - I think the 27w might result in a slight melting problem.....

 

I will endeavor to find a lower watt daylight (non actinic) which fits in the hood - I think I saw some stuff at wally world or lowes

 

Ryan

[neanderthalman]

the hood will be designed and rated for 15W of incandescent lighting, which produces far more heat than a fluorescent bulb. I wouldn't worry about melting.

[yankeereefer]

I changed the bulb from coralife 10w 50/50 to a Sylvania daylight bulb (I forget the wattage but it's 6500 or 6700k) - Same thing as the Philips that formerly icyuodd/icyoud2 shows in one of the earlier replies. Huge difference

 

I haven't painted the light's endcap yet but I will now that the light is brighter.

 

I'll post pix of the new bulbs and fix one of the pix I accidentally dumped earlier in the thread.

 

Yankeereefer

[yankeereefer]

bump - I have been referring people to this thread. Want to make it easier to locate for them

[reiple]

nice lighting.

[fewskillz]

I am using the same light over my AC110, I didn't even cut mine up b/c I wouldn't have a use for the other end. $6.99 is cheap enought that it isn't worth the DIY effort to me. I've got the 10w eclipse 5100k screw in bulb in mine. Might try to find one of the daylight bulbs you guys have mentioned.

[yankeereefer]

I did another mod to the same style hood for my 5.5g mantis setup (check sig) - This time I left the hood whole and added another light socket and an LED array (for moonlighting) - Currently running a coralife 10w 50/50 and philips 13w 6500k daylight bulb in it

 

Here's pix:

 

the brown squares are double back tape (i neglected to remove) I cut down the "handle" that comes with the hood and superglued them to the hood. There's a groove in the handle that I used as a "track" to slide a scrap piece of acrylic into.

 

DIY moodlight - Hockey puck style LED ($9.99) wired to an ac adapter that I had laying around

 

The legs are from the LFS - I was going to cut legs from scrap acrylic, but I found unpriced replacement legs at the LFS and convinced the guy there to give 'em to me for $6.99. Less hassle than trying to form 4 identical legs with a dremel - I affixed them to the hood with nylon nuts/bolts and super glue gel

 

Yankee

[fewskillz]

Pretty nice DIY lighting setup there, not bad for a yankee...

[yankeereefer]

not bad for a yankee...

Actually I'm a good 'ol southern boy (Tennessee) transplanted to IL - Was going to use DixieReefer as my name here, but figured it may be misconstrued as being femme!

[Argent]

as long as your name was DixieWrecked we're all good!

 

Nice mod - might 'borrow' it if I ever get a fuge rolling

[Motohead]

Nice DIY light!!! i have a lamp for a 10gal with duel sockets that are in the middle of the fixture, rated 25w max. and wouldnt mind useing that . or

 

right now Drsfostersmith has the mini aqua's on sale for $22 with 1 9w actinic and 1 9w 10000K bulbs 9"x5"x2" ,

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod...4+113843+113030

 

for a little more think i would be better off? for the fuge that is.

 

you have some great DIY skillz man!

 

 

Joe

[yankeereefer]

Nice DIY light!!! i have a lamp for a 10gal with duel sockets that are in the middle of the fixture, rated 25w max. and wouldnt mind useing that . or

 

right now Drsfostersmith has the mini aqua's on sale for $22 with 1 9w actinic and 1 9w 10000K bulbs 9"x5"x2" ,

 

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod...4+113843+113030

 

for a little more think i would be better off? for the fuge that is.

 

you have some great DIY skillz man!

Joe

 

To be truthful, you dont need the actinic in the fuge - Use your existing fixture and get the philips bulb (Lowes $5-6) - I got very little growth with the 50/50 and since switching to the single daylight bulb I have split my chaeto 2x.

 

YR

[Motohead]

To be truthful, you dont need the actinic in the fuge - Use your existing fixture and get the philips bulb (Lowes $5-6) - I got very little growth with the 50/50 and since switching to the single daylight bulb I have split my chaeto 2x.

 

YR

 

 

thanks man! so even the FW lamp with 6700K is still going to be to weak? as the Phillips is 6500k correct?

 

 

thanks!

 

Joe

[yankeereefer]

Go with the philips, it's 6500k - There's quite a difference - The coralife 50/50 was 10w/10k and still kinda dim.

 

The 50/50's are in the perfecto that I modded for the mantis tank now -

[Motohead]

Can i ask why you changed the socket? was it to accommodate for 27watts? instead of just using the socket that the light came with?

 

i have i lamp like that but its the duel i was going to cut out the one side and just re glue the end back on and just covering up the second socket end, but it says 25w max. just worried about putting a 27w bulb in a 25w fixture.

 

what are your thoughts?

 

i will get pics in a few after i cut this down.

 

 

thank you

 

Joe

[yankeereefer]

I didn't change the socket, I added another!

 

Although the hood says rated for 15w max, I'm running the two 10w 50/50 and even had a 10w 50/50 paired with a 13w. No heating problems in the hood, but my 5.5g ran a little warm. Resolved that with a small fan from Walmart.

 

BTW - I saw your post over on RC - I think that HD is changing their bulb offerings. I went there the other day and only found some off brand "daylight" bulbs. I think they were only rated at 5500k - I buy Sylvania Daylight Extra compact fluorescent at Lowes. It's 13w CF rated equally with a 60w standard and has 6500k and was like $6.

 

Oh yeah - My replies may be a little slower coming over on RC - I hang out here a bit more often.

 

YR

 

I'm a dork -

 

I added another socket fixture for my 5.5g - In the original thread (Fuge light) I bought another socket because I figured I could make another lamp out of the remaining part of the hood after cutting the hood in half. It's a little shorter (the 2nd one) b/c I measured and cut to accommodate the length of the 50/50 bulb.

[Motohead]

I didn't change the socket, I added another!

 

Although the hood says rated for 15w max, I'm running the two 10w 50/50 and even had a 10w 50/50 paired with a 13w. No heating problems in the hood, but my 5.5g ran a little warm. Resolved that with a small fan from Walmart.

 

BTW - I saw your post over on RC - I think that HD is changing their bulb offerings. I went there the other day and only found some off brand "daylight" bulbs. I think they were only rated at 5500k - I buy Sylvania Daylight Extra compact fluorescent at Lowes. It's 13w CF rated equally with a 60w standard and has 6500k and was like $6.

 

Oh yeah - My replies may be a little slower coming over on RC - I hang out here a bit more often.

 

YR

 

I'm a dork -

 

I added another socket fixture for my 5.5g - In the original thread (Fuge light) I bought another socket because I figured I could make another lamp out of the remaining part of the hood after cutting the hood in half. It's a little shorter (the 2nd one) b/c I measured and cut to accommodate the length of the 50/50 bulb.

 

 

Thanks!! il check HD tomarrow and if they dont have it run across the street to lowes.

 

here is what i did for my fuge light

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=911038

 

came out nice! i still need to get to work on the rest of the fuge ac110, but had someone over buying pleco's and got side tracked so didnt get a chance to go pick up some scrylic or silicone.

 

 

Joe

[Motohead]

Only thing i found at lowes was 13w = to 60w but is 5000K they had no 6500K bulbs at all. it is the super mini full spectrum

 

is it that the 5000K is to be = to the 6500K ?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

Joe

 

 

and for the record the workers at lowes have no clue about anything LOL

[yankeereefer]

Only thing i found at lowes was 13w = to 60w but is 5000K they had no 6500K bulbs at all. it is the super mini full spectrum

 

is it that the 5000K is to be = to the 6500K ?

Thanks

 

Joe

and for the record the workers at lowes have no clue about anything LOL

 

No, there should be a 6500k bulb - You go to the lowes on Aurora / 59 (next to Michael's)? If so, the bulbs I buy are on the shelves that have the light bulbs powered on (for comparison) to the left of the display- I will post pix tonight as I still have the pkg. I also have an extra bulb if you want to come and pick up - I just bought it a week or so ago so it's new.

 

I'll be home later tonight as I have decided to pickup the 33g cube I have on hold at petco - You can call me though