MedcinMn Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 I wanted to add Chaeto to the rear chamber of my AP 24 and needed light. While at Home Depot for unrelated items, I devised this light, which I then siliconed to the rear of the tank (after removing a small portion of the black film): 1 1/2" junction box Back is removable for ease of light change 6' power cord and weatherproof socket. I used the weatherproof one as it fit tightly I used a rotozip and cut out the back of the box, pushed the socket into the box and wired it up. Then I used silicone to attach this to the rear of the AP. Link to comment
proraptor2 Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Thats a really good idea....Nice Link to comment
capture Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 I like the idea, very nice. you gonna line the inside with anything to make it more reflective? just a tought. Link to comment
MedcinMn Posted February 17, 2008 Author Share Posted February 17, 2008 I like the idea, very nice. you gonna line the inside with anything to make it more reflective? just a tought. I did think about it, but thought it's mounted right to the glass and wouldn't be necessary. Of course, I'm no expert and am always open to suggestions. Link to comment
holdorf333 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Just did this and used some foil ductape I had laying around. Not sure if it helps... certainly seems brighter. Link to comment
lil'wrasse cool Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 ??? sure um...use a jb as a light holder(not really a jb, its a pull box) did you use a jb for you wire connections ? the place a jb is ment for??? for the price of a pig tail(your weather proof), the L connector (your fixture), the lite, and cord, I'm sure you could of bought something for the same price.. From a electrical stand point and pics provided ... fail...at least protect your joints, pretty getto Link to comment
mparker Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 you realize this has been posted several times already. i used this mod as well only i took the removable panel off and velcroed that side to the tank for "ease of light change" Link to comment
nanoty Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 you realize this has been posted several times already. i used this mod as well only i took the removable panel off and velcroed that side to the tank for "ease of light change" Don't be a wiener, he is sharing his experience. I did almost the same thing to my NC and it works great. Link to comment
bad ed Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 ??? sure um...use a jb as a light holder(not really a jb, its a pull box) did you use a jb for you wire connections ? the place a jb is ment for??? for the price of a pig tail(your weather proof), the L connector (your fixture), the lite, and cord, I'm sure you could of bought something for the same price.. From a electrical stand point and pics provided ... fail...at least protect your joints, pretty getto I did this to my tank also. As far as price the box cost $6, light $2, light socket $3, hvac foil $4, extension cord $.99, velcro $.99 and the fan i had laying around so its free. The total for the light is $16.98. Which light fixture can you buy for that much that will grow cheato? Link to comment
MedcinMn Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 you realize this has been posted several times already. i used this mod as well only i took the removable panel off and velcroed that side to the tank for "ease of light change" I did not realize that or I wouldn't have posted it. I have since done a more thorough search and found it has been done (as posted above). Also, to change my bulb I simply unscrew the (2) screws holding the back on. ??? sure um...use a jb as a light holder(not really a jb, its a pull box) did you use a jb for you wire connections ? the place a jb is ment for??? for the price of a pig tail(your weather proof), the L connector (your fixture), the lite, and cord, I'm sure you could of bought something for the same price.. From a electrical stand point and pics provided ... fail...at least protect your joints, pretty getto I've got a total of about $10 - $12 into this, not sure what I could've gotten for that. Certainly nothing that would look better (at that price) With regards to the rest of your comment, or questions (I'm not sure which they were), why is this ghetto? It's neat, clean and secured to the rear of my AP. If you want to debate ghetto, let's talk grammar, punctuation and spelling... Link to comment
lil'wrasse cool Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 getto? yes, yes I am...spelling/grammar...some used school to learn, some used it to make money??? regrets? nope...I'm in a better position then most that focused in my high school... As for my meaning of getto, dyi electrical should not be done by any g.i.joe...if fire or death not enough to make you think "getto"... extra $20 for safety, sounds good to me...seen all kinds of electrical fires, make us think"what were they thinking"... Link to comment
LConte17 Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 As for my meaning of getto, dyi electrical should not be done by any g.i.joe...if fire or death not enough to make you think "getto"... extra $20 for safety, sounds good to me...seen all kinds of electrical fires, make us think"what were they thinking"... its not like hes wiring an GFCI or running this light right to his fuse panel. hes making a light, which is extremely simple, and anyone with common knowledge can do. You dont need to be a licensed electrician to wire up a light do you? as long as the leads are connected properly and it is sealed so no water can short circuit it he is all set. Link to comment
MedcinMn Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 As for my meaning of getto, dyi electrical should not be done by any g.i.joe...if fire or death not enough to make you think "getto"... extra $20 for safety, sounds good to me...seen all kinds of electrical fires, make us think"what were they thinking"... So you may sleep better tonight, I have been a firefighter/paramedic for 20+ years and am well aware of the cause, origin and outcome of fire. As well, my father was a building contractor therefore, I have experience in all aspects of building from electrical, roofing etc. Further, I am a swimming pool contractor, and am intimate with not only plumbing, but electrical. Link to comment
lil'wrasse cool Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 ok,ok I dont wanna turn this into a crazy debate... So that is your knowledge, so now a kid goes o0o0o0 I can do that for under $20...uses duct tape for the joints and flammable glue to seal it to the tank...extreme, maybe.. I just feel if your gonna show dyi electrical show it step by step to the standers set in your state or whatever... LContel17 anything done in your home needs a permit/inspection, that even means changing a switch...Thats what it reads in the Canadian electrical code book...Does everyone do it? no.. From the pics I could not see any proper wire joints or boxes to house these joints... I got my fuge lite for $10 from wal mart... Link to comment
MedcinMn Posted March 1, 2008 Author Share Posted March 1, 2008 No worries lil'wrasse, it's easy to get caught up in these topics. Do you happen to have a link or description of your fuge light from Walmart? I'm always open to other options. Link to comment
biggyal66 Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 I followed the post not quite to the T but it works amazing well. Here is mine. It has doubled my cheato/culupra size in 1.5 weeks. I had an old pvc pipe plug and with a little black tape it fit in there nice and snug. Plus an extra piece of plexiglass laying around Presto flash guard. Link to comment
Pilg0re Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Check my tank thread, did the same thing! Link to comment
Miami797 Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 The best reflective material for lights is Mylar or flat white paint. Tin foil and reflective tapes might make the light look a little brighter than using nothing at all, but they actually absorb a good amount of the light. Mylar is the reflective material that you see in people's houses who grow tomatoes in their closets. It can be pretty expensive if you're buying rolls of it from a grow shop, but you can buy Emergency Blankets instead. An emergency blanket is made of the same exact thing as what you would buy from a grow shop, but it's a little thinner, so use 2 layers of it. You can find the blankets in Wal-Mart or any store that sells camping or first aid products (about $2). They might also be called Safety Blanket, First-Aid Blanket, Space Blanket, etc. Use a glue stick to make a double layer piece of the mylar blanket, then use the glue stick to get it to stick to the inside of your light's hood. Liquid or gel glue might make a stonger bond, but you don't want bubbles. Your second best option is flat white paint (spray or regular). Make sure you use FLAT paint, and not glossy paint. I know glossy paint sounds like the logical choice, but it doesn't produce an even reflection. Here is a link to show you what they look like. Make sure you buy the thin blankets and not the thick insulate ones that cost about $10. http://beprepared.com/product.asp?pn=CW%20...EID=FRCW%20B010 Link to comment
WickedBear Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Just wanted to say, even for a DIY inept person like me, this was brilliant! And it actually only cost me 14$ having NO supplies. Link to comment
Rcplain123 Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Just wanted to say, even for a DIY inept person like me, this was brilliant! And it actually only cost me 14$ having NO supplies. The best light I have been able to find is a Simkar LED task light (Model 03-1400) It is bright as heck and only ~$25. It consists of 30x3W LEDs. Link to comment
jimlundborg Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Do you have a link to the Simkar LED task light (Model 03-1400). I found product info but I couldn't find a place to order. Link to comment
jojoe972 Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 30x3 watt light seems like a little much if your using it for a biocube fuge. For a tank sump that would work great though Link to comment
arom Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 I'd like to do this DIY but wanted to know what kind/size lightbulb would be needed? Also would you leave this light on 24/7 when lighting chamber 2 of a BC29? Link to comment
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