manwe Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 Yeah, this isn't so bad. Speaking as a newbie to the DIY stuff myself. I'm in the middle of adding a single 150W DE to my CSL hood following Kracker's design. The only problems Ive had have been due to my own laziness in not researching things. ( 150W bulb is bigger and doesn't fit the worklights socket. DUH). The wiring part is the easy part, It's much harder just figuring out how to mount everything in a relatively eyepleasing way. (Still can't figure out how I'm gonna mount that ballast to the inside of the computer power supply.) Oh, one other thing that almost bit me in the butt. A lot of computer supplies are pretty freaking small these days. I really had to dig through the power supply bin at the local used PC store to find one big enough to hold my Icecap ballast. I would definitely advise taking your ballast with you to make sure it will fit in the power supply that you buy. NOTE: that's referring to the 30" mod where the ballast is mounted externally in an old power supply. Link to comment
trmiv Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 So is a 70w MH enough for a 16 g bowfront (about 18" tall)? I mean if I want to get a few SPS in there down the road? It would be 1 70w MH 10000K, and two actinic. Or I could even do 1 70w MH 10000k, and leave the PCs the same, 1 10000k and one actinic. Link to comment
manwe Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 I'm definitely no expert on lighting, but I can tell you that there are PLENTY of threads here "Lighting" forum that beat this kind of discussion to death. I would basically sum-up what I have read like this: Q: Is XXX watts enough light? A: it depends Seriously though, 70W + actinic on a 16g would probably be ok for most things I would guess. There are people using less and being successful and people using MUCH more. It's probably best to read around some of the lighting threads and then just add things slowly and see how they do. If they don't appear to do well, then trade them for something else. Link to comment
beermu Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 I finally did it and installed my 70w MH HQI retrofit kit into my 20" CSL! I had it on for an hour tonight. I think I'm going to really like it. One concern I have is my glass sheild. I bought the UV protective glass from Michaels. However, I'm worried what it will do if some water splashes on it while it's hot. Would it be prone to shatter if this happened? Link to comment
KrackerG Posted March 16, 2004 Author Share Posted March 16, 2004 Awsome Beermu, sit back and enjoy the glow! ..and don't worry about the water ...whatcha' got, rapids goin'?? did you do the fans?? POST PICS!! Use AT or full ATX power supply casing...look for 250w or higher. Some of the older like Pentium or AMD K6-2 computers have big fat power supplies...lots of room!! BTW, I am planning to make a new 20" MH CSL w/ the ballast mounted externally...doin' a few things differently, more to come soon! trmiv -- you could use the stock bulbs (10KK and actinic) that come w/ until its time to change bulbs. then go BOTH actinic:) The bulbs I am currently using are the $25 Catalina 10,000K DE 70 watt MH from PET SUPPLY LIQUIDATOR THANKS JIM!! Priced at only $25, you could easily stock up for years... So far, from what I have learned, if you want to be able to keep SPS and clams, etc.... you need good intense lights...ITS ALL ABOUT THE LIGHTS!! And YES....dual 250 watt 10KK over a 20L sounds awesome, but this is a simplier approach, using a proven hood. Modifying these hoods were a piece of cake for me, since I have always been good with electronics and wiring, ! CSL made a nice, beautiful hood in the first place, so the last thing I wanted to do is "hack" it into something ugly...mine look stock. R_Buddah's looks stock. Others may completely change their hoods...who knows! Regardless, I love my light...it just works:) Link to comment
matt the fiddler Posted March 20, 2004 Share Posted March 20, 2004 Kracker- you are not good on my wallet.. i wana do this now.. especially since i just got some niiice lookign sps... i got the 24" 2x65 Watt.. on a 25 gallon High tank. how much halide woudl you reccomend adding to this ;-) assuming i make both the 65 watt bulbs act. Link to comment
KrackerG Posted March 29, 2004 Author Share Posted March 29, 2004 Originally posted by matt the fiddler Kracker- you are not good on my wallet..... ...not good on mine too:P Originally posted by matt the fiddler how much halide would you reccomend adding to this ;-) assuming i make both the 65 watt bulbs act. single 70 MH should do fine! Link to comment
matt the fiddler Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 darn it trying to find ballsts that fit the hood of the csl...... that are cheap- and going through this threads 100's of posts is giving me a headache http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...&category=46314 $50 +$56 shipping ehhhh too pricy any one have luck with LampDr. 's ballasts? Kracker you said "no, they will not fit into the CSL hood...its too thick. there an angle part of the ballast that will interfer w the reflector. btw, i have the aromat ballast too" what the heck did you mean? you have to saw off part of the reflector? bend it or what? Link to comment
KrackerG Posted March 30, 2004 Author Share Posted March 30, 2004 the wpi ballast is flat...say about an inch thick...where as the aromat ballast is about 1 1/4" thick. the ballast needs to mount under the reflector however there are 2 brackets in the hood that the reflector mounts to. a wpi ballast fits just flush under the bracket. the ballast needs to sit lower to allow the ballast some room plus the reflector mount onto the brackets. plus if you space OUT the reflector further off the brackets, it will then be too close to the glass, meaning the MH bulb/socket will be right up on the glass. <> man, i got the perfect solution...buy an aromat ballast and mount it in a computer power supply and enjoy...or try to cram it in CSL and see what i mean. sorry, no camera (ex took it:() i would take a pic of the aromat and wpi ballasts up next to each other to show you the diffs... Link to comment
Thepunkinator Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 I have to say hats off to KrackerG and a big thanks for the idea. I just finished my 24" and it is awesome! The only difference is I used a pair of sockets I ordered from Hellolights for my Ushio. I promised Kracker I'd post a pic so here is my new 30g Oceanic cube with the modified light. I haven't finished moving everything yet but when I do I'll post the completed pic. Thanks again Kracker!!! Link to comment
KrackerG Posted April 5, 2004 Author Share Posted April 5, 2004 WoW!! That looks awesome!!! Was wanting to see it on a Oceanic cube since just about all of us have been using reg AGA. has anyone seen/used those reptile style AGAs... like the ones sold at Petsmart w/ the hole drilled in the center... usually not as tall but wide in all dimensions?? wonder what size will fit onto those if any? could use 2 hoods... glad everything went well for you, the punkinator ...how much free (fun) time did you spend doing the modd? also, how is it to you... do you think 70w is penetrating deep enough in the water?? what do you plan to keep? thanks for showing us your new creation! Link to comment
cruizer Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer for. If I do a DIY 70W MH, am I going to need to add actenic as well? Also, will any halogen style fixture work, or does it have to be one of the Regents? I have an old shoplight sitting around doing nothing, and a broken 500W halogen lamp. Link to comment
Thepunkinator Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 Thanks Kracker! The light actually works out well. You can't really see it in the picture but there is a large shelf on the left that provides an area of lower light on the bottom. Mostly mushrooms and zoos going down there. That leaves lots of room at the top for higher light corals. Cruizer: It is my understanding that the Regent lights are used because they are the exact length of the DE MH bulbs and require only a little modding. You could always get a buld and check the length or have someone here give you an exact measurement. I used a pair of sockets I bought from Hellolights and they worked great!! They only run $12.50 or so and don't have a bracket in the middle like the Regents do so you don't have to worry about seeing it. I'm sure others will offer advice as well. ThePunkinator Link to comment
matt the fiddler Posted April 5, 2004 Share Posted April 5, 2004 "I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer for. If I do a DIY 70W MH, am I going to need to add actenic as well?" it depends on the color temp of your halide. if you get a 20K def not, if you havea 65K you would probably be happier wiht actenic.. 10K is debatable [what kracker has].. though i think it looks better and is better for stuff to have act. soo do you need them? probably not are they worth it? YES!!!!! Link to comment
Looselyhuman Posted April 8, 2004 Share Posted April 8, 2004 Kracker, et al, Would there be heat or other issues with 2x70w 10k bulbs/fixtures in the 20" CSL? I am currently running a planted (freshwater) Oceanic 30 under this hood (w/2x10k). I plan to convert it to a mostly-SPS reef, after my move to SoCal this summer. I'd like to keep the hood, but also keep thriving clams in the lower half of the tank... Will this work? Alternatively, could I keep one PC (actinic), and replace the other fixture with a 250DE? Thanks, Ian Link to comment
KrackerG Posted April 9, 2004 Author Share Posted April 9, 2004 i would say yes....you could put 2 70w MH DEs in a 20"... there is room... just remove the PC clips and adjust them away from the center making room for the MH sockets. as far as heat is concerned, upgrade the fans...definately. i am not sure if heat would or would not be an issue. for sure tho, i would mount the ballasts externally... 250DE?? ummmmmm, not sure. Link to comment
Looselyhuman Posted April 9, 2004 Share Posted April 9, 2004 Thanks dude, that helps... Now I'm considering the single 150w, a la ######. The bulb selection is definitely better in 150. Decisions, decisions... Ian Link to comment
Sarnack Posted April 12, 2004 Share Posted April 12, 2004 Would it be possible to cut one of the 20" models down to 17" to put over a minibow? I don't know how the end caps attach. Any advice would be appreciated. Link to comment
KrackerG Posted April 13, 2004 Author Share Posted April 13, 2004 ...cut one of the 20" models down to 17"... YES, you could. You will need a good saw that will cut aluminium... but yes it can be cut... and then reassembled attaching the endcaps. curious, what size is that bow (gallons) ? are you sure you are measuring correctly?? Link to comment
Sarnack Posted April 13, 2004 Share Posted April 13, 2004 7 gallon minibow. That would be very cool! I'll have to look into getting one now. How do the endcaps attach to the aluminum shell? Link to comment
KrackerG Posted April 15, 2004 Author Share Posted April 15, 2004 ohhhh, that would be cool! post pics if you can, would love to see it. well the endcaps are held on using 4 threaded screws...if you saw it, you would see it can be done. btw, that new Current orbitz could probably be used too... :| Link to comment
nanoboy Posted April 19, 2004 Share Posted April 19, 2004 Nice modding everyone. I have a question Kracker, I have a coralife PC hood I'd like to mod like yours. How much vertical clearance is required for the HQI socket and bulb? I need the distance from the mounting point of the socket and the glass below the bulb. Also what is the distance betweent the bulb and the glass in your setups? I'd like to do it but I'm thinking it may be a bit tight clearance wise in my hood. thanks Link to comment
trmiv Posted April 19, 2004 Share Posted April 19, 2004 well, I'm doing it! let me just make sure I have all that I need. This is all the stuff I need to do this mod, correct? -20" CSL hood -70w Aromat ballast (just got one) -70w MH Ushio bulb -Fixture from Regent light I see the Regent WQ300 at Home Depot, will that work? Does this thing have everything I need? The socket and the support? Kracker, what is the model# of that worklight you used in your dual 70w? -power supply case to mount ballast -UV glass Does the power supply casing for the ballast need a fan? If so, that's easy, I can just wire up a 12v. Also, mounting the ballast in the power supply, just screw it in there somehow? I haven't seen the ballast in person yet, so I don't know how that work. As far as wiring goes, I'm still unsure how it works. When I get the ballast, it will just have loose wires coming out? So do I need to wire the power cord up? Then I suppose there are wires I run from the ballast to the socket? Help me out here, I need some handholding because I really don't want to mess this up. Link to comment
KrackerG Posted April 21, 2004 Author Share Posted April 21, 2004 Originally posted by trmiv ...I see the Regent WQ300 at Home Depot, will that work? Does this thing have everything I need? The socket and the support? ... Yes that regent model should work fine! You may need to chip away some the ceramic material to get the bulb to fit properly. I am using a Home Depot Comercial Electrical's worklight (in yellow/red box) that has a better socket... requires no chipping ...just remove the single screw holding the bracket in place in the fixture, then mount it into the CSL hood. Check out MY "CUSTOM"SeaLife 30" DUAL 70w MH retro for more info on the bracket/worklight used. Originally posted by trmiv -power supply case to mount ballast -UV glass Does the power supply casing for the ballast need a fan? The computer power supply is just a nice place to do the wiring...keeps everything clean instead of wires all over the place. The fan is NOT necessary but will help keep things cool. Yeah, don't forget the glass! Originally posted by trmiv If so, that's easy, I can just wire up a 12v. MUST MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING A 12v FAN... NOT 120v If you using 120v fans, then you can wire them inline w/ the power compacts or ballast power but 12v fans are better IMO. Wire all the fans together (positive and negative) but make sure you use 12v computer case fans...might as well be all the same brand and use a 12v power converter similar to a cordless phone power connector. Originally posted by trmiv Also, mounting the ballast in the power supply, just screw it in there somehow? I haven't seen the ballast in person yet, so I don't know how that work. As far as wiring goes, I'm still unsure how it works. When I get the ballast, it will just have loose wires coming out? So do I need to wire the power cord up? Then I suppose there are wires I run from the ballast to the socket? my ballasts all have mounting feet on the bottom. Just use 2 or 3 nuts and bolts, and drill the holes in the power supply case bottom, and mount the ballast. Pretty easy. The ballast will have loose wires... use a computer power cord, cut off the end and expose the 3 wires... they will connect to the 3 wires of the ballast...color coded:P the remaining 2 wires of the ballast goto the regent socket. Hope this all helps... feel free to ask first if you're unsure about ANYTHING! Krack Link to comment
KrackerG Posted April 21, 2004 Author Share Posted April 21, 2004 oh hey Sarnack, just thought of something... I know I told you YES, you could cut down the hood to fit your 7gal minibow... but I just wanted to add that you will also need to cut down the reflector (not hard...thin metal) and use those 32w/36w Ultra Actinic 03 bulbs cause these are shorter...since your making the hood shorter... better color too, IMO:P Link to comment
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