dmw913 Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 Hi All - For all those who have worked with the NanoCube hoods, I have a stupid question but I thought I'd just ask (feel free to mock my lack of electrical knowledge) . . . Everyone has complained that the 24w lights just aren't enough, why can't we just buy higher wattage bulbs rather than a complete retrofit? Are they not compatible or what? I'm sure there's a reason, but I don't know what it is. Thanks in advance. Link to comment
ckf Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Usually the higher wattage the bulb, the longer it is in length. This becomes an issue when you have a 15g cube like I do with only 13" of room to play with. Link to comment
ifynanceu Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 i actually converted my 12gal nano cube to 2 28w coralife pc's...it is a very easy conversion and runs roughly $65 to do...they are 13" in length and fit perfectly! you need to remove the hood , then pull the splash guard off...once that is done, remove the screws that hold the bulb clip on and the reflector drops off...i flattened mine out with microfiber cloth and the edge of my washing machine (microfiber saves it from scratches)...i bought clips for the bulbs only to find they were too long once installed to use the splash guard, but actually made my own by using plumber's tape and bending it to fit the way i wanted. you only have to bend 2 corners of the reflector to make everything screw back into place...i removed the original ballast and switch, used the existing power cord and bought an electronic ballast from home depot and re-wired it in...the switch has to come out (would actually touch on the reflector once re-inastalled) and the ballast gets mounted outside of the hood, but that is okay for mine. the only issue you will run into from there once compete is heat...mine stays roughly 78 degrees, but i keep it open about 1/3rd of the way...you can easily fix that with fans though, i just haven't done it yet. but let me tell you, this upgrade makes things really perk up and look sweet!!! i have the 10,000k daylight, and the 03 actinic in, and it is so much nicer...i will post pics...oh yeah, the connections to the bulbs were mabe by using blue vinyl butt connectors (usually used in auto applications) and trimming off the ring closest to the the bulb for better fitment, but they work great, and make the stuff fit as it needs to be. i can shoot a pic if you need... Link to comment
ckf Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Sounds like a sweet setup and I agree it makes a huge difference. I converted mine to use a 32 watt 10k bulb and an 18 watt true actinic. The only problem I am having is that when I turn on the lights, I get static on the TV. Any ideas on how to correct this? Link to comment
ifynanceu Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 i have never heard of that before...you may want to check your ground wire (if you are using one, if not, i would)...what type of ballast are you using? Link to comment
ckf Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Its a JBJ balast that I had from an older setup that I had. I had a 54 gal corner tank that was running 2 55 watt pc's and a 400 watt metal halide. I took the JBJ ballast out of the fixture to retrofit this hood. As far as the ground wire, it is connected and goes to the plug. Link to comment
ifynanceu Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 you may need to replace the ballast, or try moving it...that is not normal to be creating a static interference with your tv...good thing is, you can buy a home depot ballast like mine for real cheap and it will be electronic and reliable... Link to comment
ckf Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 The ballast I am using is an electronic one. I was just looking at it and it says it can fire 1 or 2 55 watt bulbs. Could this be the problem since I am using an 18 watt and a 32 watt? If so what kind/size of ballast should I get from HD? Link to comment
ifynanceu Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 no...they are backwards compatible...i am using a ballast that can run 4 40w t-12's (the round tubes), but am only running the 2 28w pc's...the one i bought is an advanced lighting rel-432sc...it has a yellow label and is small as compared to the regular ballasts...it was $18 Link to comment
ckf Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Do you think that maybe I should just replace the ballast even though this one is only about a year or so old? The original ballast in the JBJ fixture burnt out so I ordered another one from JBJ and installed it into the fixture but since I don't use it I just took it back out and installed on this hood Link to comment
ifynanceu Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 if you had problems with the first, you may be having problems with this one... Link to comment
ckf Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Yeah, I guess I will just go and get a new one and see if that works. Thanks for the help. By the way, I would love to see pix of your tank Link to comment
ifynanceu Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 here is a pic...i just added the devil's hand today, so it's pollyps haven't come out yet... Link to comment
ckf Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Very nice! How long has the tank been up for? Link to comment
ifynanceu Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 i set this one up in december of 03...i am not planning on adding too much more at all...maybe small frags here and there to get them to grow...i just bought a 50 gallon setup that i am building now...my refugium will be here tomorrow, and i am getting 56lbs of cured walt smith fiji live rock for $117, and i am going to use the carib sea black aragonite sand for the substrate Link to comment
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