DIY Light: 80w of light for 20 bucks!

[indigobluetc]

For any of you that want to make your own lights for your tank to save some money here is a cheap and easy way to do it..:hammer:

You will need:

White plastic rain gutter from Lowes 5.12
2 white end caps from lowes 2.49
A power cord - 8' from lowes 6.00
Bulbs of your choice
Ballast to run bulbs
Small screws

So I had the bulbs and ballast to run the bulbs so I saved some money there which is good.. Anyways here ya go!

Step one:
Measure how long your tank is and how long you want the light to be.

Step 2:
Cut the rain gutter to the length you decided upon and snap on the end caps

Step 3:
Figure out how you want the lights inside the hood. I put mine the same length but they could also be staggered. Once you figure that out use the small screws and screw in the light holders from the ballast.

Step 4:
Wire up the power to the ballast and step back. It is that easy! I mean my lights are actually over driven since the ballast is running 40w a bulb and they are 20w bulbs.

This is just a cheap way to get some good light for your fuge / sump / extra tank.

I am running this on my 20g long frag tank with 3 20w bulbs 2 of which are running at 40w. I have a 18,000k / atinic / 6,700k in that order the first 2 are the 40w ones. So all in all I have 100w on my 20g tank. Brings it to 5w a gal.. Good enough for me and the corals I have in there now seem to like it..

Now for the pics::dance::thumbsup:

 

[indigobluetc]

 

[israelnajar]

Wow that looks pretty good. I think if you were part of the nano contest you could have given people a good run for their money.

I hope to see some more cheap tricks.

 

[indigobluetc]

What other kind of cheap tricks you guys want? I can make lights for any size tank. Also I have a bunch of DIY stuff that I found that I am just itching to try out.. Let me know what you would like to see and I will see if I can fit it in..

 

[sgallant04]

Yes, Very nice.

Nice display of a strip light i would say with the addition of a polished reflector, good quality spray paint job & gromets for the electrical connections and it would look great!

 

[indigobluetc]

You went an spoiled the surprise.. Today I was going to fix the elec connections and make them look better. I have searched and talked to lots of people and they all say with reg lights like this a reflector would not do much.. So I am undecided on if I should do one or not..

 

[indigobluetc]

Well I did this yesterday but didnt post the pics. I added some stuff to the light. I added a connector to the light and the ballast so it could be mounted easier. Also a switch to turn it on and off.. Here are the pics:

 

[indigobluetc]

So I noticed that since I moved the pics the links broke.. So here they are..
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[joebob7]

where did you get the ballast for your lights?
also how do you hook the bulbs up to the ballast?

 

[indigobluetc]

I had it laying around but I would be glad to show you how to do it or buld you one as I am building another in a day or so.. The ballast that would do the same is about 15 bucks..

 

[indigobluetc]

Here is some updated pics for all of you that care to see them! New frags I got today! Yay!! Funny part is they all seemed to triple in size once they got in the tank. Dunno if thats just me or what. Anyways on to the pics!!

RBTA

Galaxia/Blue and green mushrom

Kenya tree and some zoas. Green kiwi star and Blow pops?

Hairy Mushroom

the free little guy form the LFS

 

[sgallant04]

Quoting borat " Yes, very nice!"

The electrical looks better, but I do have a retro suggestions.

In lieu of using the Molex style snap connectors which electrically I’ve never been pleased with and in addition to the harsh salt environment. Try using Anderson Power Pole connectors. They are much more modular easier to assemble and much more reliable.

Anderson Powerpole connectors
The Anderson Powerpole has been adopted by the amateur radio community as their standard 12-volt DC power connector for everything from radios to accessories. It is a bit more expensive than the older “standards” of the 2-wire trailer plug and Molex connector, but provides a more reliable electrical connection (both mechanically and electrically) and is easier to adapt to a wider range of wire gauges. Powerpole connectors are physically and electrically hermaphroditic, thus avoiding the need to worry about which end is the plug and which the socket, or which end has the correct polarity, as is the case with the physically but not electrically hermaphroditic 2-wire trailer plug.
For use in amateur radio, the community has adopted a standard polarity for assembling the Singlepole connectors, using one red and one black housing, as well as a mnemonic for remembering the arrangement: Red Rightâ€"Tongue Top. Before this polarity standard was adopted, some amateur radio groups had chosen the opposite polarity, so it is wise to double-check the polarity before blindly plugging devices together.
Although many sizes of the Powerpoles are available, the size most commonly used is the 15/30/45 amp variety. These sizes all use the same plastic housing, differing only in the metal contact inserted into the housing (selected based on the current need and wire size). Larger Powerpole connectors (the SB/Multipole series) with 2 or 3 contacts in one molded housing are commonly used in various industrial settings, including as a battery connection for some UPS devices, removable truck/Jeep winches, many electric forklifts, and other electric powered vehicles.


http://www.andersonpower.com/products/

http://www.dcpwr.com/

 

[indigobluetc]

Here are some updated pics on the tank.. Everything is happy in there and man that BTA is a pig! Always begging for food.. LOL.

 

[randomworker]

Nice work. I think most people wouldn't even realize you used a rain gutter until you mention it.