Updated Photos of 2 Gallon Cube

Yup good call milhouse. Staples is where I got mine. You need to use a lamp designed for halogen because they will handle the heat whereas a fluorescent fixture wont. The 150w de halogen will drop right out and and a 70w de metal halide will fit in perfectly. Good luck.
Cheers,

- Chad
 
So do you think you could keep the existing reflector and fixtures and just swap out the bulb and the ballast? That would be awesome!

Whay can't anyone sell these things in the UK :(

EDIT> I guess you'd need a sheet of UV glass too, or do halogen bulbs have them already?
 
Nope, the de halogen is smaller than a de halide and its ballast is also located inside the lamp head. You will need to take all of that stuff out and then a malide holder and reflector will barely fit inside and you will need to locate your halide ballast somewhere nearby.
I bought my halide off of ebay and it came with a bulb, holder, reflector, ballast, wiring, and uv glass. The lamp does come with a sheet of uv glass for the hlogen bulb but you would need to figure out some way of mounting it up by he bulb...
- Chad
 
Oh well :(

I contacted the guy on e-bay who sells those retrofit kits but they won't ship outside of North America so I can't get it from them. I've just had my tank built in Ohio and I was going to ask them if they'd accept delivery and then post it on but they built the tank too quickly!!! It was in the post before I could ask.

Similarly it seems all large desk lamps over here use incandescent bulbs so I couldn't fit the retrofit kit anyway! Grrr... will fight the urge to relocate to the US....

How's your mantis getting on?
 
:) Looks nice! Thanks for the link, is that the kit you've gone for?

I've just emailed them to see if they'll ship to the UK. I fear that their response may be the same as all the other places I've tried. Fingers crossed though!
 
The guy is a really nice guy, I got my kit from him like 6 or 7 months ago. I did this same retro over a 7.88 Gallon tank. I love it, the tank is glass, with curved corners in the front, and seams on the back corners. It is a fantastic tank. This light is amazing.

David
 
I think that aquabuys is the same person that was selling my kit on Ebay. He was really good to deal with, hopefully he will ship.

Milhouse,
The tank sounds really interesting. Can you give me some info on it? Pictures, links, price? I wonder if it would be possible to drill the bottom of a tank like that....

- Chad
 
Chad, funny I was looking to make some calls to order one drilled. I picked this up for $45 or so at an LFS up in the Philadelphia area while up there visiting family. I love it, it has no black frames on it, just pure glass. Really clean looking.
 
milhouse,
do you have a brand name or pictures? What are the dimensions? I'm looking to give the mantis a little larger home..

-= Chad
 
Ejls,
I am in Canada and I don't know how much it would help but if you sent it to my house and paid for postage from here to the UK, I could forward it to you. Just a thought. It would probably be cheaper if a plave in the States would send it...

- Chad
 
Chad, that's really very kind of you but I don't want to be a nuisance. I've got a friend going to the states in a few weeks who I'm currently "persuading" to either leave room in her suitcase or to mail it to me directly. As long as Pitsburgh doesn't have any sales taxes it should be okay.

I'll let you know how it goes though, hopefully the tank'll be ready for some stock by the time the lights arive, until then I'll jsut use some PCs.

Cheers once again, you really are very kind!

Ed
 
Ed,
No problem. I know how frustrating it is to try and get stuff even in Canada that people don't want to ship from the States. I look forward to seeing how it turns ou tonce you set up the lights.
Keep me posted.
- Chad
 
You'll be the first to see the pics!

BTW... Isn't it some time after 5 in the morning where you are? Talk about commitment to the boards! :)
 
Back
Top