# Light hardware questions.



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I've always gone with pre-fab units for lights, which I consider a giant ripoff because I hear of people who DIY their own T5 light fixtures. My question is this: I hear verbage flying around about ballasts and end-caps, and I have no idea what they are or how they operate (which is kind of embarrassing, being an electrical engineer).

Can anybody give me a low-down on what they are? And also, aside from the fixture, the ballasts, the endcaps, and maybe cooling fans, what else would I need for a light fixture?

If this is more of a DIY post, let me know and I'll move forums 

Thanks guys and dolls!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

AHSupply has retrofit kits that can be used as DIY kits or can retrofit just about any current fluorescent fixture you have. I have thought about getting one for a fixture I have for my 29g, but haven't gotten around to it.

Most fluorescent tubes need a ballast to operate. It filters the power and keeps it smooth. Some may even step down the voltage, but not sure on that. A T5HO ballast is different. It actually has a higher output voltage so you can get more light out of the T5 lights. I believe endcaps are just depending on the fixture. Some have them and some dont and I've only seen them on larger tubes and may provide some electrical protection. My T5HO lights dont have them. Cooling fans are optional in most cases. The more lights a ballast is driving in a fixture may demand it. If the fixture doesn't offer any natural ventillation, ie completely closed off, a fan may be required and will extend the life of the ballast. Mine get a little warm, but the are ventillated on top. The lights themselves can provide a good amount of heat also. A fixture with 8 tubes and a splashguard in place can run really hot if it didn't have a fan pulling out hot air. Good T5HO lights largely depend on the quality of the reflector.

Are you planning on building one?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

For my 10 gallon, yes. And someday, when I make the plunge into the bigger tank world, ideally I'll build one for a 55 or bigger. I just don't want to run around dropping hundreds on a good light when I can make as good and learn a ton in the process.

I'll check out that supply store. Thanks!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

24"?


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

by fixture, are you including the reflector in that? You could just line your fixture in mylar or paint the interior white, but from what I understand the angles of the reflector matter and will determine how much of the light your bulb produces actually makes it to your tank, so its probably worth putting some energy into either designing and making a good one or buying a retrofit one.


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## ksturm079 (Jan 10, 2011)

A ballast is nothing more/less than a transformer.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Thanks for the inputs ladies and gents. Yeah, from reading it looks like ballasts are nothing more than transformers, and endcaps are more for protecting the terminals of the bulbs.

What I'm looking for is basically how to retrofit a shop light fixture with great reflectors and T5 bulbs. A 24" fixture for my 30 gallon and a 20" for my 10 gallon would be ideal, and eventually I'll be looking for one over a 55 gallon. Mainly what I want to do is build one of these things.

I was looking at AHSupply and that is the ticket! I'm seeing how my finances are and if they're in the green for ~$100 I'm gonna buy a 2x55Watt retrofit kit, a shop light, and two 55W T5 bulbs, a 5500K and a 3-6-10. Would that be a good setup?

Note: My 30 gallon is a show tank, so it's pretty deep. The 48 Watt T5 fixture on my tank makes the deeper plants suffer, and I've always wanted to get some ground cover going for my shrimp. I'm injecting CO2 and dosing fertz as well, so I'm pretty sure I can handle the increased Wattage.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I wouldn't advise against it, but have you looked at fishneedit.com? I think their 2-bulb 24" fixtures are less than the retrofit kit.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I ordered a fishneedit light for my 29g yesterday and it has already shipped. I'll let you know how they look, if you're interested.


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## Chillwill007 (Aug 20, 2010)

This site has a 20" 4x18 watt light for $50 and a24" 2x24 watt light for only $40
T5 High Output I haven't bought my light yet but will get it from them


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

a little off topic, but since we're on the subject, I think my electronic ballast is kerflooey (switched out the bulbs and no joy, and there's not that much else to a light after all) anybody have a favorite place to get new ballasts from? If the ballast is the right wattage/right type, say a T5 ballast for T5 fixture, that's all you need, is that right? (Hate to pay shipping three times if I get the wrong thing and have to exchange)


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

chris oe said:


> a little off topic, but since we're on the subject, I think my electronic ballast is kerflooey (switched out the bulbs and no joy, and there's not that much else to a light after all) anybody have a favorite place to get new ballasts from? If the ballast is the right wattage/right type, say a T5 ballast for T5 fixture, that's all you need, is that right? (Hate to pay shipping three times if I get the wrong thing and have to exchange)


If it is a T5HO ballasts I would start my search at some of your aquarium lighting places. If it just a standard ballast then it should have a spec on it. It should also have a part number on it that may be searchable on a site like lightingsupply.com or can be searched by the spec of light it powers (ie F32T8ES-25W). There are many sites out there for just regular ballast and they may even also have T5HO ballast.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

This place may help. Has a ballast search engine. Will give you a part number just in case the one you have doesn't have one you can find:

http://www.etlin.com/ballast.asp


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Thanks for the input guys. I agree there's less expensive lights out there, but I really kinda want to build my own so I get an idea of what does what and how it all fits together. Maybe I can assemble the retrofit kits and sell at a profit someday


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

If you're interested in making and selling lights, you don't want to do retrofit kits, because they're ordering bulk and taking profit, and while they are an advantage direct to the hobbyist because they save you time and effort ('cause you don't have to chase around town and scratch your head over "is this the right part") they do add a little expense. If you want to make to sell, do your retrofits, and learn what you can from them, but then think about what parts did you need, and could you source them for yourself less expensively. I'm not talking stepping down the quality, I'm talking about price - economies of scale. If a box contains ten and you can buy a box instead of just one chances are you can negotiate a lower price per unit. You don't want to have hundreds of dollars sitting around in parts if you don't have buyers, but at the same time, any money you can save is profit in your pocket. (Pardon me, I'm such a capitalist. Must have been a Peddler in a former life.)


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