diy t5/led (post) build

cromag27 · Sep 18, 2016

so i've seen a lot of threads lately inquiring about making t5/led lights. unfortunately i didn't take photos when i built mine, but i thought this thread might be helpful anyhow.

the light is for my 40g breeder and the fixture is a tek 36" t5. i removed one bulb and screwed in a piece of aluminum c channel. i mounted the leds to this as a heatsink. the led driver fit inside the fixture.

i cut two holes in the top and installed fans. (my wife really needs to learn how to dust better. :D)

here's a photo of the back. the led driver fit right were the power wire comes out of the fixture.

this is just a temporary light because i'm in the process of upgrading to a 125g, so i didn't feel like wiring the led to my apex.

if this were a permanent fixture i would have added another strip of leds, swapped the t5 ballasts to dimmable and wired everything to my apex. let me know if you have any questions. :)

dbl · Sep 18, 2016

Nice work.

cromag27 · Sep 18, 2016

Thanks.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 19, 2016

That's pretty cool. Looks pretty easy too.
We're the dim able driver stock w the led?
Where did you get the led strip? Is it a name brand?

cromag27 · Sep 19, 2016

the leds are cree and i ordered them and the driver from rapid led. i put it all together myself.

saltyfilmfolks said:
That's pretty cool. Looks pretty easy too.
We're the dim able driver stock w the led?
Where did you get the led strip? Is it a name brand?

cromag27 · Sep 19, 2016

i'm going off memory so bear with me....

unscrew the bulb reflector(s) you want to remove.

cut a piece of aluminum c channel to length. you'll need to cut the ends so that there is only the flat piece left. so cut off both of the sides that form the "c" shape. drill screw holes in this piece and screw into fixture.

unscrew the top cover and use a hole saw to cut out openings for the fans. drill mounting holes. i also bought a pair of fan guards to make it look nicer. my fans came with a variable speed control so i drilled a hole in the back of the fixture and attached it that way.

wire up the leds and use 2 part thermal adhesive to secure them the heat sink. drill a hole for the driver power cable in the back of the cover. mount the driver inside the cover and hold it in place with strong double sided take. wire up the leds to the driver. since i used a dimmer knob i drilled a hole for that in the back of the cover. if i were going to wire this to my apex i would have used a j-45 connector instead. i can't remember if there was room for two drivers or only one.

reassemble and you're done!

masssnapz said:
Do you have a small write up or a parts list on how you added the fans and leds ? I understand the heatsink part but I get so lost when it comes to drivers, power supplies etc. I just want to add a couple dimmable leds to my tek light and a couple fans to help with cooling.