I'm getting close to having water in my tank so it's time to start looking into lighting. Most of what's out there commercially is far out of my price range, so I'm thinking of building it myself.
I have a 75 gallon tank (4') and am considering using either one or two T5 bulbs plus some LEDs in the middle to flesh out whatever spectrum is missing. I've read through tons of stuff from the general lighting threads so have a decent handle on the spectrum I want. The question is how to go about it. I have some electronics background, I know what a ballast is and that sort of thing. What I don't know how to do is choose the right ballast, how to wire it, and what type of endcaps to get.
Anyone know of a basic DIY guide for T5 reef fixtures?
I have a 75 gallon tank (4') and am considering using either one or two T5 bulbs plus some LEDs in the middle to flesh out whatever spectrum is missing. I've read through tons of stuff from the general lighting threads so have a decent handle on the spectrum I want. The question is how to go about it. I have some electronics background, I know what a ballast is and that sort of thing. What I don't know how to do is choose the right ballast, how to wire it, and what type of endcaps to get.
Anyone know of a basic DIY guide for T5 reef fixtures?