I'm no electrician and hey maybe its not safe (I think it is just fine but I take no liability if you read farther, try it, and burn down your house, not my fault).
That said I think I found a great way to make a great reef light for very little $$$ comparably. I'm running 3 of these now, and have been running 2 of them for about a year.
Parts needed and total cost:
$54.90 -- yescom 4 bulb 24" T5 fixture with LED moonlights (Single plug BTW). On Ebay
$24.50 (On Amazon) Fulham Workhorse ballast (Only need one for this).
$80 for 4 ATI T5 bulbs, Which I believe are 19.99 each from marinedepot. I like 2 blue+ one coral+ and one actinic+
Thats all you need for a total of $160~
The ballast that come with the yescom fixture suck and will cause your GFCI to trip. Also you always should be using GFCI outlets for anything with your tank. This Fulham ballast will do the work of both of the cheap ballasts that come with the fixture. So lets start.
Step 1. Remove the 2 little screws on the side of the fixture and slide out the acrylic shield/cover.
Step 2. Remove all 4 generic garbage bulbs and toss them or save for emergency spares. Be aware they give almost no usable par compared to ATI bulbs.
Step 3. Remove the reflector by simply bending one side out of the crevice that holds it and lift it out.
Step 4. Take note of the wires that feed the ballasts that are in there. One black wire and one white wire go into each of the ballast. Note the wires that leave the ballast and feed the T5 ends.
Step 5. Unscrew one screw from one of the ballast and pull it in that direction. It will slide away from the screw on the opposite end.
That said I think I found a great way to make a great reef light for very little $$$ comparably. I'm running 3 of these now, and have been running 2 of them for about a year.
Parts needed and total cost:
$54.90 -- yescom 4 bulb 24" T5 fixture with LED moonlights (Single plug BTW). On Ebay
$24.50 (On Amazon) Fulham Workhorse ballast (Only need one for this).
$80 for 4 ATI T5 bulbs, Which I believe are 19.99 each from marinedepot. I like 2 blue+ one coral+ and one actinic+
Thats all you need for a total of $160~
The ballast that come with the yescom fixture suck and will cause your GFCI to trip. Also you always should be using GFCI outlets for anything with your tank. This Fulham ballast will do the work of both of the cheap ballasts that come with the fixture. So lets start.
Step 1. Remove the 2 little screws on the side of the fixture and slide out the acrylic shield/cover.
Step 2. Remove all 4 generic garbage bulbs and toss them or save for emergency spares. Be aware they give almost no usable par compared to ATI bulbs.
Step 3. Remove the reflector by simply bending one side out of the crevice that holds it and lift it out.
Step 4. Take note of the wires that feed the ballasts that are in there. One black wire and one white wire go into each of the ballast. Note the wires that leave the ballast and feed the T5 ends.
Step 5. Unscrew one screw from one of the ballast and pull it in that direction. It will slide away from the screw on the opposite end.
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