Everything you ever wanted to know about DIY lighting, but were afraid to ask - Page 3 - MyFishTank.Net Freshwater Saltwater Aquarium Fish Forum

bigredspecial · 02-11-2006, 06:02 PM

I don't understand your drawing... each bulb needs one positive and one negative wire going to it; from the drawing it looks like you intend to run only one wire to each bulb... is that what you have drawn?

love_fish · 02-11-2006, 06:12 PM

No, theres 2 there, but photobucket made the pic small so you really cant see it too well. Imageshack is down right now so i used photobucket.

love_fish · 02-11-2006, 07:41 PM

Another question lol. How come i need 4 CF bulbs, if 20 watts flourescent is equivalent to 75 watts incadescent. Do you only measure it by flourescent?

bigredspecial · 02-11-2006, 09:53 PM

Yes, always measure by flourescent. People using Metal Halide use the wattage from their bulbs too, because MH is very close to flourescent. Incandescent Is way off, most of the wattage is converted to heat.

As an aside, I noticed some 42 watt bulbs at home depot today; if you went with those, you could use two.

love_fish · 02-11-2006, 10:33 PM

OK, idk, ill see what the home depot by me has. What sucks is we have a blizzard and i cant do it this weekend

Oh well, now i have the whole week to make sure i know what im doing. Oh, and will 2 43 watt CF evenly divide light instead of looking like a spotlight type thing?

As for the switch, there are 2 wires coming from the switch, so how would i hook it up to the negative side? Splice the 2 together and hook to make one wire and hook it up? Or hook one wire up to each of the power cord wires.?

bigredspecial · 02-12-2006, 10:49 AM

I can't say for sure, but provided you use a reflector, there shouldn't be a spotlight effect. Never know untill you try though.

As for the switch, without seeing it, I can't help you. Most switches of this variety splice into the negative lead, turning the switch 'off' simply cuts off the flow of current - it's the same effect as if you cut the wire in half. Your switch could be different; without seeing it, I can't tell you.

love_fish · 02-12-2006, 12:20 PM

Well, heres the same pic but big so you can see.

http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hood6hg.png

See how there are 2 wires coming from the switch? I'm guessing I should put one into each pos and neg power cord. Or should I splice the 2 together and put them both into the neg. side? Or should i just cut one off and put the remainging one into the negative side?

love_fish · 02-13-2006, 11:07 PM

Any clue what to do bigred?

SonicMarauder · 02-14-2006, 12:43 AM

thas some mcguiver shnit right there wow

bigredspecial · 02-14-2006, 08:20 AM

Love Fish: Once again, without seeing the switch, I can't really tell you; all I can say is 90% of the time, switches go in-line with the negative lead - meaning, cut the wire, one end goes into the switch, the other end comes out.

Also, from your drawing, you have 2 bulbs connected with two positive leads, and 2 with negative leads. I'm not sure if that's what you itend to do or not, but it won't work; each bulb needs one positive and one negative lead.

02-11-2006, 06:02 PM	#21 (permalink)
bigredspecial Large Fish Join Date: May 2004 Location: St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 731	I don't understand your drawing... each bulb needs one positive and one negative wire going to it; from the drawing it looks like you intend to run only one wire to each bulb... is that what you have drawn? __________________ 29g: Featherfin synodontis, kuhli loaches, Cories, swordtail, Lemon tetras, Siamese Algae Eaters, tiger barbs; Java fern, Java moss, Compact swords, Rotala indica, Crinum calamistratum. 10g Nano: 14.5lbs LR, Clown Goby, various inverts, Zoanthids, palythoa, mushrooms and colt corals, plus one unidentified LPS.

02-11-2006, 06:12 PM	#22 (permalink)
love_fish Medium Fish Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New York, US Posts: 501	No, theres 2 there, but photobucket made the pic small so you really cant see it too well. Imageshack is down right now so i used photobucket. __________________ [29 gal under construction]

02-11-2006, 07:41 PM	#23 (permalink)
love_fish Medium Fish Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New York, US Posts: 501	Another question lol. How come i need 4 CF bulbs, if 20 watts flourescent is equivalent to 75 watts incadescent. Do you only measure it by flourescent? __________________ [29 gal under construction]

02-11-2006, 09:53 PM	#24 (permalink)
bigredspecial Large Fish Join Date: May 2004 Location: St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 731	Yes, always measure by flourescent. People using Metal Halide use the wattage from their bulbs too, because MH is very close to flourescent. Incandescent Is way off, most of the wattage is converted to heat. As an aside, I noticed some 42 watt bulbs at home depot today; if you went with those, you could use two. __________________ 29g: Featherfin synodontis, kuhli loaches, Cories, swordtail, Lemon tetras, Siamese Algae Eaters, tiger barbs; Java fern, Java moss, Compact swords, Rotala indica, Crinum calamistratum. 10g Nano: 14.5lbs LR, Clown Goby, various inverts, Zoanthids, palythoa, mushrooms and colt corals, plus one unidentified LPS.

02-11-2006, 10:33 PM	#25 (permalink)
love_fish Medium Fish Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New York, US Posts: 501	OK, idk, ill see what the home depot by me has. What sucks is we have a blizzard and i cant do it this weekend Oh well, now i have the whole week to make sure i know what im doing. Oh, and will 2 43 watt CF evenly divide light instead of looking like a spotlight type thing? As for the switch, there are 2 wires coming from the switch, so how would i hook it up to the negative side? Splice the 2 together and hook to make one wire and hook it up? Or hook one wire up to each of the power cord wires.? __________________ [29 gal under construction] Last edited by love_fish; 02-11-2006 at 11:09 PM..

02-12-2006, 10:49 AM	#26 (permalink)
bigredspecial Large Fish Join Date: May 2004 Location: St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 731	I can't say for sure, but provided you use a reflector, there shouldn't be a spotlight effect. Never know untill you try though. As for the switch, without seeing it, I can't help you. Most switches of this variety splice into the negative lead, turning the switch 'off' simply cuts off the flow of current - it's the same effect as if you cut the wire in half. Your switch could be different; without seeing it, I can't tell you. __________________ 29g: Featherfin synodontis, kuhli loaches, Cories, swordtail, Lemon tetras, Siamese Algae Eaters, tiger barbs; Java fern, Java moss, Compact swords, Rotala indica, Crinum calamistratum. 10g Nano: 14.5lbs LR, Clown Goby, various inverts, Zoanthids, palythoa, mushrooms and colt corals, plus one unidentified LPS.

02-12-2006, 12:20 PM	#27 (permalink)
love_fish Medium Fish Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New York, US Posts: 501	Well, heres the same pic but big so you can see. http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hood6hg.png See how there are 2 wires coming from the switch? I'm guessing I should put one into each pos and neg power cord. Or should I splice the 2 together and put them both into the neg. side? Or should i just cut one off and put the remainging one into the negative side? __________________ [29 gal under construction]

02-13-2006, 11:07 PM	#28 (permalink)
love_fish Medium Fish Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New York, US Posts: 501	Any clue what to do bigred? __________________ [29 gal under construction]

02-14-2006, 12:43 AM	#29 (permalink)
SonicMarauder Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 43	thas some mcguiver shnit right there wow

02-14-2006, 08:20 AM	#30 (permalink)
bigredspecial Large Fish Join Date: May 2004 Location: St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 731	Love Fish: Once again, without seeing the switch, I can't really tell you; all I can say is 90% of the time, switches go in-line with the negative lead - meaning, cut the wire, one end goes into the switch, the other end comes out. Also, from your drawing, you have 2 bulbs connected with two positive leads, and 2 with negative leads. I'm not sure if that's what you itend to do or not, but it won't work; each bulb needs one positive and one negative lead. __________________ 29g: Featherfin synodontis, kuhli loaches, Cories, swordtail, Lemon tetras, Siamese Algae Eaters, tiger barbs; Java fern, Java moss, Compact swords, Rotala indica, Crinum calamistratum. 10g Nano: 14.5lbs LR, Clown Goby, various inverts, Zoanthids, palythoa, mushrooms and colt corals, plus one unidentified LPS.