DIYing fluroescents for 10 gallon

[riddlephil]

does anyone know whats the best way to put fluorescent lighting on 10 gallon?  Where can u get the ballast, end caps(arent they smaller then t12's)

 

[equinom]

You have been bitten by the lightening bug!  I'm seeing you all over the board asking about light!  
There are a bunch of aquarium lighting suppliers on the web.
I don't think you need to DIY, unless your tank is an unusual shape causing you to make your own hood.  Some of those retrofit kits are very easy to use.  Mine took less than 15 min from box to tank.
I don't remember if you told us the tank dimensions - that would be helpful.  Do you know how many total watts you are shooting for?  The types of plants you want to keep are going to dictate how much light you need...

 

[tabby360]

Home depot sells strip lights an so do most lfs. Most home improvement stores sell end caps but you have to the the whole thing. And you would have to make a canopy.

 

[capncrunch5177]

If you can't find the right size, you may try my approach:

I have incandecent light for a 10 gallon, but I replaced the bulbs with flurescent ones from wal-mart. They are actually florescent bulbs that are tubes in a spiral, and fits the socket space.

I got 2 100W bulbs that are bright enough that I use for my 40 gallon tank, and the bulbs cost me about 16 dollars.

There are 40W bulbs, and they should be cheaper as well.