Need to improve lighting on my mini-bow 7

[Anonymous]

Hey all,

I moved the contents of my 58 planted tank into a couple of small tanks as I started to have too many fantasies about all the cool salt stuff I could do with the 58.

One of the tanks is a new AGA mini-bow 7 in my office. Cute tank, but obviously the light sucks. I replaced the pink bulb with a whiter one, but its still too dim.

Can anyone suggest an easy way to upgrade the lighting, preferable to pc? Once its set up, I'll probably decide to convert it to a salt nano... :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

You mean you don't want PC's?
There is an easy to install Custom Sealife 32w PC retrofit kit that is excellent for the stock hood.

Aside from that, there are lots of PC and T5 pendants out there now, not toe mention the MH's.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

sorry, I misworded that, I meant I wanted to change it, preferably to pc...

I'll look into the CSL, thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Jim, is this it?

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... uct=CL1311

 

[Anonymous]

Yep!
Just a bit of easy wiring, and you're set.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

what about a 70W MH retro? Ive never used one but is that feasible for that Nano?

 

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to go an easy route, and a MH would never fit into the stock hood, as its very narrow....

 

[MattGecko]

70W MH would fit but it would melt the stock plastic housing.

 

[Anonymous]

I was unsure since ive never owned a minibow or nanocube, just thought i would throw it out there...i do agree then with the retro CSL 24 or 32 W deal..Hwarang and a few others on N-R.com have modified these kind of hoods for the lighting...Dan you outta be able to keep some SPS in there too considering the lack of depth in such a shallow tank..youll have to get that upgrade first(lighting)...

 

[Anonymous]

Well that worked out great, thanks Jim! I didn't notice when I ordered the retrofit that the bulb was half actinic... whenever I change to the inevitable mini-reef it will be fine. For the planted tank I have now its a bit blue but a whole lot better than what was.

In the retrofit kit they forgot to include the switch- think the switch from the AGA rig would work? I'm using a timer anyway, but it would be neater...

 

[Anonymous]

You need to switch the power to the ballast, not the lamp. You could use the switch, but you'd have to run a piece of lampcord from the switch to the ballast.

********insert standard disclaimer here, blah, blah, blah.*********

GO to hardware store and buy 10' of lampcord. (zipcord, 16/2 whatever you want to call it.)

Stuff one end through the same hole in the hood as the wire for the lamp. If it won't fit, drill another hole close to the cable. (UNPLUG THE LIGHT first, so if you miss and cut the cable you don't get shocked (and burn out the ballast!))

Strip both conductors in the hood, wirenut both leads for the switch to the new cable. Wrap well with electrical tape.

re-asemble hood.

Tape the new cable to the lamp cable as far as the ballast.

Get the cable into the ballast enclosure somehow. (same as the lighting fixture.)

Un- wire nut the BLACK wire from the power cord. Connect one end of the new cord to the BLACK wire from the power cord. Connect the other end of the new wire to the black wire on the ballast.( or whatever wire the black from the powercable was plugged into.

Reasemble the ballast, plug it in, and whallah! switch works!

****** end disclaimer.******

If it were me, I'd just go with the timer. But I'm lazy.

B

 

[Anonymous]

Really? The way the retro is rigged 2 wires that come out of the ballast are for the switch, and they would attach neatly to the wires for the AGA switch. Not sure I'm clear why it would have to be different...

I just attached the two switch wires so its on all the time.