[Mikeman]

I'm ordering my lights tommorrow from ahsupply, this is waht I'm getting.


1 55wattsX2 retro kit
1 actinc bulb
1 67000 bulb
1 hood(what can I say I'm lazy)

is there anything else I should do ask?

[wgscott]

Well, if this is going on a 10 to 20 gal aquarium you are in good shape. If not, consider doubling, tripling, etc your order. Also be aware that their 55 W actinic is a very funny purple color that is different from the lampsnow and hamilton actinics. I hated mine and they are sitting in my closet essentially unused. The rest of the kit was OK, but make sure you put plenty of electrical tape around the plugs and I would also advise against putting the ballasts in the hood. I think they are nuts for recommending that. It is a horrendous fire hazard and it also really increases the heat problem.

[Mikeman]

What's wrong with the endcaps? Also would drilling holes in the hood, lessen the heat? thanks

[Aquariust]

Well Mike, I have 4x55W PC's from them, and I must say I love them! Great quality, great customer service. Hey, about the hood, I bought one too! It's light, and very attractive. I mounted a 3" fan in mine to lower the heat. The ballasts are excellent. Very small, runs warm, no hum. I purchased the 2 7200K blues and 2 10000K whites. I must say I love them both. Reflectors are top grade! I had the hole thing installed in about 3 hrs or so. Make sure you pick up a few timers while your at it!

If you have room in your hood, you may want to consider a 13W Red PC. Words can't describe the tank at night under red PC!

Scott maybe yours were defective? I can assure you the color is not purple. Intrested in selling them?

Few pics:













HTH and GL!

[Mikeman]

those look great

I wish I could add a 13 watt red bulb, but I am completley out of money, now(I'll have to beg for salt, )

as for the heat I'm gona see how they do with out a fan, with just holes drilled through, and if it gets to hot, I'll throw one in there



also nice to know that if I have a question installing them, into their hood, I can ask someone

[Aquariust]

Actually I wouldn't consider the cost being the main factor, compared to if you have the room for it under your canopy? Probaly not. The whole 13W setup is like $30 or so. Check Out Playfair's tank with one of those:



http://mistressreef.homestead.com

If you have any ?'s feel free to email me. I would consider putting a fan on it from the beginning. Trust me here, I thought the same thing, save the money if I don't need the fan. You will.

Have fun and GL!

[Mikeman]

How/where would you install the fan? Do you have a pic? this is kinda my first time setting up one of these things and I don't want to ruin the hood

also where did you get the fan, and how much was it?

[Aquariust]

Well I used a roto zip to cut the hole in the back. It could probaly be done with a jig saw or a large hole saw/drill bit. I bought a radioshack 3" fan:

Radio Shack $20

The fan is 120V, so I just tied it in with the blue lights. It turns on when the blue lights do, and off when the blue lights go off. You could do a 3" fan that's 12V DC, but then your gonna need a transfomer to convert to 120V AC. The RS fan is quite, and keeps my ballasts cool.

I mounted the ballasts in the middle of the canopy, under the reflectors. The fan indirectly blows across the ballasts.

The neat thing about the A&H canopy is that it has vent holes on the top. Having the fan pointing in will force the hot air up out of the canopy. If you mount the fan pointing out, you run the risk of it clogging with salt.

HTH and GL!