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ill be starting this project shortly. ive scoped out a ballast that supports 4 t8 bulbs. ive found the sockets for the tubes. i have all the wood i need to build the canopy itself.

few quistions about the wiring. anyone know what type of powercord i will need. do they have limitations i should worry about?

i wanna hook up moonlights also. i was gona use a old 12v powerpack from some type of radio or some other lost item lol. my question is can i hardwire this to the cord thats used for the main lighting?

what size switch is needed to turn these on and off? dont need a fire.

Is this for a SW tank, or your 75 gallon?

-Keith #2

http://www.ozarkgames.com

this is for my 75g FW tank.

Sin in Style

Plase do not take this the wrong way. By be sound of it your knowledge of elictrical wiring is very limited, this could be very dangerous especially if there is water/moisture involved. Both my sons are eletricians and would yell the daylights out of me if I even attempted that project. Over the years I have done many
ectrical jobs.

Please remember you are only allowed to make one and only one mistake when working with electricity.

I strongly suggest you locate a electrican and get them to do the job correctly and safe for you.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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thanks keith. i know how electricity works and how to wire things safetly its just im a bit rusty. on top of that i dotn have the materials infront of me so im trying to plan blindfolded. would be alot easier if i had everything i needed infront of me so i can read everything. i was just hopeing people who have done it before could save me the time of trying to figure it out in the store.

anyway no worries keith its simple wiring. pos-neg-ground ill be fine worst case scenerio i blow up a few bulbs lol jk.

would it be better if i has the fluros up against the top close to the white paint backing or further away. or are they the same. ( white paint as reflective )

Three suggestions that come together:

- Cover the tank with glass to avoid moisture in the hood and excessive evaporation.

- Avoid using wood for the canopy because the inherent incompatibility with water... You can use it to make a top liner to make the fishtank look nicer.

- I used a very reflective canopy to hold the bulbs. Its a reflective canopy made of mirror-reflecting aluminum, used in light fixtures, ask for it in a good lighting shop. I just bought the tube, an electronic ballast, plastic tube holders -2 for each end of a tube-, three wire 16awg wire, a three g connector and that's all.

Here is a photo of the tank with the canopy. It doesn't looks bad because the ballast is in the rear section of the canopy, screwed over it (hidden from the sight)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/Sharpix/AquariumStand1.jpg

I fitted only one 4' tube, but it was very simple, yet the wiring instructions always come labeled on the ballast you choose.

As for the amount of energy, you don't need any special switch, as almost any household switch can stand the 200 watts at most you might be using. I didn't fit any switch, and just plugged the cord to an electronic timer. Very simple, very effective.

Making a canopy is easy if you have basic electric skills. Just avoid moisture on the ballast and tube. Well, the tube and the canopy sometimes have had moisture but never causing ANY problem.