Please show me your t5 retro!?

[tigerarmy40]

wow! looks good, where do you have your ballast mounted?

[das75]

hahnmeister, perhaps this should be a separate thread but quick question, one thing I've wondered about light rails, do you adjust your photoperiod since only one MH?

Sort of where I'm going with this is I have 2 250W pendants over ~6' foot tank. If I went with one pendant, I see the advantage in less equipment and less energy costs , but would my corals suffer?

[gabe3d]

Here is a picture of it from last week. However i just rewired and cut all the wires to length. I'm going to install some fans this weekend, an outer shell made of plastic, and a shield.

[hahnmeister]

Originally posted by das75
hahnmeister, perhaps this should be a separate thread but quick question, one thing I've wondered about light rails, do you adjust your photoperiod since only one MH?

Sort of where I'm going with this is I have 2 250W pendants over ~6' foot tank. If I went with one pendant, I see the advantage in less equipment and less energy costs , but would my corals suffer?

No, same 8 hour photoperiod. The mover 'tricks' photosynthetic organisms to the point where its pretty much as if the light is always overhead. PM me if you want more, I dont want to hijack.

[hahnmeister]

Originally posted by tigerarmy40
wow! looks good, where do you have your ballast mounted?

The ballast is mounted behind the reflectors in the fixure. I have the air ducted inside so that the air gets sucked in the top, then hitting the backside of the reflectors so it gets directed over the backside of the reflectors to each end, passing over the ballast on the way. Then, the air can wrap around the reflectors at each end and blow through the 7/8" holes I have there. There are also 4x 7/8" holes in the center of the bulbs as well so some of the air travels the length of the bulbs before exiting.

I picked the 'top to bottom' airflow because I am going to enclose the entire canopy and have the fixtures suck in air from above the canopy... rather than sucking in humid and hot air into the fixture...

Otherwise, I would be having the air come in through the 7/8" holes, and blow out the top... no doubt.

[thor32766]

you guys have done some great work in these lighting setups!

[tigerarmy40]

gabe that is sick looking, do you have more pics of the construction of it? or of it all fired up?