30 Gallon Tank rebuilding an old tank hood.

I recently picked up a used 30 gallon tall fish tank it came with a badly scaled and salt encrusted lid I got most of the salt and scale off now the hardware. It used to have a t12 light bulb with a transformer and starter can. Walmart had a 24" t8 strip light for $10 and a pair of self sticking led strips blue in color they run on 12v for a moon light effect. I already gutted the old light and will mount and wire up the led and new light in the old strip light hood.

Should end up giving me a 17w t8 grow light at 7500k looks rather pink and moon light led.

I will post some pics as I make it and finish the tank I still need to finish clearing the spot at home for it.

 

preliminary fit marked the holes for the brass fasteners


holes drilled fasteners installed here is a top shot


Ran the wires for the moonlight under the strip light.


Installed moon light toggle switch


better shot of the switch.





All that is left is to wire the power for the moon lights I am thinking that ill use a old 12v wall wart wired to the 120v input on the hood before the switch for the florescent light. It would be always powered and the switch will be on the 12v dc side of the circuit. The end result will be only 1 cord going to the light. Any connections I make are going to be capped with a wire nut and sealed with liquid electrical tape.

 

That is awesome.

I wish I was mechanically incline.

 

I just wish the light was a t5ho light but t8 17 watt at 7500k will have to do at least I'm no worse off than I was with the same light at 6500k. But t8 at 17w comes out to around .6w per gallon on a 29 tall tank meaning I am going to be limited to floating and possibly plants I put on the top of my lava rock formation... 30x12x18

total bill for the conversion and tank setup.
$20 old 29 gallon tall tank with hood and hob
$11 Strip light with grow bulb
$.39 3x wire nuts
$17.89 blue automotive led strip light
$1.70 2x brass screws with thumb nut
$22 100lbs Pool filter sand
$3.50 50lbs red lava rock
$3 2' of 2" pvc cut into 5 randomly sized pieces between 3 and 5 inches long going to be caves in a lava rock mountian I am gluing together.
$8 2x tubes of aquarium safe silicone.

free wall wart from lost and found been there over a year
liquid electrical tape from my tool box

 

New strip light pair 14w t5 normal output 4200k light temp lights of america 7114 bought at walmart for 10 each

closeup of connection and moon light circuit


old t8 light 17 watts 7800k light temp



Now so you can all learn from my mistakes there is a far better way to have accomplished this the better way and at this point cheaper would have been to pay 25-50 for a t5 ho strip light single tube odessa and sunmax both make fixtures that would have fit the bill.

Now as for the best diy way to have done this they make double sided screw base for regular incandescent bulbs so each fixture fits 2 bulbs and if I ever do anything like this again I will likely do it this way. As my options for lighting would be vast and cheaper to replace plus I could have fit 4 26 watt 6500k cfl in there for 104 watts of light or as low as 40 watts being 10 watts each.

Also in a more expensive route they make 46 watt bulbs in daylight temp for 184 watts of light crammed into a 30" strip light but to use those bulbs it would almost certainly melt the housing and need some sort of active ventilation downfall to those bulbs is they are around 20 a piece.

The last remaining thing for me to do with this light is I need to go to the hardware store pick up 4 brass screws and thumb screws or acorn caps to finish the visible attachement of the 2 lights. Also I need to replace the bulbs with 5000k-10000k temp bulbs I found some 6500k online ill order when the 4200k bulbs burn out...