# From t8 to t5 help.



## Viwwo (Oct 30, 2009)

So in my office my coworker next door is getting rid of her fish tank because do to personal problems she can’t take care of them anymore.. to me that is sad and for about a month now I have been taking care of it anyways. So I will ask he to keep it and I’ll look after it.
Now if that happens I would really like turn this tank around. For now it has no real plants and the light SUCKS! About 5 min. ago I went to see what’s under that hood and it’s a sin! (Ripping of people like that). 
It’s a 20g tank that has a T8 15w light. No wonder everything is dead.
So here is my question. Can I strip the insides of black hood from its light hardware and install two T5 lights? Will it fit? How much would it be? (Don’t want to do it for more than $50 because I have a plan to do a new tank at home and getting new furniture for the new place and paying for college and putting more money a month for blah, blah, blah) maybe anyone want to get rid of some old stuff that I could buy ? (or I’m a really good artist!! That is willing to go a commission)
Thanks for your help.


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## tae2610 (Sep 9, 2009)

with $50 i don't think you can DIY T5HO , but you can buy Double-tube T5(2*14W) in some website like Bigals.com under $50.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Give this a try:
http://www.specialty-lights.com/960315.html

You'll want to go lidless with it; suspend from ceiling (they don't weigh much) or bend a pipe and attach to stand. Don't bother with the brackets; it's for 2 light systems. I've bought from these guys before; they're a bit slow on delivery but the prices are great, and everything was packaged properly.

-Philosophos


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## Viwwo (Oct 30, 2009)

Good idea from the two of you so far. BUT! Remember I work in a boring office up on the 18th floor. Where you can’t have any fun and everyone is a well trained zombie. So, I can’t really go and start drilling the walls or putting pipes. The lady that has the tank is a Senior Associate of one of the branches here. So she is really up there. And her head was almost chopped off when the big cheese found out. Me I’m really down there. If I do something like that they would chop off the heads of all my family before they get to me.
So it has to be small and fast and quiet. And it has to fit in that 24x4x2.5 box.
The $50 would not include the lights.
Maybe I’m asking too much of you guys.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

You're just working with a size that's kind of difficult. 65w CF would be overkill, otherwise I'd be pointing you that way. Perhaps one of these?
http://www.ablackhorse.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=94697

It'd probably push things up to more like 1.25wpg of T5.

If it's a simple, low-tech tank then the lighting levels really don't need to be that high. I've used stock bulbs and <1wpg of T8 with some ADA aquasoil. Simple plants, a filter and an airstone have been holding two tanks of this sort nicely. Ferts come in from feeding, some micros, maybe the odd bump of macros more for the K+. Plants include fissidens, weeping moss, java fern (regular and needle leaf, rotala rotundifolia, crypt wendtii, fissidens spp, H. zosterifolia (star grass), H. difformis, L repens, and occasionally some anubias nana and petite.

-Philosophos


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## Viwwo (Oct 30, 2009)

Well, can't I put in a $2.00 t5 sockets and make my own reflector and just somehow hook it all up? Or use something like this? http://www.warehouse-lighting.com/Results.aspx?categoryid=85
You know guys, a real diy Frankenstein project.

by the way, thank you for your help and ideas!!!


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

If you're DIY inclined enough, you could do it that way but you'll need a new ballast as well.

-Philosophos


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## Zabman14u (Jun 20, 2009)

surprised no one has posted a link to this yet http://www.ahsupply.com/36-55w.htm


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## tae2610 (Sep 9, 2009)

Give this a try:
http://www.specialty-lights.com/960315.html

You'll want to go lidless with it; suspend from ceiling (they don't weigh much) or bend a pipe and attach to stand. Don't bother with the brackets; it's for 2 light systems. I've bought from these guys before; they're a bit slow on delivery but the prices are great, and everything was packaged properly.

-Philosophos

If I m you i ll use this light and make it like my friend in picture he use Philips T514W*4 with reflector
but how much shipping for 2 sets of these lights


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## El Exorcisto (Aug 10, 2006)

Or get a hold of three clamp lights @ $4 each, put 6500K daylight CFs in it @$3.50 each, and you have your lights for $25 out the door. It's simple, and easy to change bulbs to suit your taste i color.


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## lyleduncan80 (May 11, 2010)

If you are not looking for a tough DIY project, you can get a kit so you can use T5 bulbs. Here is an example of a kit: http://lumiversal.com/about/lcm


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

El Exorcisto said:


> Or get a hold of three clamp lights @ $4 each, put 6500K daylight CFs in it @$3.50 each, and you have your lights for $25 out the door. It's simple, and easy to change bulbs to suit your taste i color.


BAM!

+1


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