DIY Hybrid Fixture

McFish

Goby
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
so I picked up an 8-bulb Tek T5 light fixture, Realized it didn’t fit, and nobody seems to be interested in it.

So...I’m thinking about trying to figure out how to convert it to a hybrid fixture of some sort. Wiring should be easy, but I’m looking to make something like the aquaticlife t5ho mount (pic below).

Has anyone done this successfully before?
 

TheRealChrisBrown

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#3
I made my own hybrid "FrankenLight" out of an Aquamedic MH/T5 fixture I got for cheap. I gutted all of the MH components from the light, and then mounted my AI Hydra52's right where the MH lights used to reside. I just carefully marked where the screws mount into the top of the AI fixtures and drilled the corresponding hole in the Aquamedic fixture....the center sections are like thin sheet metal. Once I had it all mounted I slid the entire LED piece into the channels like a train (so if I ever needed to work on 1 LED I'd have to disassemble the entire thing). Anyway, it works really well. If I had to do it over again I'd find a MH/T5 fixture with a total of 4 T5's instead of the 2 that I run. I'd also improve the fans (stock fans still work) for more air flow. As it is now my AI's get hot enough to occasionally shut down because of excessive heat. Here are some pics, taking pictures of lights are hard but I think you'll get the idea. View attachment 12451

View attachment 12452

View attachment 12453
 

TheRealChrisBrown

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#4
I forgot to mention if you are ever in Loveland and want to stop by and see it let me know :) Or if you want to build your own FrankenLight, bring your stuff and come on over!
 

McFish

Goby
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
I forgot to mention if you are ever in Loveland and want to stop by and see it let me know :) Or if you want to build your own FrankenLight, bring your stuff and come on over!
Thanks man I appreciate that! It looks good! Excess heat is my one worry really. I have 4 AIs and they can get toasty trapped in a metal hood!
 

TheRealChrisBrown

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#6
Thanks man I appreciate that! It looks good! Excess heat is my one worry really. I have 4 AIs and they can get toasty trapped in a metal hood!
My AI's have the heat sinks exposed on the sides and about 80% of the top on the heat sink is open to the airflow running through the MH housing via stock fans. My issue is the canopy only allows about 1 inch on either side for air flow, and the stock fans really don't pull or push a large volume of air (they are located on the sides of the fixture). I could cut holes in the canopy (I don't really want to do that) or perhaps add some top mounted fans. I probably underestimated how much air flow was necessary to keep the LED's cool, and combined with the heat output of the T5's which I didn't figure was as much as it is.

I still really like the FrankenLight, like I said I'd build another one with 4 total T5's and more fans in a heartbeat.
 

SynDen

Administrator
Staff member
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M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
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#9
Ya I've been think of building a hybrid 8 bulb t5/LED light for the big tank. Was thinking to buy and use alluminium bars to make something similar to the aquatic life fixture.

Although Chris's frankenlight gives me an idea. I have a mh fixture I could mount the LEDs to instead.

Think that if you had some small alluminium bars, you could mount those across perpendicular to the fixture, and then mount the LEDs fixture to those, so that they stick of the sides instead of directly under it.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using MASC mobile app
 
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