Looking for T5 retrofit recommendations.

[daves-reef]

I am looking to build a DIY a hybrid T5 LED floating canopy / fixture.
Started building the wood section and my inexpensive order for 2 sets of 48" T5 retro (Four Bulbs) fell through.

Any recommendations on 54 watt T5 kits.

 

[reefstarter]

Just make sure they have good reflectors .

 

[JohnK]

I like the kits from reef geek, good pricing, and they have great customer support IME.

 

[daves-reef]

Reef geek has gone surfing. Which spears to be an idiom for closed.

 

[Nickt]

Call exquisite coral in Methuen ma.

 

[JohnK]

Reef geek has gone surfing. Which spears to be an idiom for closed.

Oh my, that's disappointing.

BRS's looks like it's the same and about the same pricing IIRC.
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/4-ft-let-lighting-miro-4-t5-high-output-retrofit-kit.html

 

[JasonandSarah]

These look very promising... they already have single reflectors and look like they'd be very easy to integrate into a diy.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OU...lights+48"&dpPl=1&dpID=41BbQ3YUqML&ref=plSrch

 

[JohnK]

I'd be leery of that even with the price. The reflectors look questionable, there is no info or pics showing the ballast, and you'd be paying for yellow lamps that wouldn't be very useful for anything reef related. You get what you pay for with this kind of thing.

 

[Technorch]

I have a set of the BRS T5 kit and they work great. Light output and reflectors and great quality. I had previously bought a set from reef geek and when they close I went with BRS and the quality is pretty much the same.

 

[CoralJunkie]

Can the brs retro fit be mounted any kind of way? Could a 2 bulb fixture be mounted on either side of an led fixture?

 

[Technorch]

This is how I have mine setup

 

[CoralJunkie]

That looks good but I only need one on either side. I have a corner tank and the back bulbs wouldn't do much

 

[CoralJunkie]

How are they all connected?

 

[CoralJunkie]

Maybe I'll do it that way but only use 2 bulbs...

 

[Technorch]

I had it with two bulbs to begin with and worked pretty well. I built a wooden frame where the retro kit screws into.

 

[CoralJunkie]

I had it with two bulbs to begin with and worked pretty well. I built a wooden frame where the retro kit screws into.

Thanks for your help. It looks great, I like how you built the frame.

 

[JohnK]

Can the brs retro fit be mounted any kind of way? Could a 2 bulb fixture be mounted on either side of an led fixture?

Yes, no problem. The reflectors clip onto the bulbs, and the ballast is remote, so you should have no issue mounting them creatively.

 

[CoralJunkie]

Is there a way to wire in a timer?

 

[JohnK]

The ballast(s) are typically wired to regular 3 prong plugs. I have always stuck with that and then plugged them into a wall timer or controller. That said, I'm sure you could wire them differently to incorporate a timer elsewhere, but I don't see the benefit of doing so???