# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories > DIY Projects >  yet another PL lighting project ...

## juggler

Thanks to Ervine's great instruction at http://www.ervine.per.sg/articles/upgradelights.asp, I finally built 2 sets of light for my 2.5 ft tank.

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## Simon

hey koah foong... looks great

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## vinz

Looks great. Where did you get the light holders?

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## jacian

Look great!!
How much time to built such a light set?

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## maxz

hi, 
Where u bought the aluminium reflector?

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## tawauboy

Juggler,

same question as Vinz, where did you get the light holders?

Maxz,
u can get the reflectors at kelantan lane. hdb shop. from sim lim tower go against traffic flow. u will see some hdb flats on yr right. 2 shops there so check it out.

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## small fish

Where the best place to buy your lighting tubes

PC Tan

 :Evil:

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## Alan Koh

Hi juggler,

For bigger set, the more cost effective it is, 4 feet or bigger lightset with good reflector and electronic ballast is going cost much more rite?

Your DIY set is definately meet your needs and satisfaction. Moreover your set look very solid...  :Razz:   :Razz:   :Razz:  very nice!!

Very good idea, nicely done, ballast consealed, good quality reflector cut and fit nicely into the aircon trunking, used of light holder means no messy joins, trunking strip finishes the job perfectly. Superly well done!![:0] [:0] [:0]

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## juggler

All the electrical parts are bought from Lian Eng Electric Co. along Kelantan Lane. You must know the approx prices or else may be fleeced by the seller. I hear that Nature Aquarium has good prices too.

The trunking is salvaged from someone's home renovation garbage.

Sawing the trunking is the easiest of all. It's the drilling and wiring that took me more time. Let's say I spent 10 hours over a few nights to complete 2 sets of the lights.

How much does a commercial light set of similar specs cost? My friend bought a 4 x 55W PL light set (4 ft) for only $220 at Ah Pek. Certainly more worth it than building your own.  :Sad:

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## Simon

hey, but u forgetting.. u got personal satifaction from doing it and it looks nice too [ :Grin: ]

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## juggler

Simon... right. Self satisfaction and moreover learnt something during the process.  :Smile: 

Now that the light is up. It's time to set up the 2.5 ft tank. Yoo hoo!

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## maxz

Hi,
Do anyone koe where to buy 55 Watts PL as i koe normal
shop usually have oni the hightest 36 watts.
Maxz
regards

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## lsz

i am going to do some DIY lights too..

and i got all my light holders, reflectors, PLs, E.ballast from nature aquarium thanks to recommendations. 

think can get everything there except perhaps the wire and the plug (hardware store)

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## lsz

Juggler, did you forget to take out the blue sticker on your reflector?

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## c.y.

> ----------------
> On 1/15/2002 12:10:31 AM 
> 
> All the electrical parts are bought from Lian Eng Electric Co. along Kelantan Lane. You must know the approx prices or else may be fleeced by the seller. I hear that Nature Aquarium has good prices too.
> 
> The trunking is salvaged from someone's home renovation garbage.
> 
> Sawing the trunking is the easiest of all. It's the drilling and wiring that took me more time. Let's say I spent 10 hours over a few nights to complete 2 sets of the lights.
> 
> ...


Hi, Juggler,
Can advise what is the height of the reflactor that you bought from Lian Eng Elec. shop.
Thank you.

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## justjoin

hi juggle

wat is the lenght of yr 36watt Pl tube? Cos was thinking to fix 1 in my 40 inches tank (~ 1.5ft). 

Wondering wehther can fit in or not.

thks
adrian

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## eggz

like...totally awesome DIY skills man! [:0] 


eggz

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## justjoin

hi juggle

&amp;quot;Thanks to Ervine's great instruction at http://www.ervine.per.sg/articles/upgradelights.asp, I finally built 2 sets of light for my 2.5 ft tank.&amp;quot;

this link not working. Any other cos i m thinking to do one too.

BTY, where to get those reflector? Do they selll just for 1.5 feet?Is tt the only width cos i only need 1 with abt 6cm in width &amp;amp; maybe 35cm in lenght.

thks
adrian

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## vinz

Ervine closed his aquatic webpage for quite a while already

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## justjoin

thks vinz

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## juggler

Maybe can try to contact Ervine Lin from his email at his website http://www.enivre.com/

Adrian: Recently my friend found that the same 4ft reflector selling for $10 at Kranji (those shops near the train tracks and before the Kranji Reservoir). They are made of aluminum and can be cut easily using scissors. Probably you can buy the trunkings there as well.

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## justjoin

ok. thks KF

adrian

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## justjoin

BTY, will those paper/plastic type of reflector works?

Those used in Boyu's lighting.

How gd is tt?

adrian

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## juggler

> ----------------
> On 9/5/2002 12:35:39 PM 
> 
> BTY, will those paper/plastic type of reflector works?
> 
> Those used in Boyu's lighting.
> 
> How gd is tt?
> 
> ...


When choosing the reflectors, you have to consider whether they tarnish (like those aluminum cooking foils) and lose their reflectiveness over time. For the aluminum ones I used, they still looking good so far after 6 months. I can wipe away the water marks splashes and it's clean again. Can also comb my hair using that as a mirror.  :Smile:

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## Cardinal Tetra

sianz. everywhere i go i only see the 18W lights for my 2ft tank. their not the ones that look like the Ushaped light just a single light only. where can i find those u shaped lights for my 2ft tank. i hunted everywhere but cant find any.

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## justjoin

R U referring to the PL using E-ballast.

If so, can go NA nature cos he is selling at reasonable $

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## Cardinal Tetra

i'm refering to the lights as shown in the picture. only that it has to be 2ft. are there any other places where i can get them besides nature? how much do they cost?

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## juggler

> ----------------
> On 9/10/2002 4:50:32 PM 
> 
> i'm refering to the lights as shown in the picture. only that it has to be 2ft. are there any other places where i can get them besides nature? how much do they cost?
> ----------------


Nature Aquarium sells at reasonable price and has sufficient parts for you to DIY. Worth a visit. Other places would be at Kelantan Lane area.

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## acidjc

Nature.. is selling the PL U-shaped light tube at $9 each (if the price has not change).. the last time I brought my 2x36W PL light (complete set) at abt $99

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## Cardinal Tetra

$99? [:0] [:0] [:0] 
that costs a bomb man i was thinking of changing my 2ft light casing to a fit 2x36 PL light. currently it is running on a 15w FL light.

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## Irn-Bru

kf,

can i outsource my lighting project to you?  :Wink:  
please send me a quotation.

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## logan

hi all.
I have to do a DIY lighting system for my tank too...i noticed that those who had done the DIY lighting had bought their stuff from aquariums shops such as Nature Aquarium....i was thinking that all that equipment - the ballast, lights (FL), light holder... - can be bought at norman lightshops?? Or, is this not recommended?

Also, if you dun mind, could some of you (e.g. juggler) kindly explain your process step by step....will be very helpful. Thanks.

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## justjoin

sorry wrong posting.

thks

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## dominik

Can show the wiring diagram of the DIY light setup?

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## tawauboy

> ----------------
> On 10/9/2002 12:08:20 PM 
> 
> hi all.
> I have to do a DIY lighting system for my tank too...i noticed that those who had done the DIY lighting had bought their stuff from aquariums shops such as Nature Aquarium....i was thinking that all that equipment - the ballast, lights (FL), light holder... - can be bought at norman lightshops?? Or, is this not recommended?
> 
> Also, if you dun mind, could some of you (e.g. juggler) kindly explain your process step by step....will be very helpful. Thanks.
> ----------------


nature aquarium prices are very competitive.
may be a couple of dollars more but i believe he can advise you on your diy light(which is invaluable, something i doubt you can get from normal lighting shops).
think of nature as a one-stop shop.

i think juggler worked out the cost of diy and nature's selling price.
they are very close so the advice was, diy for personal satisfaction.

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## logan

Hmmm...thanks. But, i think that we can save more if the electronic ballast wasnt use. Any special usage for the electronic one?

If not, can just use the normal one, rite? I think, if bought from the normal lighting shop, the elctronic ballast would cost quite a bit of dollars more. Not sure of the actual fig...

But it would be helpful if someone can post the wiring digs![ :Grin: ]

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## vinz

The e-Ballast is quieter, much cooler, lighter. Also no flickering when starting up, and less noticable flickering when the light is on.

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## M0rph3us

> ----------------
> On 10/9/2002 4:35:39 PM 
> 
> Hmmm...thanks. But, i think that we can save more if the electronic ballast wasnt use. Any special usage for the electronic one?
> 
> If not, can just use the normal one, rite? I think, if bought from the normal lighting shop, the elctronic ballast would cost quite a bit of dollars more. Not sure of the actual fig...
> 
> But it would be helpful if someone can post the wiring digs![] 
> ----------------


there are wiring diagrams on the ballast itself :Wink:

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## logan

oh...ah c...thanks!

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## juggler

> ----------------
> On 10/9/2002 12:08:20 PM 
> 
> hi all.
> I have to do a DIY lighting system for my tank too...i noticed that those who had done the DIY lighting had bought their stuff from aquariums shops such as Nature Aquarium....i was thinking that all that equipment - the ballast, lights (FL), light holder... - can be bought at norman lightshops?? Or, is this not recommended?
> 
> Also, if you dun mind, could some of you (e.g. juggler) kindly explain your process step by step....will be very helpful. Thanks.
> ----------------


If you like to DIY your lights, I suggest going to NA to buy the electrical parts. I had to bargain elsewhere in Kelantan Lane area and did not even come closer to NA prices. Trust NA, very reasonable. He will guide you how to do it.
The only thing NA don't sell is the air-con trunking. I think NA also sells the reflector which I used but the reflector can be bought at lighting shops.

I stumbled upon using the air-con trunking when I found that the 4&amp;quot; reflector sits nicely in the 6&amp;quot;x4&amp;quot; (x-section) air-con trunking. From there I thought of how to prevent the reflector from falling out and came out with the design as posted in the start of this thread.

Too bad the article that demonstrate the electrical connections is not available.

Well, if I ever DIY another lighting set, I will take step-by-step photos of it.  :Smile:

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## justjoin

let say i want to diy 2 x 36watt PL for a 2 ft tank,

which is better in term of plant's benefit &amp;amp; other factors instead of cost effectiveness.

1]2 different housing,each contain a 1 x 36watt PL
downside:need most of the items 2 sets.take up space.

2]1 housing with 2 x 36watt PL.

does it make much different in a 2 footer if i adopted method 1.Arranged the light in the middle of the tank(spread out evenly) &amp;amp; all corners has equal amount of lighting?

thks

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## tawauboy

depends whether you want to have cooling fan.
if yes, think it would be better to use a single housing.

using double housing may fully cover the tank and will trap heat.
causing tank temperature to rise.

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## vinz

From the looks of Juggler's pics, there's enough space in the trunking to mount fans either above or at the ends.

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## dominik

The wiring diagram on the e-ballast is very brief. It shows only the wiring for FL tube and not for the PL tube. Can anyone pls post a wiring diagram for e-ballast with 2x36 watt PL tube?

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## tawauboy

it's almost the same.
just treat the pl tube as a fl tube that has been folded back.
treat pins 1&amp;amp;2 as one end of a fl tube and pins 3&amp;amp;4 as the other end.

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## vinz

```
--+        +---
  o1-----1-
B o2-----2- PL
  o3-----3- Base
  o4-----4-
--+        +---
```

B is the ballast. For a 2x36 ballast, connect 5, 6 ,7 ,8 to 1, 2, 3, 4 of the 2nd PL. For the PL, it does not matter which side you start from, as long as it's in sequence from one outside pin to the other.

Hope that's clear.

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