The Edge - 6G

[toofazt]

Here's one of the Rummynose...

[whizzle]

Your welcome! Glad to see they have colored up a bit and you take really good pictures.

[toofazt]

Originally Posted by whizzle

Your welcome! Glad to see they have colored up a bit and you take really good pictures.

Thanks!

I've added more S. Repens and re-arranged the scape a bit. I'll post pics later...

[whizzle]

Hey when its time to trim that S. Repens I'll take some off your hands lol

[toofazt]

Originally Posted by whizzle

Hey when its time to trim that S. Repens I'll take some off your hands lol

I'll let you know If you don't want to wait, the person I bought it from still has some: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sw...ne-repens.html

[toofazt]

I'm done with the stock lighting on the Fluval Edge! I got my 48 LED M16 bulbs to replace the factory halogen aaaaaand they suck. I'm going to modify it to fit two 13W CFL that swing out of the way like stock. I'll post step-by-step photos of my progress and try to explain it as I go.

Bayco fluorescent work light. 6ft - 18/2 cord, 13 watt 6500K bulb with a decent reflector. Cost $10.22 from Walmart, UPC code 017398345910, model number BA-506-01.


Remove the five Phillips head screws on the yellow handle and pop out the two rivets on each side with your finger nails.


The yellow handle can now be separated in half and the clear plastic tube can be slid off the bulb. The bulb assembly, on/off rocker switch and transformer are easily removed from the handle. Slide the black hanger clip off the clear plastic tube. Pull the yellow rubber sleeve off the end of the clear tube, remove the white rubber collar and the clear cap.


Flip the white rubber sleeve around and slide it over the bulb. It will fit perfectly over the base to help protect if from water. Now slide the clear tube over the bulb making sure the reflector is centered.


Take the clear plastic cap and tape it to the end of the tube to help protect the bulb from water. The cap is recessed on one side and will seat itself on the tube. Make sure the tape covers the two holes from the rivets we removed earlier.


The handle, yellow protective sleeve, and hanging clip can thrown out or saved for future projects.


I cut off the box that housed the stock MR11 bulbs to make room for the two CFL. There's two screws on each arm and two screws on each MR11 light socket you need to remove to be able to separate the lighting arm. Once you have the arm apart, remove the stock lighting and screw the fixture back together to give it some stability. Stick it in a vise and use a hacksaw to evenly cut off the arms. Now I drilled holes in the top and bottom of the arms near the tip so I could route a zip tie through to hold the first CFL. I also drilled a hole in the side to route the CFL wires. If you want to hide the transformers in the rear compartment like I did you're going to need to extend the wires by about 16 inches. It's easy, just snip and solder or crimp in some 18ga or 16ga wire. Make sure you use stranded wire (not solid) because it has better flexibility. I removed the on/off rocker switches because I have my lights on a timer and don't need them. You'll also want to snip off about 6" of the CFL power cord because it has a molded in swivel attachment that can get in the way later.

You can see where I drilled a hole on the side of the support arm to route the wires through and out the bottom. I wrapped the bare wires in wire loom to keep the rear compartment a little more organized. You can also see where I drilled a hole in the end of the support arm to mount the first CFL with a zip tie. Then I used another zip tie to attach the second CFL to the first. I attached the lights opposite each other since there will be a little more light emitted from the tip of the bulb than the base.


Front view. The zip ties work perfectly and the light sits nice and even.


Side view. Again, nice and even.

[toofazt]

Finished the new lights! I'm really happy with the way they turned out. I have the option of 13W or 26W of light and it all fits nicely inside the stock hood. Plus they swing up and out of the way for easy access to the tank. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them!

[Jenhunter]

I'm curious to see how your new lights work out. I have the same set up as your original light fixture, and have been really frustrated with the light distribution. Anything that isn't in the center just doesn't get much light.

The Egde is a very neat tank, but is soooo difficult to work with!

[Jenhunter]

Are you running any co2 in this tank? I don't see any mention of it. If not, how are your plants (specifically the repens) doing?

[toofazt]

Originally Posted by Jenhunter

I'm curious to see how your new lights work out. I have the same set up as your original light fixture, and have been really frustrated with the light distribution. Anything that isn't in the center just doesn't get much light.

The Egde is a very neat tank, but is soooo difficult to work with!

Are you running any co2 in this tank? I don't see any mention of it. If not, how are your plants (specifically the repens) doing?

When no one is around I leave the hood off for better light coverage. When we're watching TV or have company over I put the lid on. Once everything fills in I might leave the hood on 24/7, we'll see...

I'll take pictures of 13W & 26W of lighting with and without the hood.

I don't run CO2 but I dose Flourish Excel and ferts. The S. Repens is doing great. It may be growing a little slower than a CO2 injected tank but it looks nice & healthy.

[toofazt]

Hood off, both lights on.


Hood off, one light on.


Hood on, both lights on.


Hood on, one light on.

[toofazt]

I lost one of my Rummynose Tetras a couple days ago due to dropsy and it looks like another one has it as well. I added an Otocinclus and he's doing a good job at keeping the tank nice and clean. I'd like to add some more CRS because I only see the one I have in there a couple times a day.

[toofazt]

My lonely shrimp decided to make an appearance while I was trying to get a picture of my Oto so I had to jump at the opportunity. From my limited experience I'm guessing it's female? She/he is definitely growing!





Elvis has left the building!

[toofazt]

It's actually pretty hard to get a good picture of an Oto because they are on the side of the glass most of the time and move every couple seconds.

[mike_freegan]

That is a fantastic mod.

If anyone is interested, the mechanic lamps appear to be available in the UK, but branded differently. They're called SILVERLINE.

http://www.silverlinetools.com/products/d93/s810

Cheapest is on eBay.

I want to get one in my hood around my MR16 LEDs but not sure how I can.