Upgrading lighting inside the hood

[Ocean’s Piece]

I want to clear this up before I get started. I don’t want to get Steve’s LEDs because they’re insanely expensive.

Anyways, I have a Biocube 32 and I want to upgrade the lighting but I also don’t want to sacrifice the good. As most people know who own these tanks, there’s only one or two alternatives that people manufacture: Steve’s LEDs (ridiculously expensive) and Nano something something (I forgot the name) but they don’t make those anymore
I want to see if any of y’all have been able to successfully mount a light underneath the hood of the these tanks. I have seen a few methods but most are beyond my budget (no more than 250-300 ish). Anyways, please share, I’d highly appreciate it.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I’ve only seen people take the hood off or cut a hole through it, if not using Steve’s LEDs

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I’ve only seen people take the hood off or cut a hole through it, if not using Steve’s LEDs

Yeah I want to cut a hole in it. I just don’t know which lights people use

 

[Doctorgori]

maybe retrofit in a couple T5’s if you can house the ballast safely somehow … I did it
Also I got a couple of Zetlight strips for like $100 -ish

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

maybe retrofit in a couple T5’s if you can house the ballast safely somehow … I did it
Also I got a couple of Zetlight strips for like $100 -ish

Oh nice. You did this on a Biocube? If so could you start a private message for I can see?

 

[DeepintheReef]

You can go with current led strips. Take out the stock lighting hardware and use two of their strips inside the stock plastic housing. I would recommend using the metal legs that come with the current led light so the lights aren’t resting directly in the plastic. I would also take out and replace the stock fan with one or two new higher powered computer fans.

 

[berry79]

Following along. Interested in this as well

 

[ZoWhat]

There is no escaping spending money in this hobby, especially when you go mod'ing things

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

There is no escaping spending money in this hobby, especially when you go mod'ing things

Never said there was. There is such thing as saving money which is my goal.

You can go with current led strips. Take out the stock lighting hardware and use two of their strips inside the stock plastic housing. I would recommend using the metal legs that come with the current led light so the lights aren’t resting directly in the plastic. I would also take out and replace the stock fan with one or two new higher powered computer fans.

I'll consider this, thanks!

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Yeah I want to cut a hole in it. I just don’t know which lights people use

I’ve seen a hole cut with a single kessil on top. They made the hole big enough for the lens but, small enough to be able to sit the kessil on top.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I’ve seen a hole cut with a single kessil on top. They made the hole big enough for the lens but, small enough to be able to sit the kessil on top.

Ok, I'll look into this. I would probably put an A80 on it because its affordable and quality.