Re: [APD] Retrofit Eclipse Six?

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

I haven't done it but Leo Turetsky did so it can be done.
There used to be a link to pics of Leo's conversion on the
AHS 2x13 page -- well, there still is but the link address
doesn't have Leo's pics anymore.

Basically, Leo mounted them at slight angles to the front
of the aquarium with the ends of the bulbs overlapping. He
use some T12-floursecent-tube sleeving, cut to length, to
help keep water off the bulbs. These are clear plastic
tubes that folks sometimes use over 12/8" diameter
flurescent tube bulbs so that if lamp breaks the glass
doesn't fall down of folks' desks. It is inexpensive and
has plastic endcaps that narrow down on one end to allow
the bulb pins through. A few inches of this sheathing, with
an end cap makes a halfway decent protector for 13 watt
biaxial (u-tube) fluorescent like the 13watt bulbs AHS
sells. Iirc, Leo removed the lamp housing from the Eclipse
6 and did not use reflectors, but I can't recall the images
very clearly.

Other folks have mentioned also using Plasti-dip to make
the socket ends water resistant.

You would probably want to cut extra venting into the top
of the Eclipse to handle the higher heat of 26 watts of
fluorescents versus the 8 watts that the unit was designed
to handle. 

Note that Leo installed the 2x13 in the Eclipse 6 to use as
a nano reef and not a freshwater tank. 2x13 is a lot of
light on a 6-gallon tank, even without a reflector.

As you might have discovered, a 2x13 fits very well in an
eclipse 12. The stock bulb cover easily accomdates the
width of a 13 watt biaxial and the bulbs fit end to end
with room to spare. A single 13w would fit easily but I
think the stock Eclipse 6 bulb cover is not wide enough to
accomodate so you'd need to figure out some other spash
guard.

We don't have Leo's pics anymonre but there is a pic in
this thread showing the two ballasts mounted on the rear of
the Eclipse 6 hood along with a small computer fan to deal
with the heat. A small fan would probably have to spin
pretty fast (and therefore be noisy) to have much impact.

I'm pretty sure the Eclipse 6 filter has got to go is you
want to squeeze in 2x13w bulbs.

If one kept to a 1x13, that would probaby be a good amount
of light for planted purposes and you could probably keep
the stock filter. The 1x13 reflector might work but might
need some trimming.


There's a pic in this thread of a 1x13 in an Eclipse 3!

I have an Eclipse 12, which I converted with a 2x13 kit and
an Eclipse 6 that I always thought would be too much
trouble to retro -- after the retro-it wouldn't have any of
the virtues of an Eclipse 6 despite all the work. So I left
the 6 alone and put a 36w PC on my 15 gallon instead and
hooked up a CO2 tank. It kept my hands busy.

Hope that helps. Good luck,
Scott H.
--- Erin Poythress <anang3 at yahoo_com> wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> Thanks for all the help you guys have given me over
> the last couple years on this list. Wanted to solicit
> some more, if y'all don't mind.
> 
> I perused AH Supply and a few other places for some
> retrofit lighting for an eclipse six, and everything I
> found only mentioned it working for an Eclipse 12.
> Anybody done it? Have suggestions? Thanks!
> 
> Erin
> _______________________________________________
> Aquatic-Plants mailing list
> Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
> http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo/aquatic-plants
> 

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