Tell Me Everything about DIY T5

[Dwarf Seahorses]

Can someone tell me everything I need to do DIY t5 lighting? Please bear with me I have no experience with fancy lighting, just a ghetto CF fixture over a dwarf seahorse tank.

I want to do a either a 36" or a 48" fixture powered by IceCap ballasts. I want 6 lamps.

What do I need and what do I need to do?

[outlaw60]

get the ic reflectors also! waterproof endcaps and stand-offs and a couple of small fans to blow over the bulbs

[sfsuphysics]

Icecap 660 should handle 6 bulbs, unsure if it has that many wires though, if not will have to go with 2 ballasts.
As mentioned, water proof endcaps are nice, if anything they hold the bulbs in place a lot better than "tombstone" style ones.
Reflectors are a MUST, otherwise you might as well put PC bulbs over it, the IC ones are great.

How to hook it all up? Simply google for any fluorescent fixture DIY plans, it all works the same, hot goes in one end, neutral comes out the other.

I wouldn't bother with a fan however, the bulbs don't get that terribly hot, hot to the touch yeah, but unless you have an airtight enclosure holding them they won't cook your tank.

[Dwarf Seahorses]

What I am most concerned about the housing. I'm not sure if that the right word, housing, but the metal fixture thing that holds all the lamps suspended from the ceiling.

If I do go the DIY route, the only thing that the reflectors screw into is a canopy right? Don't wanna do that.

[slrademacher]

The individual reflectors actually clip onto the T5 bulb. For a T5 retrokit, which is what I think we are talking about, the only things mounted to the canopy/hood are the standoffs that hold the bulb ends.

[kau_cinta_ku]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9671860#post9671860 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sfsuphysics
I wouldn't bother with a fan however, the bulbs don't get that terribly hot, hot to the touch yeah, but unless you have an airtight enclosure holding them they won't cook your tank.

fans are a must to get the most of of T5's also it will give them more par and longer life, especally if using an icecap ballast

here is my setup i got from reefgeek, 4 - 39watt icecap reto for my 46 gal. bow
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/kau_cinta_ku/CIMG0797.jpg

and here it is with only 2 bulbs hooked up to acculimate the corals
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/kau_cinta_ku/CIMG0804.jpg

the icecap 660 will handle 4 T5's 2', 3', or 4' but only 3 5'
the icecap 430 will handle 2 T5's only no matter the length.

if you have any questions feel free to pm me