Attaching A T5 Lighting Tube

[BigC]

Now it's a well known fact that attaching the new type of T5 lighting tubes to aquarium hoods is a right pain. Mainly to do with the clips that are supplied with the unit. (useless bits of plastic) I had one of these units lying around for over a year now but because of the problems attaching it to the hood, it just lay there in its box.
Then I thought of the old metal clips we used for aquarium light tubes in days gone by. I went to my local DIY store and low and behold he still sells them. They are used for clipping tools in workshops etc.

I bought 3, small enough to grasp one of the tubes and installed the lighting by placeing 2 clips on one tube and 1 clip in the middle of the other. Safe, Secure and works a treat.
If you are having trouble attaching your T5 to your aquarium hood then try thes little clips, they're very inexpensive.
Regards
BigC

 

[Rooster]

Ive used these for decades.... the only advice I have is to flex them open a little (they grip the tube way too much otherwise) ,
and keep them away from the ends of the tubes, especially if you have a metal hood (if the tube breaks the hood can become "live")

 

[sub.42]

Ive used these for decades.... the only advice I have is to flex them open a little (they grip the tube way too much otherwise) ,
and keep them away from the ends of the tubes, especially if you have a metal hood (if the tube breaks the hood can become "live")

Theres a lesson in itself, all the more reason to make sure all of your aquariums electrical equipment is fed from an RCD breaker either in the socket, or on your main electrical board. If your hood is metal, then connect it via a suitable cable to an earth. That way you might get a nip, but you won't end up in a box six feet under. Trust me, electrocution is a really nasty way to go. Better very, very safe, than being unable to be sorry.

sub.

 

[simonbrown403]

You can buy then from most electrical suplyers for around 30p each.

 

[Rooster]

Ive used these for decades.... the only advice I have is to flex them open a little (they grip the tube way too much otherwise) ,
and keep them away from the ends of the tubes, especially if you have a metal hood (if the tube breaks the hood can become "live")

Theres a lesson in itself, all the more reason to make sure all of your aquariums electrical equipment is fed from an RCD breaker either in the socket, or on your main electrical board. If your hood is metal, then connect it via a suitable cable to an earth. That way you might get a nip, but you won't end up in a box six feet under. Trust me, electrocution is a really nasty way to go. Better very, very safe, than being unable to be sorry.

sub.

Here here !!!! My first ever electric shock was from fishkeeping ! I was about 8 or 9, and had a little nursery tank with guppies IIRC, with a little heater/stat, in those days the adjustment was by a little screw on the 'stat... you had to remove the bung to adjust it, whilst holding onto it (with wet hands) I had a "debate" with my mum over "foul language" and which plug she needs to remove from the socket !

ELCB is a definite must.... but i guess theres not many fitted !

 

[stegoodall]

you can probably use these for the compact t5's as well just buy 2. i hope you can because thats what im planning on doing

 

[sub.42]

Ive used these for decades.... the only advice I have is to flex them open a little (they grip the tube way too much otherwise) ,
and keep them away from the ends of the tubes, especially if you have a metal hood (if the tube breaks the hood can become "live")

Theres a lesson in itself, all the more reason to make sure all of your aquariums electrical equipment is fed from an RCD breaker either in the socket, or on your main electrical board. If your hood is metal, then connect it via a suitable cable to an earth. That way you might get a nip, but you won't end up in a box six feet under. Trust me, electrocution is a really nasty way to go. Better very, very safe, than being unable to be sorry.

sub.

Here here !!!! My first ever electric shock was from fishkeeping ! I was about 8 or 9, and had a little nursery tank with guppies IIRC, with a little heater/stat, in those days the adjustment was by a little screw on the 'stat... you had to remove the bung to adjust it, whilst holding onto it (with wet hands) I had a "debate" with my mum over "foul language" and which plug she needs to remove from the socket !

ELCB is a definite must.... but i guess theres not many fitted !

Yep,

But I'm a man who is still sitting here after getting the worst type of electric shock. 415 Volts, Two phases of the three on offer(!), down to the earth through my thumb.

Wrong screwdriver, thick apprentice, and no locking off of the main supply. Apprentice goes to turn back on plant room power for the lighting circuit, and turns on the three pole(doh!) for the plant main......just as I'm removing the neutral with a pair of pump pliers and the panel has no flash protectors on......BANG.....I wake up five mins later with a burnt hand, and a sore head.

So, wheres the appo? Nowhere in sight. Claims I was swearing like a trooper and threatening to kill him when I was feeling groggy.....

I still have the scars, and a lot more respect for the juice now. It threw me 12 feet across the plant room!

sub.

 

[Rooster]

Ive used these for decades.... the only advice I have is to flex them open a little (they grip the tube way too much otherwise) ,
and keep them away from the ends of the tubes, especially if you have a metal hood (if the tube breaks the hood can become "live")

Theres a lesson in itself, all the more reason to make sure all of your aquariums electrical equipment is fed from an RCD breaker either in the socket, or on your main electrical board. If your hood is metal, then connect it via a suitable cable to an earth. That way you might get a nip, but you won't end up in a box six feet under. Trust me, electrocution is a really nasty way to go. Better very, very safe, than being unable to be sorry.

sub.

Here here !!!! My first ever electric shock was from fishkeeping ! I was about 8 or 9, and had a little nursery tank with guppies IIRC, with a little heater/stat, in those days the adjustment was by a little screw on the 'stat... you had to remove the bung to adjust it, whilst holding onto it (with wet hands) I had a "debate" with my mum over "foul language" and which plug she needs to remove from the socket !

ELCB is a definite must.... but i guess theres not many fitted !

Yep,

But I'm a man who is still sitting here after getting the worst type of electric shock. 415 Volts, Two phases of the three on offer(!), down to the earth through my thumb.

Wrong screwdriver, thick apprentice, and no locking off of the main supply. Apprentice goes to turn back on plant room power for the lighting circuit, and turns on the three pole(doh!) for the plant main......just as I'm removing the neutral with a pair of pump pliers and the panel has no flash protectors on......BANG.....I wake up five mins later with a burnt hand, and a sore head.

So, wheres the appo? Nowhere in sight. Claims I was swearing like a trooper and threatening to kill him when I was feeling groggy.....

I still have the scars, and a lot more respect for the juice now. It threw me 12 feet across the plant room!

sub.

Mmmm, reminds me of another story.... when I was 16/7 I was an apprentice to an electrician, we both started the same day - and were put on a job at a hospital, where the last pair had "left"
After a week or so we found out that the appo had been sectioned, after this:

Entrance to hospital had a gatehouse - next to the transformer that fed the hospital, the main feed INTO the transformer ran under the gatehouse, through the cellar - which was permanantly flooded.
Anyway, they have the task of running a new cable, along side the old live one, then they get the electricity board to come and do the changeover... whilst waiting for them, they clear off to the pub, where they (or more likely the lekky) decides that they can make a few quid here.... by weighing in the old cable - then saying the electricity board took it away.
Back from dinner, the apprentice is told to go into the cellar and lift the old cable out of the water, and stand it on a few milk crates to drain... as the new cable has also been in the water a couple of days, its had to tell which is which....

Lekky goes down the cellar, orders the appo to go make the tea, and procedes to hacksaw through the NEW cable whilst standing in 2 feet of water...


Apparantly they didnt find a lot of him.... and WE had been trolling about in the cellar for a week !
..... errr, didnt last long in that job !

 

[sub.42]

Oh Rooster! Yuk!!!

Yep, all those crazy things happen when you are complacent. It's rather like moving into a new house, and starting the decorating. Y'know, start stripping the wall paper, and you find a big arrow, pointing to a nail that has been driven fully into the plaster. Next to the arrow is some writing, saying something along the lines of 'Don't Touch This!!!!!'........

....BLOODY HELL!!!!! that sodding things live!!!!!!!


.....Oh really(!)

So what do you do? Do you lift the plaster off the wall & extract the nail and sort the cable and then re-plaster....?

Nope, you just drive the nail under a little, and wait till it catches the next person who won't listen to reason !LOL!

sub.