Biocube 14 Lighting

[BroomfieldJake]

Well with the loss of my 120 I now have an old Oceanic Biocube 14 running. I have had it in the basement for years, new in box and now its finally in use.

Sad thing is I found out that they don't make the Compact Fluorescent bulbs anymore, so when these go out I will be in trouble. I see DIY LED conversion builds for the Biocubes all over the place, but I don't have the skills needed to pull one of these off. Anyone on here have the ability to convert my hood from the CF bulbs over to an LED setup?

 

[Fishfry14]

Steves LEDs are a very popular retro fit. They seem to be very easy to install. That's probably your best option.

If you want something cheaper....

I was in a similar situation with a Biocube 14 that I was using for a FW planted tank. I didn't want to spend the money on a full upgrade and I definitely didn't have the skills to do it myself.

I unscrewed the cover and mounted a cheap LED inside. I did have to drill a hole in the back cover to run the cord, but it wasn't visible. I just broke the tank down after 15 years. I used the LED for the last 9-10 years.


Heat was never a problem, but it's something to be aware of. An AI prime 16 would probably not work because it's fan cooled & they have a tendency to cook when cranked up.

Good luck