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

 

[jda123]

You might be able to find bulbs if you look really hard. The bulbs show up some times on ebay or elsewhere. Since you have some that work, you have time to look.

If you want to use a commercial unit, then the top usually needs to come off since the humidity and heat will ruin most units. Many have used a prime, kessil or whatever with the top off.

As said above, a retro kid works inside of the hood.

You can sometimes find used biocubes for free/cheap with the lights already done.