if the hood is plastic, you may need to look into heat shielding material,
used for motorcycles, or sometimes other applications... It's a foil like
material, sticky on one side, you can cover what you want to keep cool, like
the area around your ballast, and you'll never know it was there.

Adversely, the heat from the light kits CAN melt plastic, and YMMV on that
one, but my DIY project was to build a canopy and not try to retrofit
anything that hot into a plastic strip....

--
RedForeman ©®
Guess who I've just made friends with....

Thank you for your cooperation!

Acceptable Use Policy Management Team
Shaw Internet Services
Shaw Cablesystems G.P.
2400 - 32nd Avenue N.E.
Calgary, Alberta, T2E 9A7
Telephone: (403) 750-7420 / Facsimile: (403) 539-6831
E-mail:
Acceptable Use Policy: https://secure.shaw.ca/policy/Use-Policy.asp



"Shawn P. Good" wrote in message
...
Hi .... Last week I purchased a 2x55w Bright Kit #30552 to retrofit my
standard 48" single bulb light strip. I finally had a chance to wire it
up
today. I also bought two 55w 6700K bulbs. I just came into the room to
shut it off for the night (one complaint - no on/off switch - have to
unplug
it) and I noticed that it was really hot.

The ballast was almost too hot to touch, and the general heat coming
through
the plastic on the light strip seemed extensive.

Never having had this much light in my aquarium before, I'm not sure
whether
the heat being generated is normal or not. The wiring seemed pretty
straight forward and I don't think I made a mistake there.

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone with experience with this. I'm a
little
afraid to leave the light on unsupervised next week as we go away on
vacation. I was planning on plugging it into a timer so it would come on
and turn off on it's own while we're away, so all my plants don't die !

Thanks -- Shawn