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Help needed retrofitting LED to Fluval Roma 240L

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Superfly

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Help needed retrofitting LED to Fluval Roma 240L

Hi there everyone. Firstly I assume what I have is a Fluval Roma 240L as it looks the same.

I was so chuffed to find 105cm LED tubes, I went ahead and ordered 2 thinking they would be direct replacements.

But they came with special starters that aren't accessible on this tank hood. Will it even work with the special starters?

Does anyone know how to go about this . i.e. do I have to force open the lighting ballast and risk breaking it or is there some other solution?

As there was a fiasco with damaged tubes originally arriving, my plants and fish have now been with out light most of the week, many thanks in advance.
 
Superfly said:
Help needed retrofitting LED to Fluval Roma 240L

Hi there everyone. Firstly I assume what I have is a Fluval Roma 240L as it looks the same.

I was so chuffed to find 105cm LED tubes, I went ahead and ordered 2 thinking they would be direct replacements.

But they came with special starters that aren't accessible on this tank hood. Will it even work with the special starters?

Does anyone know how to go about this . i.e. do I have to force open the lighting ballast and risk breaking it or is there some other solution?

As there was a fiasco with damaged tubes originally arriving, my plants and fish have now been with out light most of the week, many thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Not sure what yo are getting at here..
Generally there are 2 ways to replace flourescent tubes.
1) Direct replacement where the led tube uses the current ballast as a power supply.
Normally this is for those lights that used electronic ballasts and no starter. There are some that can be used with the old magnetic/starter type.
This type in general can have issues so best to do...

2) Modify light by removing the ballast and using a new low voltage DC power supply.
Unfortunately involves rewiring the light.
Something that many would find daunting I guess.


Maybe photos or links to what you bought..
 
Hi there, yes I can provide pics if you want. My main problem is the LED tubes came with their own "LED" starters, and there is no access for changing starters on this Fluval Hood without cutting it open. At the moment I have one fluorescent tube installed that was working (but with these hoods both bulbs have to be working for either to work) and the new LED tube installed. It's not firing up at the moment.
 
Superfly said:
Hi there, yes I can provide pics if you want. My main problem is the LED tubes came with their own "LED" starters, and there is no access for changing starters on this Fluval Hood without cutting it open. At the moment I have one fluorescent tube installed that was working (but with these hoods both bulbs have to be working for either to work) and the new LED tube installed. It's not firing up at the moment.
Click to expand...
Well leds don't have starters (maybe you have a part to replace it as a null thing.. i.e "plug".)
That may be necessary for led tubes that can use magnetic ballasts..which I am not at all familiar with.

and I not sure mixing the lights is a good idea. At least till I know exactly what type of led you have.

How to get to the orig ballast compartment..
240 should be similar..though this is an old model..

www.ukaps.org

Fluval Roma 200 – Lighting upgrade to T5HO

A small disclaimer. I will not be responsible if you electrocute yourself, or come of any harm from following this. This is just showing you how I did the conversion. Do this at your own risk as I won’t be held responsible for any damage caused. I bought my Roma about 8 months ago with the...
www.ukaps.org
 
If they were supplied with the led and look similar to a normal starter eg with two pins at one end, some led manufacturers supply a retrofit starter which just has a wired connection between the pins to enable the led to work.
 
Superfly said:
My hood doesn't have the lugs / clips which would at least confirm where to cut glue. But assuming I can get it open, should this in theory work?
Click to expand...
Think so ..according to the spec sheet you just need to remove ( replace) the starter.
Ballast can remain.

Also seems to run off AC if one removes ballast.
Looks like the starter circuit needs to be "broke" not jumpered.
Nope.. needs to be jumpered or as below.. adds a fuse.

I HAD to dig more into this "starter" thing.
ledstarter.JPG

Acts as a fuse bridge bypassing the choke (ballast) in traditional fluorescent tube fittings. Prevents the need for re-wiring. Basically a quick and easy way to install new led in old fluorescent fittings.
Most LED T8 or T5 Fluorescent retrofit options do not have a shock protection system in compliance with IEC safety regulations. This Starter for LED Fluorescent Tubes replaces the existing old starter which ensures that there is no risk of the ends of the tube becoming live leading to electric shock when installing the LED tube.

Before Installation please disconnect all AC power. All installation should be done by a qualified electrical engineer.

Not suitable for CFL or fluorescent tubes, but only for new LED tubes.​
Click to expand...
Also..

-LEDSTAR Solar LED Lights Manufacturer

www.ledstaring.com www.ledstaring.com

Downside..
Conclusion
The retrofit solution uses two power supplies which decrease the overall efficiency and uses electrolytic capacitors which have a major impact on the lifetime of the product, but it’s pin to pin compatible with a standard fixture and does not need a specialist or electrician to install. Leaving the magnetic ballast and keeping it as a standard inductor will also affect the efficiency.

The non-retrofit solution requires the replacement of the tube, the ballast, and a re-wiring of the system, but offers a higher efficiency and a long lifetime. Therefore, when looking for efficiency and lifetime, the T8 tube non-retrofit appears to be the solution.
Click to expand...
 

Attachments

  • asset-13101762_LED TUBE T8 EM S.pdf
    3.1 MB · Views: 38
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I'll let you all know how it goes. I am baby sitting instead of work tomorrow, so while doing that I will get the brand new kitchen LED baton I have by coincidence waiting to be installed, and I'll use that to give my plants some light. (should have thought of last week). Then I need to go get some aquarium grade silicone at the weekend after work Saturday. Provided I can get that, I will have to remove the hood, clean it as it's covered in gunge from the spray and condensation. With that in mind, I need an absolutely 100% reliable glue job putting it back together. Many years ago, (had this tank 15 years) I did see a bloke on line cut a hole where the starter was situated for this purpose. This probably would work better if it's still online somewhere, but don't know where.
 
Superfly said:
I'll let you all know how it goes. I am baby sitting instead of work tomorrow, so while doing that I will get the brand new kitchen LED baton I have by coincidence waiting to be installed, and I'll use that to give my plants some light. (should have thought of last week). Then I need to go get some aquarium grade silicone at the weekend after work Saturday. Provided I can get that, I will have to remove the hood, clean it as it's covered in gunge from the spray and condensation. With that in mind, I need an absolutely 100% reliable glue job putting it back together. Many years ago, (had this tank 15 years) I did see a bloke on line cut a hole where the starter was situated for this purpose. This probably would work better if it's still online somewhere, but don't know where.
Click to expand...
Yea fishing for the starters is probably not the best idea.

:)
www.ukaps.org

How to convert a Fluval Roma 240 I-Bar to use T5 lights

To convert the Fluval Roma I-Bar you will need the following: - 1 x Arcadia Ultra Seal Electronic T5 controller Twin 54w - 2 x Arcadia J5 or Juwel 54w T5 tubes - 2 x Arcadia reflectors or similar - Dremel or similar tool - Wallpaper scraper - Silicon To start we need to open the I-Bar (the top...
www.ukaps.org
 
Clearly I don't have a fluval roma. I bought it second hand as a 240L Fluval. It's the big boy top that goes end to end. It has flaps front and back that go right to the edge and the drop down section containing the hidden workings also goes end to end, quite a substantial size.
 
Superfly said:
It's like this thread (RIO 240) The guy is saying once cut open, you'll never get these units to work reliably again, What do you reckon? Juwel Rio 300(or 240) Light fault - replacing 2x T8 to 2x T5HO
Click to expand...
Just skimmed the link but big issue seems to be you can't water proof it after cutting it open.
The starter issue isn't " technically" a problem since you can just remove the whole unit and just wire the 2 ends together.
You lose the safety of the fuse thing though.

You also can remove the ballast as well (afaict). All you would be left with is a bunch of wire.
 
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Darn it. For anyone reading this in the future as well as for the current readers, this thread is about a JUWEL RIO 240, not fluval which is my other tank!
 
ian_m said:
Here if you want seriously more light for the Rio 240....
4 Tube 120cm T5 Light – Juwel High Lite Compatible, Rio 240, Rio 300/350, Panorama 200 – iQuatics
Click to expand...


Yes, I've seen it, but I do everything on a budget. I bought the original tank which obviously included the lights and an external fluval 405 filter for £100
So I can't really warrant spending 180 on some lights, besides, I bought two 105 cm LED tubes.

Well, I didn't do my due diligence when buying these tubes, so I'm now trying to do due diligence before I take a Stanley knife to my hood, and worryingly, in the picture on the link above, I can't see
any sign of the starters which feasibly could be built into the ballast?
 
When I replaced to ballast on a jewel rio, I cut plastic from the top, so still water tight
 
fredi said:
When I replaced to ballast on a jewel rio, I cut plastic from the top, so still water tight
Click to expand...
Thanks for your suggestion. Can you explain how to do this (I assume you therefore can't find the "glue line"), and did you find the starters in there?
 
I used a “hot knife” a Weller soldering iron with plastic cutting attachments, mine is 30 yrs old, the modern model number is 9200
I measured and marked 1cm from the edges, and removed the panel
I used silicone to re seal it, nowadays I would use pu adhesive , as it’s much stronger and more resilient
 
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