assembly help!!!

[denimous]

i am not especially mechanically impaired...but i cant figure out how to put my newly bought equipment together.

i bought a powercompact retrofit kit, 36 in 96 watt. a few things smell "fishy" here. when i picked it up from the store, the box was turned "inside out". i dont understand why someone would take the trouble to restaple the box shut the wrong way.

next, the instruction booklet is missing.

the predrilled screw holes dont match up with the ones in my hood.

i cant figure out how to do the wiring or how the connector fits inside the hood, bc the existing cord connector is threaded through a really small hole in the hood.

i am also not sure how the ballast stuff works for the kit either. any help?


i also bought a eheim 2213 cannister filter.

do i cut the hose to insert the valves in the output and intake pipes?

the instruction manual doesn't explain. i dont want to cut the hose and find out later i made a mistake, since im not sure where to find 16/22 mm (i think that is what it is).

any help is greatly appreciated!!! i am so frustrated right now bc as soon as i get these things done i can set up my tank!!!

thanks!

 

[denimous]

just to add to my frustration...
the ballast doesnt have a way to connect the wiring from my existing hood, so i dont think i can turn it on and off from the hood, i have to turn the ballast on and off instead. do you know how to pull the plugs from the hood off?...bc otherwise im goin to have useless cords dangling from the back of the light hood

 

[denimous]

if anyone has used a retrofit kit for their lighting...do you usu. need to drill holes into your hood?

 

[denimous]

okie...well, i got my retrofit kit set up along with my eheim filter. the guy at the lfs was kind enough to lend me his tools and expertise! thanks to his help i got it all set up with a minimum amount of drilling and holes!

thanks for your....silent support!...=b