Curious about suspending lights

[roscoe]

Well see since I live in an apartment thats why I was trying to figure a way to have a hanging system that uses the weight of the aquarium and the stand to keep the lighting suspended. Some have suggest using L brackets in a stud in the wall but how do you find studs in an apartment hah.

You can also have someone weld you a bracket as I did for my canopy. The bracket runs the whole legnth of the stand and is bolted to the stand itself. No holes in the walls or ceiling to patch up when you move.

 

[roscoe]

Looks are super professional and smooth and rounded. I asked my uncle to build me a stand was the nastiest looking thing for the materials I bought.

Yeah it looks pretty nice. I had a fellow reefer build it for me.

 

[sampets1984]

yeah at my last apartment I lost like 100 bucks for holes in the wall just for hanging pictures.

 

[sampets1984]

A fellow reefer ? damn he want some work ?

 

[roscoe]

I'm not sure if he is still doing that side gig. He has been out of the hobby for a minute now. If you like I can probally touch base with him to see if he is interested.

 

[sampets1984]

yes please that would be great I dont trust asking my uncle to build it for me again and trying to get it right this time.

 

[JIvePhotography]

My build thread has some info and other links in it about building my own hanging arms from electrical conduit. Its fairly simple I got some 10 foot pipes from lowes and got a pipe bender (which i returned after using, its like this but sized for the diameter of pipe you get http://www.lowes.com/pd_89173-1781-962H_4294858489+5002560_4294937087?productId=3129809) The challenge was bending two arms that had the same bend but I was able to do it after practicing. They're really strong and end up being really cheap to make. I won't go into more detail unless you want.

Only thing I didn't like about hanging the light with no canopy is when i'm looking at my tank the lights are in my eyes and I see my reflection on the front of the tank. I went to TAP Plastics in Lynnwood and got some thin black plastic, similar to the type of plastic that gallon milk jugs are made from but slightly thicker and not see through. I cut a piece and velcro'd it to the top front of my tank to cover the light.

 

[sampets1984]

i thought about building smaller canopies so the light doesn't shine in my face when I look at it. Or having someone else build them just take the 72 inches and divide it and have 2 light weight canopies that would suspend.

 

[IbnOzn]

+1 on the electrical conduit/pipe bender route. I did it to suspend a DIY lumenarc over my frag tank and it looks great. Ran the wiring up through the tube too. The conduit is cheap, unfortunately the bender is around $30.00. But heck, they might even do the bends for you at an electrical supply if you're nice enough.

 

[Chichas01]

Hanging it from the ceiling won't cause any damage. You can easily patch the tiny holes that are made in the process. I use the Coralife hanging kit on my 48" fixture and it hangs from 2 small J-hooks that screw into the studs in your ceiling. Go for it!

 

[sampets1984]

And all you did was use a stud finder on your ceiling ?

 

[Chichas01]

yep. see pics here:
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49785

 

[sampets1984]

oh my that looks very clean and safe as well. Thanks for that Ill have to look into that then. thats very nice

 

[tat2z_21]

Hey did you ever figure out which way to go with your light system. I really like the conduit style and the fact that it cost me under 30 dollars I like even more.

 

[sampets1984]

I ended up going to a hardware store and picking up 2 L shaped shelving brackets and basically bolted them to a support in the wall and hung it from those. Its not how i wanted it exactly but I really needed a way to suspend my halides after i took down my 90. I have to deal with it for now and also unfortunately I can't reposition the light so I could have some more lighting over the tank so I am kinda irritated at that.

 

[tat2z_21]

But it is holding them upp just fine. Throw a picture up here so that we can see the end product.

 

[sampets1984]

Ive got to throw them on photo bucket. Would of been nice to have some arms mounted to the stand though but I don't know anyone who was willing to make me some suspension arms .

 

[thatguy559]

i can make them for you i just made mine its really easy

and attached to the stand

can also make them l from back to front

 

[sampets1984]

how much would you want for some that go back toward the front?

 

[thatguy559]

nothing really its too easy to make maybe a couple frags of something/ and if you buy the material