Hanging arms for light over tank

[JIvePhotography]

I'm building a tank and the light that I have for it is a Current Outer Orbit. I had planned on using the stand legs it came with and have it sit on the top of the tank but there's a problem. Now I can't get my hand into the tank if I need to without completely tanking off the light. I can't slide it back to make room since the legs are already at each corner. My next thought was to usel the hanging kit and hang it from my ceiling. I don't really want to do this so i was thinking of getting some metal arms that I could attach to the back of the stand and then hang the light from them.

I need some ideas. Can I make some from stuff I get at Lowe's or Home Depot? Are there any out there that I can buy ready to use?

Please give me your suggestions and thoughts. Thanks!

 

[braddo]

I have seen people make light hangars using electrical conduit which you can pick up and Lowes or Home Depot. I know some Home Depots have tool rental available in store where you could probably rent the pipe bender as well, otherwise a local tool rental place should have it.

Here is one example, I have also seen other designs where the conduit is mounted on the back.

 

[braddo]

Oh and if you are looking for off the shelf Current USA sells a kit. Current USA Hanging Arm System

 

[scytale]

I hung my (24") Outer Orbit over my nano using a "Folding Bike Shelf" I found on the storage/organization aisle at HD for like $6.

If you have a small tank, it works pretty nice--holds up to 50 pounds--and it makes the center-line of the fixture about 11.5" off the wall, which is great for a small tank. Plus you can swing the fixture up-and-away when you want to do some serious cleaning.

Looked very similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Racor-PSB-1R-...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1248150518&sr=1-1
w/o the shelf/cross-bracing.

 

[JIvePhotography]

Oh and if you are looking for off the shelf Current USA sells a kit. Current USA Hanging Arm System

Yeah, I've looked at this already but it's not made for my light. I have a 48" Current Outer Orbit T5 + HQI. Those arms are not strong enough for my light. Plus I've heard from others that they tend to bend and get weak even with the larger lights that they're supposed to work with.

 

[JIvePhotography]

I hung my (24") Outer Orbit over my nano using a "Folding Bike Shelf" I found on the storage/organization aisle at HD for like $6.

If you have a small tank, it works pretty nice--holds up to 50 pounds--and it makes the center-line of the fixture about 11.5" off the wall, which is great for a small tank. Plus you can swing the fixture up-and-away when you want to do some serious cleaning.

Looked very similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Racor-PSB-1R-...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1248150518&sr=1-1
w/o the shelf/cross-bracing.

Thanks for this option, I hadn't thought of that. Unfortunately I'll be puttin gmy tank kitty corner so I wont have a wall directly behind where I could mount the brace. Thanks though!

 

[JIvePhotography]

The whole goal here is being able to have my light so that it can be moved so I can get my hand in the tank when I need to. I though hanging it would be fine since it would just rock back.

Another option I though of is adding some wood paneling on the back sides that is level with the top rim of the tank. That way I can slide the light back and still have the back legs supported.

 

[DonW]

Take a look at the zeroedge web site they have a good design although very overpriced but you can make one cheaper.

Don

 

[mirepa]

My outer orbit hanging:

The previous owner of the tank made this setup and it works great. I'm sure you could follow this guide and do the same:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-04/diy/index.php

 

[JIvePhotography]

Take a look at the zeroedge web site they have a good design although very overpriced but you can make one cheaper.

Don

Looks great but very overpriced. I just wish I could see thier photos larger so I could have a better idea on how to do it myself.

 

[JIvePhotography]

Thanks mirepa! That link is great. I'll probably do that myself tonight, its the best suggestion so far. I'll then spray paint it black to match.

 

[JIvePhotography]

I'm going to go the route that mirepa recommended up above. In that link it shows how to do it and what tools are required. I have no problem buying a pipe bender and a pipe cutter but its seems like a waste since I'll only need them once. Is there a place where I can rent them or would I be better off buying them and then trying to return them?

 

[scytale]

If, like me, you don't have a conduit-bender (or couldn't convince the wife why we "needed" to buy one ) then you could probably just substitute threaded-pipe and threaded fittings--that's what I WAS going to do, until I stumbled across the bike shelf--which for me was: cheaper, only required 2 lag-screws to mount, and no measuring or cutting of pipe.

But I didn't have that handy DIY article new, that's a great link!

Also, If you're really interested in re-using the OuterOrbit legs--check out the small metals-rack at the hardware store.
I picked-up some 1"(or 1/2"?) 90-degree-corner aluminum channel.
Then I cut the aluminum channel to length so that it spanned the front-to-back legs on each side.
The channel fit under the OuterOrbit legs perfectly(with just a little glue or double-stick tape for precaution.) And allowed me to slide the fixture back/forward a few inches for cleaning if I wanted to.

(Though I got it because my 24" fixture didn't fit on my 24" tank--they're both 23.5" wide, but the tank was only 12" long/deep--so the legs sat too far apart, @ 13.5")

I only ditched this setup when I realized that I needed my HQI to be WAY higher than 3 inches above that little tank--otherwise I was going to cook everything! (Heck ,I've probably still got the aluminum in my garage if you're interested. )

Travis.

 

[JIvePhotography]

I'm either gonna do the pipe bending or look at threaded pipe. Depends on which setup is cheaper when I get to home depot. I'll have one on each side of my tank to support each side of the light. My only question is if I go the pipe bending way and use 3/4" pipe like mirepa's link suggests, will that be enought to support my 48" outer orbit which is about 50 lbs? not sure if 1" pipe would be stronger or if I needed an additional brace.

 

[braddo]

You should be able to rent a pipe bender at any tool rental place including Home Depot.

 

[JIvePhotography]

You should be able to rent a pipe bender at any tool rental place including Home Depot.

I called all the home depots in my area and none of them rent a pipe bender and/or a pipe cutter. I'm checking other tool rental places. Failing that I'll buy and then return.