Mounting MH lighting to a canopy...

[Reefael]

I'm getting ready to build my canopy for my 65g setup. My tank specs are 48L x 22H x 16W. I need some advice on how high I should build my canopy. The retro kit is from hellolights and are dual 150w double end. Once mounted, the UV glass will be about 3" from the top of the hood. I will also be mount a T5 retro kit as well...one 10k and one actinic. Thanks.

 

[plack]

I would shoot for the Light bulb to be 9" above the water line.Build your canopy to have at least that much room.

For heat issues allot of people use fans and some Including me Leave the front open and blow a large fan across the top all the time instead of a chiller.

I would look into any kind of plastic or sealant to minimize/prevent the eventual salt creep buildup.

Most people use t-5's with halides for actinic's- You might want to go with that for all the t-5's.



Paul

 

[Reefael]

Thanks Paul for the reply. Pardon my lack of knowledge, but where would I use the plastic or sealant?

 

[ReefferMan]

Man thats going to be HOT! dam Hot! I would aim for 12" above the water for a double ended bulb, 6-9 for a single. Use tempered uv glass or you will be cooking your tank. I would use the icecap thermal fans in the canopy... post a pic when your done! Thanks

 

[Reefael]

Man thats going to be HOT! dam Hot! I would aim for 12" above the water for a double ended bulb, 6-9 for a single. Use tempered uv glass or you will be cooking your tank. I would use the icecap thermal fans in the canopy... post a pic when your done! Thanks

Even with two fans blowing air across the canopy? Two others recommended 9" above the water. I went with that and started cutting wood today. I hope it works out. I'll try and post pics as I go.

 

[saltwaterfishes]

We have a similar setup on our 65 Gallon at 24" height using a 250 DE HQI...same 9" high from water line. It's being doing great in our tank for past couple years. Par pentration all the way down to the sand bed and equal light distribution.

Share some pics when you are done.

Cheers,
Quinn

 

[Reefael]

Here's some pics of what I've done today. Total height is 12" without the hood. The canopy will sit right on the trim of the tank. I'll be putting on some trim to cover up the tank trim tomorrow.

 

[ReefferMan]

Wow that looks great! Nice wood work man!

Temp would be the only concern as to the height off the water, i just thought that the temp might get up there in the tank. Keep the pix coming! Great job so far.

 

[Reefael]

I started the trim and lid today. You'll notice that the trim looks thick on the bottom where the it meets the tank trim. I did that to match the trim on the stand. I wanted a robust looking stand, so I went with a 1 1/2" trim to make it thicker rather than the usual 3/4" trim. I also went with a simple clean look to achieve that sturdy look that I like. The curved corners and the rounded trim should complement my tank nicely, since the front corners of the tank are curved as well. Here's more pics. Thanks for looking and please tell me what you think.

 

[Reefael]

More pics. The lid will be made of pine with oak trim rather than oak for the lid. It's inexpensive and will not be seen since it's on top.

 

[Reefael]

Started a build thread on the canopy.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48399