35 Hex DIY Canopy Plans?

baile

baile

New Member
Any know where I can find some DIY "plans", "blueprints", step-by-step instructions or examples of other ppl that have made a a 35 HEX Canopy (and maybe a stand, not as important though)?
Its an all-glass tank if that makes a difference.
I have the all-glass brand stand but they dont make canopy for it, only the cheap plastic hood.
I need a canopy to shove some lighting into.
 
L

lionfish18

Guest
Same here i have the exact same tank with the crap palstic hood and i would like to know if you do find any.
thanx
 
gixxer1000

gixxer1000

Member
Well i have a 60 hex. Was hard at first to decide what to go with. Your best bet is this. Get a stand from the tank company. Unless you are great with wood. Unlike me i didnt want mine to look like a 4th grader built it. Plus im kinda impacient. As for the canopy if your good with wood or a buddy is deff go for it. BEst way to go is open top. A suspended medal halide is your best bet trust me. THen in the future you wont have to upgrade which after surfing this borad and the members tanks youll want to upgrade. I know of a place that you can get a pendant medal halide 250wat with a 20,000k bulb for $200 bucks. The 20,000k if you dont know is a more bluish bulb. I have one on a 60 and it looks awesome. This will give you your sunlight and your achtnic. And instead of hanging it all the way from the celling you can make a small shelf above the tank and supsend it from there. I did that and it looks very nice and modern. Deff if you have a sump and all your equip is hidden people always ask me wow i love the open top wheres are your equip? Now if you can spend big money like i did you can go as high as $460 for a medal halide/powercompact prisim style pendant. I got the 10,000k halide with the acthinic. But as for the other one i told you about my girlfeind has it on 20L the 20,000k its deff on the money. Its up to you remeber that a canopy will also create more heat so youll need fans. PLus if you want a halide under a canopy it will have to be at least 12" high. To me that might look weird cause it will sit high. Im tellin you though the best way suspend the halide from a custom shelf above. OPen top is nicer then you can imagine.
 
prock

prock

Member
Were are you located at Im in California LA, I can build you one, and ship it too. If your intersted get some cardboard big enough to fit over tank, trase it with a marker and send that to me. Once I know the sizes I can give you a price.
 
B

birdman143

Guest
My plans are to buy the factory wood stand, About $70, Cut out obout 12 inches from the center - move the hinges & handle, This leaves about a 15 inch high canopy. Put in some cross braces at the top to install your lighting, And you still have the cabinet door to access & feed.
I'm putting in 1 - 250 watt metal halide & 2 - 32 watt acentic 03's p.c.'s
I've been thinking about this for months, And this seems like the best solution.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOURS!!!:D
 
B

birdman143

Guest
I'm just getting started this week.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
J

jackie dh

Guest
The hard part is figuring the degree of the angles, which is 22 1/2 degrees. Then measure the sides of the tank and make each cut on the shortest side a half inch longer than the measurement. You will have a piece that looks like this / Cut either 5 or 6 pieces depending on wether you want it to cover the back side to. The you will need to add some little blocks on the inside of the frame that will hold the canopy up on the edge of the frame. You can either run them long ways or make the fit into the corners and do double duty as braces and to hold the canopy up, just make them the width of them plastic frame shorted. I've seen some nice canopies that have glass tops, or you can make it out of plywood with a hinge. You can set it on top of the canopy and then add molding to cover the the edges.
I hope that you have a miter saw, because with out one, well, I would forget it, if you didn't. Good luck!: happyfish
 
misty927

misty927

Member
Gixxer...where'd did you get your MH from?? And how much did they run you?? I've been looking for a nice MH/PC combo. :)
 
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