Building a Canopy + Lighting Questions

djminus1

djminus1

Member
All,
I am building a custom canopy for my 90-gallon FOWLR. My goal is to build something attractive that will allow me to use any lighting that I want and have great access to the tank. I need some suggestions to get started.
1) How tall should I make it? How high should the top be from the water?
2) Are there any plans out there for a good design?
3) What kind of lighting should I plan to use? I may begin to phase my tank into a reef tank.
Thanks!
 
scubanoah

scubanoah

Member
try to make it about 10 inches off the surface and if you plan on a reef tank, depending on what corals you want to keep, a couple 175 or 250 watt metal halides should work nicely.
 
djminus1

djminus1

Member
Really? Only 10 inches? I was thinking 14" to 16". Seems like 10 inches would have the lights too close to the water.
What are some other lighting options if I don't go with MH right off the bat. What is the better choice between PC or VHO?
 
scubanoah

scubanoah

Member
yeah, i have 2 175watt halides over my 40 breeder and I think they are only 10 in above the water. I have a couple fans to push some air and I have no heating issues. as for what kind, it really depends on what you want to keep. If you just want to keep the common softies, shrooms, xenia, zoos, rics, stuff like that, then pc will be plenty. if you want to keep some higher light corals you might want to go T5, or you could just add a MH retrofit down the road. also if you do only go with the pc you will only need to have them about 6in off the water.
 
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