Quote:
Originally Posted by
acrylic51 http:///forum/thread/380341/canopy-lighting-help#post_3311040
With proper planning a retro fit kit, can/could work without major heat issues as discussed earlier.....Flower was there any fans or ventilation holes in the canopy to help with removing the heat? The glass lids is another issue for several reasons as Flower pointed out....They will get covered in moisture, salt creep and will effectively cut down the light penetration if not cleaned very frequently. Flower also was trapping the heat inside the DT, by having the glass lids on as well. The short hard to explain, but obviously it was odd, but excessive moisture can cause issues.
Personally I've run several tanks over the many years and have gone from retro fit kits, to purchasing separate components and putting the system together. Either route I chose, I have never experienced the issues posted above. Proper distance of the lights over the tank, proper ventilation, and quality parts, and a little care, I've never had any shorts, other than burning the back of my arm on the MH bulb.....
Bottom line really depends how handy you are and how involved you want to get in the project. Are you handy?
The glass was not all across the top, just under the lights themselves. Also I had two icecap fans installed kitty corner, one to draw heat out and one to push heat away. I had no heating problems from the lights that I recall. I lifted the lights higher and removed the glass...moisture affected the lights over a years time and shorted them out.
The worst problem is how difficult it made removing the canopy to work on the tank. I had quick release cables but it still made the canopy hard to maneuver and there was no working on the tank without removing it. The ONLY thing I could do was feed the fish.
That last line in red...VERY IMPORTANT..That picture looks like a home made canopy, makes a BIG difference...mine was the standard one from the fish store
