fedowner
New Member
I'd like to know about the lights too. Also the moonlights.
jsteadman68@yahoo.com
jsteadman68@yahoo.com
My New DIY MH Canopy w/ Pics!
- Thread starter masala4080
- Start date
masala4080
Member
rnk9394 - The canopy is 10 and a 1/2 inches tall.
Salty_0ne - A ballest is needed. If you look in the picture with just the lighting you will see the silver box. Thats the ballest. For pretty much every MH lamp, you need a ballast. I put mine right next to the tank on the floor. You dont need to have it in the hood.
FEDowner - You have mail.
Thanks for all your comments. One quesion though. For the straps that hold the cords, is it just like a zip tie thing? i saw some at HD that you could screw in or stick and it had slots for zip ties, is this them?
Salty_0ne - A ballest is needed. If you look in the picture with just the lighting you will see the silver box. Thats the ballest. For pretty much every MH lamp, you need a ballast. I put mine right next to the tank on the floor. You dont need to have it in the hood.
FEDowner - You have mail.
Thanks for all your comments. One quesion though. For the straps that hold the cords, is it just like a zip tie thing? i saw some at HD that you could screw in or stick and it had slots for zip ties, is this them?
caillou
Member
My old hood was exactly like yours just not out of nice oak. The only problem I had with the design of it was the fact that it was really hard to get into the tank to work without removing the whole canopy. I couldn't get my arm in all the way to reach the bottom when I needed to. It also made it more difficult to tank acclimate fish or inverts by floating the bag. I liked mine and I like yours, but I thought I'd throw out a few of the difficulties I came accross.
masala4080
Member
the tank is more than 2 feet deep so i think my arm wont fit anyway. As far as temp. acclimating, I have a 25 gal fuge so I can just acclimate them in there. Thanks for your concern. Im sure Ill come across some problems, but thats gunna happen with any hood.
masala4080
Member
These ones have holes so I think im all set. Just need to find that UV proof wire stuff.
steveoutla
Member
Great looking hood! I'd like to know how you did the moonlights as well.
steveoutlaw@verizon.net
steveoutlaw@verizon.net
dogstar
Active Member
IMO I would not worry bout the UV hurting the wire, Mogals are double glassed lamps to prevent UV. Its mainly the heat that will cause the insulation on the wires to become brittle or crack and that takes time and the fans keep the hood cooler and you dont have the wires close enough to the bulbs to hurt. But if you must you must.
masala4080
Member
sounds like a plan to me. I was gunna probably hold off anyway. All the wiring is ment to be in these types of conditions anyway so I dont think it will be a big deal. Im gunna wait to see what happens with the tape as well. If it starts to fall Ill replace it, but for now im gunna let it be.
masala4080
Member
good news. Im getting 4x65w actinic PC lights very soon. Im gunna have to figure out where to put them. These will be used as dusk and dawn as well as day to give me a blue tint. This will give me a total of 1,060 watts for my 90, about 12 watts per gallon.
fish_nooob
Member
Masala,
Could you please send me an email as well, about the lights. I would like to know where you got them, along witht the moonlights. I want to undergo construction just as you did, but i need a place to start, foremost with the lights. My brother works at a lumber mill so the wood shouldnt be a problem, but the lighting, i.e., the ballast and so on and so forth, I have no clue about. Just started my tank about 6 months ago, and need a lighting upgrade. What better than a DIY project. My email is ob_iniraq@yahoo.com thanks much!
Could you please send me an email as well, about the lights. I would like to know where you got them, along witht the moonlights. I want to undergo construction just as you did, but i need a place to start, foremost with the lights. My brother works at a lumber mill so the wood shouldnt be a problem, but the lighting, i.e., the ballast and so on and so forth, I have no clue about. Just started my tank about 6 months ago, and need a lighting upgrade. What better than a DIY project. My email is ob_iniraq@yahoo.com thanks much!
masala4080
Member
you have mail!
oh and steveoutla.. I never emailed you cuz Im not really sure what you were asking. Sorry.
Update.. Im buying my lights tomorrow!! I wont get them probably for a week or 2 though. ill post some more pics of my canopy and the tank with water and live rock as soon as I get everything.
oh and steveoutla.. I never emailed you cuz Im not really sure what you were asking. Sorry.
Update.. Im buying my lights tomorrow!! I wont get them probably for a week or 2 though. ill post some more pics of my canopy and the tank with water and live rock as soon as I get everything.
buzzword
Member
hey Masala, nice job!! And thanks for the post you hooked me up with the pics!! I was wondering about setting the MH's in my canopy position, height from water, etc. I saw this thread and you hooked me up without intending to. Thanks. I have almost the exact set up 2x250w PFO MH's with Current Sunpaq 4x65w PC's. Layed it out tonight and am going to set them all tomorrow or Sat. My lights will also be about 8-9 inches off the water hopeing that is OK. Great job again and thanks!!
masala4080
Member
Thanks, you rock. Some people say thats too low, while others say its fine. I think its fine for my setup because of the amount of fans that I have, the open back, tons of water movement for evap., an extra 25 gallons for the sump/fuge, as well as the cold tempeture of the tank room..around 64 or so.
As for you, I think it should be okay as long as you have proper movement of air within the cannopy. 2 4" fans at the bare minimum. Air flow along the surface area of the water creates evaporation, what cools down the water. If you dont have great airflow I would go around 12" from water level. This might sound extreme, but is the best option, unless you can afford a good chiller for the tank. This is a big problem is you already made the canopy, but if not then it only just looks a little weird. Dang, that turned out long.
Im glad I can be of a help to this board, and if you have any concerns shoot em away! :yes:
As for you, I think it should be okay as long as you have proper movement of air within the cannopy. 2 4" fans at the bare minimum. Air flow along the surface area of the water creates evaporation, what cools down the water. If you dont have great airflow I would go around 12" from water level. This might sound extreme, but is the best option, unless you can afford a good chiller for the tank. This is a big problem is you already made the canopy, but if not then it only just looks a little weird. Dang, that turned out long.
Im glad I can be of a help to this board, and if you have any concerns shoot em away! :yes:
buzzword
Member
Masala, the similarities of our set ups are freakish! My canopy has an open back as well, I have 2 4" fans on the way, I run a Dart pump to my 25g sump/refug pumping at about 2400gph! I have great water movement. Mine is also in the basement recroom and the temp almost never gets above 68*. I thnik I will be allright with the 8-9 inches if not I can get thinner spacers for my mounts and make them 10 inches off. I will take some pics and post them as I go. Tank is in day 10 of cycle. Good luck with all.
masala4080
Member
Good luck to you too. I think you will be fine with your canopy setup. Its like we planned it. I still have like another 2 weeks to start the cycle though.
This is taking forever.:nope:
steveoutla
Member
No biggie. I just wanted to know how you did the DIY moonlights. Where did you get the stuff, what exactly did you get, etc.
Thanks.
Thanks.
masala4080
Member
I actually got them complete like that on that famous auction site. I cant find any spacifics because the seller doesnt have any more for sale. Sorry.