Too hot for me

[scarybo]

I got the okay from the wife to update my lights. I currently have hamilton 4x55 pc on a 40 gal. I spoke to them about upgrading to MH maybe 250 with the pc's . I was told this is too much and my tank would run too hot without a chiller. Does anyone have any plans for a canopy that would work. Also my tank is acrylic. This is probably the wrong place to post, but I respect the advice I have gotten here so far and I will follow your suggestions. Thanks so much.

 

[celticsun]

Hey SCARYBO,
Just make sure "NOT" to place the lights directly on the tank.... the heat from the light will probably damage your tank. I have worked with a lot of different thicknesses of acrylics and most will melt under the right conditions.
Most lighting I have seen sits 4" or more above the acrylic, the lights should also have a good venting fan or 2 to help keep the heat down on the acrylic. I would think you could buy a wood top and modify it for your needs.
Good luck on this I know I wasnt much help, but its better than nothing!
celticsun

 

[hairtrigger]

Build your own canopy, keep the MH's about 12 to 18 inches from the water's surface. But, get some fans and you should be ok. Make sure one end pushes the air towards the other fan which sucks it out and pushes it into the room. Maybe put a larger one behind the canopy too.

 

[celticsun]

Hey All,
Theres another possibility hang the lights from the ceiling, I totaly forgot about the setups at Ocean Journey. All of our tanks which are running cp lights are hung off of a pully system. When you need to clean or feed you just pull on the pully setup and the lights go up and out of you way. Make sure you have a tie off so you dont have to worry about it crashing down on the tank or you while your working on it.
See Ya,
celticsun

 

[azonic]

You will not have a heat problem. I have a 90 gallon tank with dual 400 watt halides...and i use no fans in the canopy. The canopy is a simple design out of pine wood, basically made into a rectangular box, with a cover that lifts up. I used 12'" wide pine, biggest size available, and then 3/8" plywood for the top...the lighting is mounted on the lid, the lights end up roughly 9 inches off the water...my temp is a steady 80 degrees. flucuations either way by .5 at the most.

 

[slothy]

i have a 40 tall, with 150 of vho and 250mh, and im having heating probs.. one fan blowing in and one fan blowing out (4" fans)
mh is about 10-11" above tank (in hood)
tank runs about 83-84

 

[scarybo]

I've been thinking about this all day. I'm going to follow your advice and build my own canopy. I need to price out retro fit kits. I think I might go with 2x175w MH. I also have an old pc 2x55. I can use that for my atinics. Does anyone know the best place to get MH. Also..Does anyone have any plans for a canopy. I saw the one Boomer made. It was sweet.

 

[sebae0]

i did the same similiar to azonic with 3 250 mh except mine hang from the cieling because im putting it in the wall. it over a 180 gal and i have 2 fans on one blowing in the other out, and this is over a 6' length, the temp actually goes down 1 degree when the fans are on. there is good open spaces all around so it gets real good air flow.

 

[kennynj]

WHEN YOU BUILD YOUR CANOPY
LEAVE THE BACK OPEN TO ADD TO
AIR FLOW. MAKE SURE THERE'S ROOM
BETWEEN THE MH AND THE TOP OF THE
CANOPY ALSO FOR AIR FLOW ALL AROUND
THE BULB. INSTALL 2 FANS AT OPPISITE
ENDS OF THE CANOPY HAVE BOTH
PULLING AIR OUT OF THE CANOPY.
MAKE SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF SPACE
FOR YOUR ARMS TO GET INTO THE TANK
WITHOUT BURNING YOURSELF. YOU CAN
HAVE THE FRONT OPEN USING A PIANO
HINGE. PLACE A WOODEN BLOCK MOUNTED
LOOSELY ON A CENTER SCREW SO IT WILL
ROTATE 90 DEGREES TO KEEP FRONT
FROM FALLING DOWN ON YOUR HEAD.
HERE'S A COUPLE OF PICS OF MY 75 GAL.
I CONVERTED IT TO A CHLICLID TANK AFTER
I SET UP MY 125 REEF. I BUILT THE STAND
AND LID. THE FAN IS CONNECTED TO AN
ATTIC FAN THERMOSTAT.

 

[kennynj]

HERE'S A PIC WITH THE TOP DOWN

 

[scarybo]

Thanks alot KENNYNJ. The picture really helps so I can better visualize. When you say leave space between the top and the MH, what is the best way to do that. I dont want anything to overheat and burn. Also want is the minimum distance I should have between the bulbs and the top of my acrylic. I have heard 10 inches is best.

 

[fishfood]

I'm putting a 250 over my 26 bowfront. I built the stand and canopy. I'm still actually working on the canopy while the tank cycles. I'm going to go with a fan on either side blowing in. I'm also putting a ac/heat vent cover on the top of the tank and the back is wide open. The fans will blow across the water and cool it and evaporate at the same time. Heat will also be able to rise up out of the vent. I'll get to drip more kalk, because of the evaporation, which will be beneficial because it is a sps tank. There was a post about fans and the direction to place them. Search for a post on fans under the diy section. I'm going to go along with the guy who said the fans both blowing in will keep the tank cooler. I had the on one my 55 blowing out at first and saw very little effect. Once i pointed it in it helped a lot more. I was also talking to someone last week who said he placed a seperate sheet of plexi glass below the light and made kind of a wind tunnel with it. It blew the air in one side and out the other. That chamber helps keep the heet off of the water. I'm not sure how effective it is but the theory seems good to me. You could even place a fan below the plexi glass to help cool the water by causing it to evaporate.