very confused about lighting/hood

kumiko

kumiko

Member
i've been reading about lighting for about the past month and i'm still not sure what to get.
i have a 29 gallon that right now has the standard one bulb fluorescent. i put in a prizm skimmer a couple days ago, and now my hood doesn't even fit on the tank.
i wanted to upgrade to vho, or maybe pc, but i don't understand how it's going to go on my tank. i obviously have to buy a new hood.
i've looked at ice cap hoods, and all of them are too big for my tank (30" long.)
so what about the ice cap 24" vho retro kit? how will this fit on to my tank, does it require a new hood?
and if i do get a new hood, is it going to fit even though the one i currently have doesn't fit correctly because of my skimmer?
sorry for all the questions, but i just don't want to buy the wrong thing. any help is greatly appreciated!
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

Member
I ALSO HAVE A 29G REEF. I BUILT MY OWN HOOD OUT OF BIRCH WOOD AND STAINED IT TO MATCH MY TANK AND STAND. I THEN WENT TO MY LOCAL INDUSTRIAL ELECTRIC SUPPLY STORE AND BOUGHT TWO WORKHORSE 5 BALLASTS. THEY RUN NO AND PC BULBS UP TO 128 WATTS. I PUT TWO 20W ACTINICS,WHICH I WILL BE UPGRADING TO 55W, I THEN PUT ONE 55W 50/50 AND ONE 55W 10,000K. THAT IS A GOOD SET UP FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT SPS CORALS.
 
kumiko

kumiko

Member
i'm a 20 year old girl who owns a couple screwdrivers and a pair of pliers. =(
haha, i don't think i am capable of building a hood or canopy.
 
captained

captained

Member
Wait...no one told you you had to be a plumber, carpenter, electrician, bio-chemist and Zen master to be in this hobby?
I recommend dating. I realize that when you're young, you think it should be romantic, but as you get older you'll learn the value of dating, say, a carpenter who knows a bit about VHO ballasts :) Personally, I get married the day a meet a Chiropractor/Diesel Mechanic, but I might still have a fling with a CPA on the side (at least during tax season).
In case you ignore the above advoce (um, I would) then you might try looking on the Web or checking with your LFS to see if there is a light/hood combo you can order thta would leave room for the skimmer too.
Good Luck!
 
psumba

psumba

Member
:) How funny. great responses.
kumiko - I have been shopping ALOT for lights lately, and I personally dont know if I want a DIY project - I like buying and plugging in. I'll pay for that value.
someday soon I'll have lightning of my very own.
Checkout Championlighting.com
great prices and a good selection.
 
kumiko

kumiko

Member
unfortunately for me, i'm dating an "artist" who can only build frames for his canvas. =)
option720, that is so fancy schmancy! i don't think i could do something like that.
but i'm still really confused.
i checked out championlighting.com, and their prices are pretty low. but none of the abs hood will fit my tank (i think.) the smallest they have is 37", my tank is 30".
ok, i guess my main question is if i buy one of the retrofit kits, i have to either buy a hood for it to go into, or make my own, correct?
 
psumba

psumba

Member
my next suggestion is:
exoticfish.com
they mention building custom hoods for you.
And something about a PFO but I dont know what that means.
 
captained

captained

Member
An ARTIST? In that case, you might think about moving to a slightly larger aquarium- it might be cheaper to match a new tank to a standard size hood than have one built. Also, its easier to maintain levels in a larger tank (55 is often recommended as the minimum) and trust me, you'll want a bigger tank and then one with a built-in overflow and sump (for that skimmer) before you know it!
Another possibility would be to get a pendant light and just hang it over your tank- I know customsealife makes a number of PC and MH/PC combo ones. In fact, with the screwdriver and pliers you could put a couple of "eye" hooks in almost any light and hang it up with picture wire (your artist can certainly help with that :)) As long as you don't get any jumping fish, that would be the cheapest route.
 
kumiko

kumiko

Member
well i would have gotten a larger tank if i had the room for it. it's been up for about three weeks now and i haven't had any problems so far. i have a couple fish and inverts, and i'm happy just sitting and watching my hermits crawl around!
i've informed my dad about the light situation, so he's determined to figure it out now (i'm the one interested in the fish, he's the one interested in the equipment!)
thanks for your help, and if anyone else has any solutions, let me know!
 
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