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wood canopy LIGHTING problems?

28K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  theplatypus 
#1 ·
are you limited in what type of lighting that can be used with a wood canopy?...i have read that MH's need 3-5" from the surface of the water and good circulation and/or fan(s)?...where as PC's dont run as hot and can be placed closer to the water?...

do most people retro-fit the lights themselves in the canopy for better circulation?...or do they buy the lights already in a plastic "hood" and then put that in the wood canopy?

what about a glass canopy over the water?

any help would be great

thanks
 
#2 ·
Hi Blue,
You can use pretty much any type of lighting with a wood hood. On my tank i use 3 400 watt mh's, 2 160 watt vho's and 4 75 watt vho's. You do need to have some type of reflector for the mh's. What I did to keep the heat away from the wood canopy is use some 1-1/2" aluminum angle for a spacer between the reflector and hood. This creates a 1-1/2" air gap so the wood stays warm and not hot. I also have 3 IceCap fans on that are wired to go on with the mh's. Two additional fans go on when the water temp goes above 83. I keep the mh bulbs about 8" from the water surface but some reefers go as low as 6" (eeek!)Sorry, can't comment about the pc's.

As far as a glass cover, some people use then and some don't. Personally I don't like them because i feel they prevent gas exchange at the water surface. They also hold the heat in the tank which can cause problems with mh's. They also get covered with salt pretty fast and can shade a lot of light.
HTH,
bob
 
#3 ·
PC's also run hot, especially over small tanks in small hoods. I highly recommend a fan for them as well. They should be at least 3-4" above the water line as well. The height MH bulbs need above the top of the tank can make building a hood interesting. If you want MH, go with VHO to supplement actinic light. How big of a tank are you going to light, tank dimensions? What kind of corals do you want to keep? This will help us find the right lighting for you.

Brooke
 
#4 ·
WELCOME ,thebigblue!!
always glad to see a fellow "Northern Indiana Reefer"!I have 2 -400w 10k MH's and 4-55w PC actinics in a wood canopy about 10" above the water.i use 2-4"muffin fans blowing out from the ends ,and one in the back blowing inward.heat DOES come out from the fans ,but tank temp seems to be minimally increased(the living room,,a different story ,but not that bad)have a large RIO power head in the corner moving a good deal of water at the surface also.no complaints from the tank life.look me up or email me and maybe we can get together and talk "shop" or do some trading or do some combining on mail orders or something!
JEFF,,,,probably the ONLY Reefer in "Beautiful" Wheatfield,Indiana.)
 
#5 ·
I run 2 150 watt HQI MH and 2 96 watt PC actinic on my 90 gal tank.
I am just using modified Coralife clamp on pendent type lights that have been permanently attached to the wood canopy I then gutted my old Coralife 2x96 PC fixture, mounted the reflector on the hinged part of the lid (It is a split lid canopy with the front half that opens for access, the MH are attached to the back half, so they don't open with the lid) The pendents actually sit against the wood, but because they are isolated from the reflectors heat is not an issue. The pendents each have their own cooling fan for the bulb. The canopy is open at the back, and there are 1" slots that run the length of the canopy for excellent ventilation without needing additional fans.
I keep my lights 4" from the water, and my tank is covered to prevent my large tangs from committing suicide. (jumped out a few times when I was cleaning, and had to be rescued)
I don't worry about gas exchange, as my sump is wide open, and with the pump I have, it turns over 1500 gals an hour, so there is plenty of air time for the water.
 
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