| Rochester Minnesota Marine Aquarium Club (RMMAC) Our purpose is to enhance the hobby, and grow a community, by promoting the exchange of information, equipment, and livestock. We are located in SE Minnesota, centered on Rochester, and we welcome all to join from the surrounding areas. |
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10-14-2004, 02:47 AM
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#2
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Pukalani, Maui, HI
Posts: 467
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Gee, Michael, wish I could help some. What kind of material do you plan on using? I'd think that would make a difference in design & features. Another thing that would help is what exactly are you looking to do with the hood. Suspend it? Or set it directly on the tank? To build a suspended hood would be pretty easy, really. Just build a frame around the dimensions of the reflector. The hardest part would be suspending it but using some chains (like are used in hanging lamps) and ceiling hooks should make it doable.
You DEFINITELY want to incorporate fans into it, though; it is 400 watts. I don't know if you've taken any physics, but wattage is a measure of energy and that translates into a LOT of heat. One thing you may want to consider is a plexiglas closure on the bottom so that fans can blow a lot of the heat away rather than let it all radiate into your tank. Remember my 40 gallon? That was a 400 watt bulb and it was 18" above the tank with a pretty open "enclosure". Some days the temp hit 91 degrees, which helps explain all the algae in that tank!
Anyways, those are my thoughts on that. Good luck!
Larry
P.S. I'm currently using a thermonuclear device suspended at 93,000,000 miles. 
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Since I moved to God's reef, I don't have an aquarium any more!
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10-14-2004, 02:49 AM
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#3
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Pukalani, Maui, HI
Posts: 467
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One other thought is to see if Jodi's dad would help on it. He's got some decent woodworking skills! 
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Since I moved to God's reef, I don't have an aquarium any more!
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10-14-2004, 07:25 AM
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#4
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Sumpless and Proud
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Rochester, MN
Posts: 1,296
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Michael...you are more than welcome to come over and take pictures and measurements of my canopy that my dad built! I'm sure I can get him to tell me what he used as far as hardware goes.
Congrats on the awesome acquisition. Who did you get it from??
Jodi
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Co-Founder and former President, Rochester Marine Aquarium Club
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10-14-2004, 08:21 AM
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#5
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RMMAC President
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Byron MN, USA
Posts: 1,480
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He might not know it but Larry just keeps on giving and giving. I got the MH from Duane, it was sitting out in the pole barn, little dusty but seems to be working just fine after rewiring it.
I plan to use wood to construct the hood. Suspension is not an option for several differant reasons. I would like to make it look as similar to the oak stand as possible. In my dreams I would like to have two front cabinate style doors & a flip top to get at the light. The hood itself will most likely be 15" with the bulb at least 12" off the water. A design feature that I have seen that I like is having a couple of holes in the top with fans blowing out. Seems like a nice way to pull heat up and out. I would probabbly then have a couple more blowing in from the back. I have a lot to learn though  |
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10-14-2004, 08:29 AM
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#6
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RMMAC President
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Byron MN, USA
Posts: 1,480
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10-14-2004, 11:27 AM
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#7
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Pukalani, Maui, HI
Posts: 467
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by mjsandbe
He might not know it but Larry just keeps on giving and giving. I got the MH from Duane, it was sitting out in the pole barn, little dusty but seems to be working just fine after rewiring it.
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I thought that rig looked familiar! If that's the bulb I had, it's an Iwasaki. However, the pics look too white from my memory.
Is that my blue tang in those pics? He looked a little intimidated by all the light! 
IF you have the right tools and some woodworking skills, building the hood like in the pics won't be that hard. Too bad you're so far away, I'd LOVE to help you with it!
Larry
__________________
Since I moved to God's reef, I don't have an aquarium any more!
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10-14-2004, 12:22 PM
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#8
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Sumpless and Proud
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Rochester, MN
Posts: 1,296
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Sooo....whatcha gonna do with the VHOs???
Can't wait to see what colors appear in your tank....
Jodi
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Co-Founder and former President, Rochester Marine Aquarium Club
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10-14-2004, 12:24 PM
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#9
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Sumpless and Proud
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Rochester, MN
Posts: 1,296
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Oh yeah....Larry---that's a ****-sel in the tank...
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Co-Founder and former President, Rochester Marine Aquarium Club
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10-14-2004, 12:37 PM
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#10
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RMMAC President
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Byron MN, USA
Posts: 1,480
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Larry your blue tang is alive and well in the 90 gallon. I would never dream of sticking it into the 58, too small.
The VHOs (hood and all) are intact. I am planning on stealing the ballast to have a couple of atinic T5s on the tank morning and night once I build the hood.
The light looks yellower in person, definitly no atinic at all in it. All my greens are dead brown under the light. At tje RMAC meeting I saw the Hamilton 14K; I liked it so much I plan on replacing the bulb in the next month or so.
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10-14-2004, 12:43 PM
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#11
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Pukalani, Maui, HI
Posts: 467
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by StellaMN
Oh yeah....Larry---that's a ****-sel in the tank...
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They ARE aggressive little buggers! So far damsels and triggerfish are the only critters that have "attacked" me while diving. Let's hope the "attackers" stay small!
__________________
Since I moved to God's reef, I don't have an aquarium any more!
Last edited by MedicineMan; 10-14-2004 at 12:44 PM.
Reason: Emoticon repair
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10-14-2004, 03:14 PM
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#12
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Rochester, Mn
Posts: 500
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If you needed I can draw the hood up for you, for parts sizes, wiring, fan plcement, etc. just let me know. ( I design houses at home so i have everything here )
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10-14-2004, 03:33 PM
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#13
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RMMAC President
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Byron MN, USA
Posts: 1,480
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Scott, I knew I gave you corals for a reason 
I still have some dreaming and measuring to do. I might just take you up on your offer. |
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10-19-2004, 03:05 PM
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#14
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Rochester, Mn
Posts: 500
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How are you coming with the new hood ?
If you had some rough ideas I could draw them up and fax them to you or email, post.
it would not take long at all, and then we can change them around or ??
I am still waiting on the chain saw, I am taking down a mobil home and was using a friends to cut that apart and broke it so when i get it back I will call you.
Scott
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10-19-2004, 03:36 PM
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#15
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RMMAC President
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Byron MN, USA
Posts: 1,480
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I was lucky enough to find out that my new officemate is a cabinet maker on the side. With his help I will be building an oak canopy. 19” tall 20” wide (outer dimensions of ¾” venire plywood) to fit over the 18 ½“ by 36 ½ “ tank lip. It will slip over the tank low enough to cover the top trim. There will be two front cabinet doors on the front for access to the tank and the entire top will swing up for work on the light. Sometime this week or next we plan to get the wood and get started.
Thank you very much for your offer to assist in the design. Thankfully I think the design will be simple enough that we will not need detailed plans. Thank you very much for your offer.
Let me know what I can to do make getting the wood easier.
How is your tank doing? Corals?
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