Lighting a planted acrylic

by **HVAC25000** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:33 pm

I just bought a 55g acrylic tank with a custom stand that's a bit complicated compared to the standard stuff at petsmart etc. It has a back/support running from the cabinet to the top of the tank that the canopy hinges on, if that makes sense. Instead of the canopy sitting on the tank and hinging on, itself, it hinges on the back of the cabinet that runs all the way up the back of the tank. What this created is an inability for me to use any canopy but the one built in.

Problem here being, the canopy only has 2" of space between the top of the tank and the top of the canopy.

I planned on planting this tank, but have since read something that implied that T-5s are too hot to lay directly on acrylic, which is why most have those legs. Is this true? And if so, does anyone have any suggestions for a light setup that I will have room for, won't melt the tank, and will still grow plants?

Thanks
Chris

by **fihsboy** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 3:56 am

Personally....I would just get Normal output T5's. They actually peak at a higher lumen arc than HO. I have 5 24 inch 14 watt T5 normal output bulbs over my refugium. I bought the fixtures from walmart......and put them on the underside of my cabinet. Im sure you could put them on the underside of the hood just fine. Is there any airflow? Could you add a fan? Do you have a lid on top of it? In all honesty...I would ditch the hood. I hate my hood. I would much rather run a lighting fixture by itself over top. Its insanely hard to find what you want in a 30" setup....so I have a hood. I run 4 VHO bulbs totalling 300 watts over a 29 gallon tank......heat doesnt build up. BUT i have two computer fans over it 24/7. If i turn the fans off....it doesnt over heat.....but the bulb life would be a LOT less....and the hood runs warm. Go to walmart.....lighting section........and buy a T5 normal output fixture. cost about 9 dollars for one bulb and fixture. coralife makes bulbs for them. only place i can find them is hellolights.com they make 6500 for planted tanks and 10000k for reef. Either way you would be in business for about 20 bucks a light. shipping and everything. You could run 8 T5's for prolly 150-170 bucks. Thats an insane deal.

by **HVAC25000** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 4:06 am

I have 2" of space. Most all T-5s are thicker than that according to the websites I've been on. And even if they're only 2" and do fit, that leaves the fixtures directly on the tank. Dr. Foster and Smith's customer support recommended not putting T-5s on an acrylic tank without standoffs, which was just my fear.

I'm not keen on running without the canopy because where the tank is, the lights will shine directly in my eyes for a few hours each day while I'm at my computer working. I guess I could build a standard canopy.

Thanks for the info about the walmart lights, I'm going to go check them out tomorrow.

by **fihsboy** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:36 pm

Yeah man. The lights in the fixtures SUCK. BUT if you buy the coralife Normal output lights, it would be more than enough. I have 5 fixtures a total of 70 watts over my refuge. They are easily 2 feet or more off my refugium....and im growing macro algae like crazy. If you build your own........you could always do a halide.....that would be awesome! Your plants would take off!

by **Tmercier834747** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:40 pm

I'm having trouble picturing this fully..any pictures of it online or do you have a cam? Is there anything in the hood other than lights that you really need? -- ie, integrated filtration or something..
You could look into having a piece of glass cut with 1.5-2" of space at the back for equipment. But then you'd need to find a way to get a cross bar in there. I say this only because I'm not sure how the rim of your tank interacts with that hood..
Odd tanks are just complete headaches if you ask me. I still haven't found a good way to light my 30gal hex for plants -- cheaply anyway.

You could possibly even go 'topless' if you can remove that hood/hinge and hang a metal halide pendant style over your tank, but then you'd need auto-top off and such for evap.

by **fihsboy** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:30 pm

Why dont you just get a halide pendent......You could hang a halide penedent over your planted........it will cover 24x24. Which im guessing a 30 hex is no where near than big around. unless its short and fat. Dude i would halide the hell out of that hex. :P

by **Tmercier834747** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:42 am

I'm in an apt and the tank sits right under a vent shaft which is just covered with sheetrock. can't really tap into it. even if I could I think it might cause problems with security deposit and such. -.- not to mention I'm not really a fan of the cost of most MH fixtures. =P

by **fihsboy** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:59 am

All of that is very understandable. I agree with you.....odd tank sizes SUCK. i have a 30" tank......and theres literally 4 fixtures that will fit on it. two power compact's.......a halide........and a T5. but you do with what you can.

Lighting a planted acrylic

8 posts