Lighting modification

[tripper]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this, but I need some advice on modifying a MH hood that I am getting.

I bought the Coralife 48" MH and PC hood. It is 15" wide and my tank is only 12.75" wide (72G bowfront). I must have measured wrong or something, but that's in the past now. So the feet that come with it are not going fit because they extend from the end of the fixture.

I can not hang the fixture because of the way my condo is set up. It is a loft and the tank is not in a good place for hanging things above it. So I need to do some sort of modification to either the fixture or the tank. Any suggestions?

The only suggestion I had so far was to use some hard plastic and epoxy it to the back of the tank, extending it 3" so that the back legs of the light can rest on them.

Please help with any other suggestions. TIA

tripper

 

[MarineFlake]

I bought the 24" version with the 150HQI MH and 2 PC blues. (With the moon LEDs) I have the same issue over my 29G. I have no clue what coralife was thinking when they designed these "feet" but they do not mtach any standard tank size under the sun. I ended up leaving the feet on as per the instructions and using a 1 x 1 piece of wood on either end. I intend to drill a hole through the feet and attach with a wood screw so it will be stable. I can post a pic if you like. As a note, I sent the Coralife support folks and the HelloLights folks an email asking what tank size on this green earth these were supposed to fit..No answer after almost a month. If I had my guess, they would prefer you to pay the extra $$ (Didn't I spend enough on the fixture already???) for the hanging kit. My problem is that the location of the tank prohibits me from hanging at this time. Don't get me wrong, it's a great fixture, but a far cry from plug and play as they advertise.

GL!

 

[tripper]

If you get a chance, please post a pic.

It sounds like my hood was designed to fit the normal 75G and 90G tanks but does not account for the bowfront of the 72G. The length is correct but the width isn't. The wattage is exactly what i wanted, and the price was great, now I just have to figure out how to make it stand over my tank.

tripper

 

[schoeplein]

I wanted a 72g bowfront, or a 90-100g corner/bow tank, but am glad I recieved the standard 75g due to the listed issues above. In either case, I feel you're putting a ton of effort into everything you do regarding a saltwater tank to maintain it -- a little more effort to self-manufacture, or rig a hood for lighting seems a far cry from everything else you've done, or will do in the future. Consider it part of the experience -- an opportunity to add your custom flair to your tank.

Though I do agree that more should be offered when you're paying $300+ for lightbulbs.. :x ...ie. various adjustable adapter kits. I would think this would make it cheaper for the manufacturer as well... but hey, logic fails in big business. *smirk*

 

[swissfish]

You might want to get some shelfing stands that look nice from HD and hang the light from therm. Or build a homemade canopy and mount the light to it. (I was building my own canopy, it's easy).

 

[EL Diablo]

hey man I was in the same exact boat as you.

I picked up those lights and when I got home to install them I freaked that they didn’t fit!

here is what I did...

I laid 2 strips of wood across each end of the tank, about 6 inches high and the entire width of the tank. I set the lights on the wood as a base, it works perfect! There are no dead spots with the light at all.

The only drawback is you have to remove the hood every time you go into the tank, not the biggest deal.

You can also hang them with the installation kit sold separately

I love the lights and have had them up for almost 6 months now
I'll post a pic when I get home tonight.

Here is a quick diagram.

 

[tripper]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I had another thought that I would like your opinion on. I have a canopy that was made for this tank (72G bowfront). It is black plastic and is open at the top. It fits over the sides of the tank and the top is probably 8-10 inches above the surface of the water. I was thinking about placing the new light fixture on top of this canopy. Do you think it would be stable enough? Would the heat from the MH cause any trouble like melting plastic? Any thoughts are appreciated.

tripper

 

[swissfish]

Try it and see how hot he canopy gets.

Since you have a canopy why not retrofit that light into your canopy? Is there a reason why you diden't buy a retrofit?

 

[tripper]

Well, the canopy is plastic and is open at the top, was never meant to hold lights, it's just an enclosure around the lights so you don't see anything on the surface of the tank.

I guess I'll just wait until I have it in my hands tomorrow and see what I'm dealing with. I have some good options to work with . . . i'm just looking for the cleanest look possible.

 

[EL Diablo]

you can try the canopy. I will say that the fixture gets hot and is heavy.
Also that might look a little strange with the light balanced on a canopy.

I am sure you'll find a set up that suits you best.
The lights are awesome!

Good Luck

 

[MarineFlake]

I would NOT recommend placing the MH or associated pc ballasts in your plastic hood. Also, for what its worth, the Coralife folks do not recommend tearing down the lighting fixture to 'retro' it. At the very least, I would send it back and spend a lot less $$ on some retro parts and diy if thats the road your going down. BTW, the drawing El Diablo posted is exactly how I did it. I didn't like it at first, but after I drill and secure the wood to the legs and paint the wood a nice flat black, I think it'll all be good..

GL!

 

[tripper]

Well, I got the light last night and temporarily set it on top of the canopy. All I can say is WOW!!!! These lights make such a difference! I only ran the MH for about an hour because I wanted to make sure I could monitor the heat since the lights are temporarily sitting on top of a plastic canopy. I am definitely going to do something else for a permanent fix, but this will do for today until I can get to Lowes this afternoon. I can't wait to get back to my house though to see the tank again. I can't believe the difference it makes.

tripper