So I just bought a 29 gallon Aqueon Deluxe Kit. It came with this light-weight injection molded plastic hood with room for only one light tube. Since my daughter wants glofish and I want to have real plants I'd really prefer to have two (maybe three if they fit) different light tubes. One full spectrum for the plants and one blue/UV/whatever tube to show off the glofish. I've seen products on the market that allow you to add more tubes but the ones I've seen leave the tank uncovered or you need a glass/acrylic two-piece cover. I'm worried that if the cat jumps on one of those type of covers she'll end up swimming. Now since I'm an engineer and a rather handy person I figure that I can design and build one that fits my exact needs without breaking the bank. I'm thinking of making the hood out of wood that will accept ?T5? light mounting fixtures and rest on top of the tank. I'm thinking that in order to fit more than one light tube I'll have the 'door' be the entire top, lights and all. There will probably be a stationary 'base' that sits on top of the tank that has a lip that goes around the edge of the tank to keep it from sliding off WHEN the cat jumps on it. I don't know yet how/where I'm going to mount the hinges.
So here comes the part where I ask for help. Can anybody answer any of the following questions:
-Has anybody else tackled something similar? (I apologize, I didnt do a search of the forums)
-What type of wood is chemically inert and safe for fish untill I can seal it (I'm thinking teak would be good to resist moisture/algae growth)
--I want to test it out for a while before I seal it because I don't want to have to reseal it if I decide to change it.
-What type of sealant is safe for fish (preferably black/ebony color to match my stand)
-Would stainless steel fasteners affect water chemistry?
-Are there any special considerations I need to take into account when wiring and choosing switches?
-Do I need additional insulation on the wires to prevent any stray voltage from radiating into the fish/water?
I realize that these are some fairly technical questions but I have faith in the AA community
Right now this is just scribbles on a mental bar napkin. And yes, if/when I tackle this I will photograph and document the steps I took to build it.
So what do ya'll think?
So here comes the part where I ask for help. Can anybody answer any of the following questions:
-Has anybody else tackled something similar? (I apologize, I didnt do a search of the forums)
-What type of wood is chemically inert and safe for fish untill I can seal it (I'm thinking teak would be good to resist moisture/algae growth)
--I want to test it out for a while before I seal it because I don't want to have to reseal it if I decide to change it.
-What type of sealant is safe for fish (preferably black/ebony color to match my stand)
-Would stainless steel fasteners affect water chemistry?
-Are there any special considerations I need to take into account when wiring and choosing switches?
-Do I need additional insulation on the wires to prevent any stray voltage from radiating into the fish/water?
I realize that these are some fairly technical questions but I have faith in the AA community
Right now this is just scribbles on a mental bar napkin. And yes, if/when I tackle this I will photograph and document the steps I took to build it.
So what do ya'll think?