can I lay my lights right on my tank???

[crispo069]

I have a 72 gallon bowfront with a coralife single strip compact light fixture.....I am using a glass canopy with the tank. Can I lay the light directly on the tank or do I have to use the "legs"??? the lights are 130w (65x2, 6700k).

 

[Jchillin]

For safety reasons, the legs were designed to keep the light from being directly on top of the glass. I'd use the legs.

 

[crispo069]

oddly enough....it doesnt come with the legs....I would have to purchase them separately.

 

[Jchillin]

Not so odd. Read the fine print at the bottom of this. Guess that's to gather more funds.

 

[melosu58]

Putting lights on top of a glass canopy will heat up your water. Is this a FW or SW tank.

 

[crispo069]

FW...

 

[Ziggy953]

I would spring for the legs just to be safe!

 

[An t-iasg]

I would also use the legs. I did have a compact fluorescent light strip on top of my glass canopy. The water temperature rose about 8 degrees by the end of the day. Also, underneath the glass got horrible white deposits from the water heating up like that and then evaporating against the glass. On another tank I did have the legs, and I had no problems with white deposits or heat build up. I then used short, stubby PVC pipe for little legs on the first tank but I just got another light strip that will accommodate the plastic legs, since I felt that the legs made maintenance easier for me and kept the fish more comfortable too.

 

[crispo069]

I guess I'll go with the legs.....I'll just have to save quicker to get that hood.

Thanks all.