newfound77951
Aquarium Advice Addict
So after my old end fittings fizzled (literally) and died, I bought 2, 1x96 watt Bright Kits from ahsupply. I have a Sedona canopy, which only has one cross brace, and no braces running the long way, so I modified the canopy to hold the reflectors and bulbs. I took some pictures of the completed canopy as I thought folks might like to see what I did. Serious thanks go to my wonderful boyfriend for doing all the wiring!
Finished canopy, from the top. The horizontal slats are the added parts. They were made from some scrap 3/4" x 2.5" lumber I got for $1 a piece at Home Depot. I notched the ends to fit into the lip on the canopy where the glass would usually sit (I don't use the glass anyway) and stained the wood to match as best I could. Also 2 coats of satin varnish for water protection. The metal straps are the kind that people use to repair chairs etc. You can see the reflectors and also the ballasts screwed to the back frame of the canopy. The white strings are my low-tech canopy-hanging apparatus (for water changes and plant maintenance).
Underneath, showing wiring route and one ballast:
Other end underneath:
Close up of one ballast installation:
Top view on tank.....much more access for feeding now!
Rear view with ballasts clearing HOB:
My lousy, corroded old reflector. It was amazing to see how much less light spilled out to the wall behind the tank with the new reflectors on!
Tank with new lights on!
Finished canopy, from the top. The horizontal slats are the added parts. They were made from some scrap 3/4" x 2.5" lumber I got for $1 a piece at Home Depot. I notched the ends to fit into the lip on the canopy where the glass would usually sit (I don't use the glass anyway) and stained the wood to match as best I could. Also 2 coats of satin varnish for water protection. The metal straps are the kind that people use to repair chairs etc. You can see the reflectors and also the ballasts screwed to the back frame of the canopy. The white strings are my low-tech canopy-hanging apparatus (for water changes and plant maintenance).
Underneath, showing wiring route and one ballast:
Other end underneath:
Close up of one ballast installation:
Top view on tank.....much more access for feeding now!
Rear view with ballasts clearing HOB:
My lousy, corroded old reflector. It was amazing to see how much less light spilled out to the wall behind the tank with the new reflectors on!
Tank with new lights on!