Lighting upgrade!!!

[Marquis]

i notice there are a few different brands of these lights the link I have is to ledbell not taotronics are they all built the same and just imported under different names?

 

[eizzle]

So decided to wait until I get both lights but man I wish I had ordered them both at the same time lol. But I think what I'm gonna try is the wax paper because I don't really know where to get the window tint...might be a silly question but should the LEDs make the coral in my corals stand out more? I mean like brighter and have more of a pop? Right now they look ok but would love to have them look like they do when bought or like how I see other peoples tanks with leds

You can get cheap window tint at Walmart, just tape it down, that stuff is probably better suited to this than car windows!

 

[acolotto]

I got my first light in today!!! It was packaged very well came with everything I was told and man this sucker is bright! I'll post some pics of it in a little and I'll be ordering my second and final on Monday and hopefully it will come quicker than this one haha...I'm so excited I feel like a kid on Christmas morning haha

 

[acolotto]

Here's some pics...it's to bright to take pics with the lights on though

 

[Flreefer]

I got my first light in today!!! It was packaged very well came with everything I was told and man this sucker is bright! I'll post some pics of it in a little and I'll be ordering my second and final on Monday and hopefully it will come quicker than this one haha...I'm so excited I feel like a kid on Christmas morning haha

I feel the same way when I know I'm getting a package in. Makes me want to leave work early, and get home to start playing with my toys!

 

[acolotto]

Yea today's my day off so it was awesome lol

 

[Flreefer]

I'll be following, to see how it goes for you. With the collective advice on here, your transition should go fine. Good luck!

 

[acolotto]

Ok ordered my last light should be here Friday or Saturday...tomorrows my day off gonna be building a canopy for my 55 any advice?

 

[scottayy]

To house those lights it will have to be tall. I think mine is like 18 inches.. maybe taller and the hanging kit hung them right above the surface of the water.

So unless you build extra tall or make your own hanging kit (like i did with chains), it's not gonna work with those lights.

Also, decide if you want the canopy edge to sit directly on the tank or if you want it to hang over like a lip around the tank. Measure carefully!

Good luck, can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[acolotto]

Yea I am gonna do some messing around with the hanging kit...I'm thinking I want my canopy to be 12 to 16 inches and want the lights to hang 6 inches off the water so reality I'm looking to change the hanging kit to be anywhere from 6 to 10 inches...I was thinking just putting in two hooks a light and have them next to eachother and have it hook into one and have the other one 6 or 10 inches away allowing to take the extra and hanger from the second hook if you get what I mean

 

[Sniperhank]

If you can, just hamg them and forget the canopy. The size was already addressed. I hung mine on cathedral cieling, so you should be fine imo.

 

[acolotto]

Definitely can hang them then ceiling is like 3 feet from tank

 

[scottayy]

I really like the look of a canopy opposed to hanging (each to their own). But you can use the hanging clips and S hook that came with the hanging kit and just cut four lengths of chain to use with those.

That's what I did with mine (and it can be done better, lol). That's if you really wanted to do the canopy.

 

[acolotto]

So got my second light today but white LEDs don't work contacted the seller gonna get them replaced next week...kind of a downer but oh well it adds more time to build my canopy

 

[acolotto]

Ok so instead of sending the light back I fixed it! So today I'm gonna buy some 2x6s and get the lights on the tank so by the time I build the canopy the tank should be ready for the lights full blast

 

[carey]

Nice, glad you fixed it, better than waiting for a replacement!

Good luck with the canopy! make sure we get pictures! lol

 

[acolotto]

Here's one crappy pic will add more once I get the right pieces of wood on here so it's 6" off the top of the aquarium...also I put three layers of wax paper to diffuse some of the light and gonna take one off every week...think this will work?

 

[scottayy]

It will work great!

 

[Marquis]

i notice there are a few different brands of these lights the link I have is to ledbell not taotronics are they all built the same and just imported under different names?

Anyone?

 

[acolotto]

That's not hard to believe but I just have no idea honestly haha but it's totally believable since they are shipped and made in china