Mounting Legs

[RISEANDFLOAT]

Are mounting legs necessary? Are you supposed to suspend your lights up from the water a certain distance? I think I am going to get a Coralife CF fixture. Is it okay to sit the fixture right on the top plastic framing of the tank or do I need to buy mounting legs?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

You don't need to suspend CF fixtures, but I'd use the legs to keep it a bit off the water. If you get it down there too close, you don't have any room for air circulation to dissipate heat, and you'll also muck up your acrylic bulb cover really quick with salt. Depending on what fixture you're buying, the legs might come with it. Mine did.

 

[roka64]

I agree, the salt creep might get al over the lights. I like to keep mine about 3 inches over the tank. Mike actually has his laying right on the top, without any problems (but he has single bulbs and not a "lighting system", if that makes sense).

 

[lando]

I agree. You should certainly use the mounting legs, especially if you do not have a glass cover on your tank.

 

[RISEANDFLOAT]

I was just wondering about this mainly because I am going to put a canopy on the tank and I'm not sure if the canopy will fit over the mounting legs without some kind of altering. But, things can be fixed to fit.

 

[roka64]

If you are doing a canopy, most folks mounr the lights to the canopy and that should raise it above the tank.....