Raised Light Stand... fill me in. :D

[sum1serin]

Okay so when I was looking at the LFS, I saw these tanks with the raised light stands, much like what was already shown on someone elses Nano.. very nice..

So I was curious, how could I go about making one for my 20Gal High tank? I mean.. well how would I make it look right, since I'm going to be converting a tank I already have into SW.. .it's got the lil flip top lid and hood light... any suggestions for the DIY thing?


Thanks!

 

[dskidmore]

If you're going for corals, the default light in your flip-top hood probably isn't going to cut it. Look around for retrofit light kits, PC, T5, or MH are all good options, depending on your budget and prefrences. Any of those retorfits can go into a wooden hood of your own design.

These upgraded light options all create heat. The raised light is one of the ways to deal with dissapating the excess heat. You can use light diffuser grid (keeps fish from jumping) or a completely open top under a light supported by feet on the edge of the tank or hung from a chain above.

 

[sum1serin]

Where can you find these feet to raise the light? I do plan on getting a retrofit kit of course..

 

[dskidmore]

If you get a kit that comes with a housing, they may come with feet, or have seperately orderable feet. If you're buying a bare-bones retrofit kit, then you can make any kind of feet as part of your hood design.

 

[sum1serin]

Right.. but do you know where I can order these feet? Like a store?

 

[dskidmore]

Either you're going to find them sold next to the light fixture you're getting, or you're going to have to go to the hardware store and get creative.

I've not seen anywhere pre-made feet for standard light hoods.

 

[sum1serin]

That's no fair...

 

[dskidmore]

Generally they're only used with the fancier, upgraded light sets.