Need Light Shield for Shop Light

[Help]

I have bought a shop light that holds two fluorescent bulbs from a local hardware store. Now I want to buy some egg-crate as a cover for my tank which will also keep the shop light from falling into the tank.

Should I buy the white egg-crate or the shiny metallic kind that costs twice as much? Would the reflective metallic kind put more light into the tank than the white one? Also I need a shield for the shop light.

I don't water splashing up from the tank and and short circuiting the shop light and causing a fire or an explosion. What is a good shield that is easy to find, easy to work with, and won't block the light? Glass is too heavy and expensive.

Is there a way to make the fluorescent lights and the rest of the shop lights, like the ballasts and all the other electrical components, waterproof so that if water does come in contact with it nothing bad will happen? That would probably be better than a protective shield.

And is there a way to put longer legs on the shop light so that the fluorescent tubes don't lay smack dab on the shield or the egg-crates? I think that would be a fire hazard too.

Please give as much details as possible. If there is anything I missed let me know.

 

[jsoong]

You can't really make a shop light water proof, although you can buy water proof endcaps/ballasts from lfs to make your own waterproof fixture (expensive way to go tho!)

Do I understand that you are just resting the shoplight on top of the tank? I don't think that is too good. Most people mount it in a canopy of some sort - you simply build a box to fit on top of the tank & mount the lights to it ( this would raise the light off the tank top.)

Failing that, I would suggest hanging the shop light from the ceiling so it is a few inches off the tank.

For protection, I would either have a glass top for the aquarium or use an acrylic sheet fitted into the canopy to seperate the light from the water - make sure you have ventilation slots in the canopy in this case or things might overheat.

I wouldn't bother with egg crate as the top. IMO, glass top (DIY or pre-made is the way to go). You can also substitude acrylic for glass if you go the DIY route - although you would need some sort of bracing for the acrylic to prevent sagging.