daugherty
part time reefer
i will see if i can get a good pic of my hood to give you some ideas
Starting a Canopy
- Thread starter WarmSoda
- Start date
project5k
Reef enthusiast
ok i have a question. Whats the pros and cons of using a canopy? the way mine is now it has 2 lids, and the lights sit on thoes, and they have the doors(verticle opening) on the front, i guess its the cheaper "what you get with a tank" kinda thing.
I'm getting ready to build a new stand, and if the canopy is the way to go, then i would want to build it at the same time from the same materials, just so i know it will all match.
I guess i can see some of the benifits, i could remove all that covering crap thats on the tank now and have full open top access through the canopy doors, rather than having to work on the tank through a 5 inch opening. It would get the lights up farther from the water, and would allow me to have more lights, cause the current lids restrict how much light fixture i can have on top of the tank.
how does the canopy sit on the tank, on the edges all the way around? how much weight can one safely put on the edges of a tank like that without causing problems?
I'm getting ready to build a new stand, and if the canopy is the way to go, then i would want to build it at the same time from the same materials, just so i know it will all match.
I guess i can see some of the benifits, i could remove all that covering crap thats on the tank now and have full open top access through the canopy doors, rather than having to work on the tank through a 5 inch opening. It would get the lights up farther from the water, and would allow me to have more lights, cause the current lids restrict how much light fixture i can have on top of the tank.
how does the canopy sit on the tank, on the edges all the way around? how much weight can one safely put on the edges of a tank like that without causing problems?
daugherty
part time reefer
depends on if you want to get a fixture or use a retrofit lighting kit
project5k
Reef enthusiast
well what i had before was a fixture, but one of the ballasts went out, so i got a replacement and upgraded ballast, but it wouldnt fit into the old fixture housing, so i got some sheet metal, and made a whole new rig, which included new connections to the bulbs, cause the old ones looked like they had been cooked with a blow torch.. wired it all up, and put it up there, so i'm thinking that what i could do is to just use all the good parts that i have in that, and put them all up in the canopy...
one thing that comes to mind would be that if i do it that way it gives me lots more realestate to lay out more and more powerfull bulbs to increase my w/gal when i get closer to doing corals.
one thing that comes to mind would be that if i do it that way it gives me lots more realestate to lay out more and more powerfull bulbs to increase my w/gal when i get closer to doing corals.
daugherty
part time reefer
good plan that is the rought i would choose in your case
project5k
Reef enthusiast
but that still didnt answer my questions about how to secure the canopy to the tank, can i just use some 1x2 around the bottom of the canopy and have that sit on the edge of the tank?
daugherty
part time reefer
yes my hood is just big enough to slip over the whole tank and on the inside there is a ledge that lets the hood drop over the tank a bit and the ledge sits on the edges of the tank let me get a pic for ya.
daugherty
part time reefer
project5k
Reef enthusiast
ahhh ok, thats kinda what i had pictured... ok cool, i see you have a couple little fans in the braces as well.. i might need to do that at some point.
so yours is just open to the back? i'm gonna have to close mine in, cause my tank is not backed up to a wall, its open front and back...
so yours is just open to the back? i'm gonna have to close mine in, cause my tank is not backed up to a wall, its open front and back...
daugherty
part time reefer
yea mine is open in the back i dont use it any more because i changed my lights and the fixture wont fit with the hood on
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
My canopy is made out of 3/4" cabinet grade plywood. The sides sit on the trim on the tank. The back is opened and the front swings up to open for full access to the tank.
project5k
Reef enthusiast
yea capt, i've been kinda following along on your setup, through all the light reflectors and everything, and man what a georgeous tank you have.
I really like the way your canopy opens the entire front for access, i would think that would probably work better for me and the way i work on my tank, cause i can just imagine me trying to work through a little door and getting frustrated...
I've got my 1x2's and my plywood, so when i get the stand finished up, then i'll start on the canopy...
just currious, do you think that your fans do much in the way of cooling with the back open, i mean do you think that they make much difference?
I really like the way your canopy opens the entire front for access, i would think that would probably work better for me and the way i work on my tank, cause i can just imagine me trying to work through a little door and getting frustrated...
I've got my 1x2's and my plywood, so when i get the stand finished up, then i'll start on the canopy...
just currious, do you think that your fans do much in the way of cooling with the back open, i mean do you think that they make much difference?
project5k
Reef enthusiast
the other thing that i have been rolling around in my head is the reflectors, cause when i get the new canopy built, as the old PC lights die off, i think i'm gonna convert over to the t5's. My question is this, reflectors are needed, but do i really need to spend the money and buy someone elses or can i build my own? I'm thinking that if i use something like 2" PVC and split it in half lengthwise, and then line the inside with alum foil, that should make a pretty decent reflector.. not quite parabolic, but close enough i would think. and waaaaay cheaper...
input?
input?
