Alternative to hanging my LED fixture

nawilson89 · Jan 8, 2016

I've decided on a Mars Aqua 165w LED light for my 29g tank. I'm just about ready to purchase it and I only have ONE place left to put this tank.

My girlfriend reminds me that I can't hang my light here because the only ceiling above where I want to hang the light is where the AC duct runs through my apartment. So I'm at a loss.

I've tried looking for an alternative, but I don't really know what to look for, and thats why we have R2R! All of you have been great help to me, so I call upon your forces once again!

tankstudy · Jan 8, 2016

Have you considered using rails?

nawilson89 · Jan 8, 2016

tankstudy said:
Have you considered using rails?

Thanks for the swift reply.

When you say "rails" I'm not sure what you mean by that, I've always had a combo hood and light and have just recently moved into other types of lighting. My current tank has LED bulbs on gooseneck clamps. Do you mean rails that hold on the top of the tank and hold the fixture?

Would you happen to have an example?

redfishbluefish · Jan 8, 2016

You can still use the ceiling. Get a board that is long enough to span the joists in the ceiling.....it could be any width, but 3 inches will certainly word. I like to cut the length close to the length of the tank, and if this is a standard 29 gallon, that's 30 inches. Sand it/round the edges if you want...and paint it. I prefer ceiling white....it will blend in. Now screw that to the ceiling, centered over the tank, and make sure the screws go into joists...use a stud finder to find them. Now use eye hooks, or whatever, screwed into this board. Done!

nawilson89 · Jan 8, 2016

redfishbluefish said:
You can still use the ceiling. Get a board that is long enough to span the joists in the ceiling.....it could be any width, but 3 inches will certainly word. I like to cut the length close to the length of the tank, and if this is a standard 29 gallon, that's 30 inches. Sand it/round the edges if you want...and paint it. I prefer ceiling white....it will blend in. Now screw that to the ceiling, centered over the tank, and make sure the screws go into joists...use a stud finder to find them. Now use eye hooks, or whatever, screwed into this board. Done!

That sounds promising. Next time my landlord visits I'll see if that would be okay with her and then possibly try that. If not I'm still looking for other suggestions.

mfinn · Jan 8, 2016

Just re-read the first post.
I had a solution but it had to be a euro braced tank.

mfinn · Jan 8, 2016

How about this.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-04/diy/index.php

I believe I've seen similar pre made ones on ebay.

ruth howard · Jan 8, 2016

You could use long shelf brackets mounted high up on the wall, then hang your lights from the tips of the brackets. This is what I did in order to prevent having to hang the lights from my ceiling.

nawilson89 · Jan 8, 2016

mfinn said:
How about this.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2009-04/diy/index.php

I believe I've seen similar pre made ones on ebay.

Yeah! Something like that may work. I'll look at ebay for some ideas.

Thanks!

ruth howard said:
You could use long shelf brackets mounted high up on the wall, then hang your lights from the tips of the brackets. This is what I did in order to prevent having to hang the lights from my ceiling.

That would be the perfect solution. Unfortunately the space I have doesnt have a tall enough wall. It's off a kitchen bar.

Reefing Madness · Jan 8, 2016

http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticL...ures-AquaticLife-AK01209-FILTACMOFTHK-vi.html
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mounting-led-light-diy.117919/

nawilson89 · Jan 8, 2016

Reefing Madness said:
http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticL...ures-AquaticLife-AK01209-FILTACMOFTHK-vi.html
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mounting-led-light-diy.117919/

You got into google search history didnt you :3

Those started the basis of my question since those items seem to be PERFECT but discontinued.

cmcoker · Jan 8, 2016

nawilson89 said:
You got into google search history didnt you :3

Those started the basis of my question since those items seem to be PERFECT but discontinued.

You could diy that with electrical conduit and a pipe bender, all available at home improvement store

Reefing Madness · Jan 8, 2016

?? Thats a pic from the Thread started here on R2R ?

Gotta look here first, see if its been done before, then look outside.

nawilson89 · Jan 8, 2016

cmcoker said:
You could diy that with electrical conduit and a pipe bender, all available at home improvement store

Yes! Thanks! This could be the breakthough!

Reefing Madness said:
?? Thats a pic from the Thread started here on R2R ? Gotta look here first, see if its been done before, then look outside.

I was waiting for the valiant knight @Reefing Madness to save me like usual. Years of me posting stuff and you answering spanning multiple forums xD

ngvu1 · Jan 8, 2016

There are more than 1 way you can do. However, I don't really understand your issue. Maybe a picture of the tank and its location can clarify this.

I cannot mount my ATI fixture to the ceiling and I did not want to have the light stand on the tank so I mount the light to the back wall with something like an L bracket. The mount was not long enough, but only needed like 1.5 inches more, so I raise the base a bit... We reefers are very creative

nawilson89 · Jan 8, 2016

ngvu1 said:
There are more than 1 way you can do. However, I don't really understand your issue. Maybe a picture of the tank and its location can clarify this.

I cannot mount my ATI fixture to the ceiling and I did not want to have the light stand on the tank so I mount the light to the back wall with something like an L bracket. The mount was not long enough, but only needed like 1.5 inches more, so I raise the base a bit... We reefers are very creative

I don't have a picture right now as I am on my lunch break at work. I can post a picture later on to show where the tank will be. The end product may be a DIY fixture like @cmcoker presented.

3dees · Jan 8, 2016

I have a dropped ceiling so couldn't hang my lights. got a rack off e-bay but their pretty expensive. you could use a wall mount for TV's. shouldn't cost more than 15.00. they swivel so you can move the light when doing maintenance.

nawilson89 · Jan 8, 2016

3dees said:
I have a dropped ceiling so couldn't hang my lights. got a rack off e-bay but their pretty expensive. you could use a wall mount for TV's. shouldn't cost more than 15.00. they swivel so you can move the light when doing maintenance.

That would be a great idea, but I don't have the wall there. It's off the kitchen bar.