Do I need new lights?

bkv1997 · Sep 1, 2008

As far as the lighting I personally would stop trying to get an all in one unit and invest in quality ballasts/reflectors and bulbs to install in a canopy.

This offers you the ultimate flexibility if you were to get a different tank or have a failure.

Brandon

Garth Schafluetzel · Sep 1, 2008

+1 on that im going through getting rid of all the bad and reinvesting in a good setup myself even got another tank lol caint wait to get a build thread going

ironman · Sep 1, 2008

I sugested that two, but she is insistant on no canopy. and really that takes some rigging. To me her best bet is an all in one canopy, but I think she needs a qaulity one.

Garth Schafluetzel · Sep 1, 2008

you could even build one like i plan it will be suspend with a mesh encloser

scouncil · Sep 1, 2008

Well, the main problem with the canopy is that I would have to ask my husband to build the thing for me (since anything I would build would look pretty crappy since I have no idea how to do it) and it would take him a year to build it (it's taken him 3 years to paint the house and I know that's a much bigger job, but I just hate being a B(#$h all the time trying to get him to do what I want him to do) and it's so much easier not having to lift something up to get into the tank. And if I put any sort of lip over the side of the tank, I won't stand a chance of reaching the bottom of the tank since I have to practically stick my shoulder in as it is now.

Maybe I need to look at Tommy's canopy and the rest of your canopies and see. At least DH (dear husband- don't know if you all use those abbreviations here or not...) likes to work with wood and I would stand a chance of getting it done without too much of a problem. could I still use Tommy's light if I did the canopy? The canopy would have to open from both sides since the tank is in the middle of the room. I just liked the not having a massive thing above my tank.....
Susan

scouncil · Sep 2, 2008

Even with the canopy, I'd still have to have the lights about the same distance off the top of my tank, right? So I'd have to have a short canopy or a tall one with the lights hanging inside? I understand the canopy thing due to the simplicity of one thing failing, you don't have to tear apart the whole thing, just replace the one part, but could I still build the thing so that I could get into it from both sides? Do the bars really have that many problems?
Susan

bkv1997 · Sep 2, 2008

If your set on the bars use a higher end one.

Stay away from Current, Orbit, Coralife, etc... Thats just my opinion though.

Things to look for are individual reflectors on t5 bulbs, etc.

Brandon

Garth Schafluetzel · Sep 2, 2008

yeah i plan on mounting 2 250's and 2 72 inch retro t5's on a piece of wood and then add a fram to it so you dont see the fixtures then ill suspend it from the ceiling and have a mesh wrap around it to keep the light from lighting the whole room and i can still have access to my tank with out issue and if i need it out of the way i can just disconnect the mesh from the tank and raise it up out of the way

scouncil · Sep 2, 2008

Brandon and Bryan (and Tommy), do your canopies sit on top of your tank (meaning the weight of the canopy is on the tank? I guess the tanks are sturdy enough for that? I don't remember stuff hanging from your ceilings).

ironman · Sep 2, 2008

yes the canopies are resting on the tanks, The advantage to building your own canopy is that you can put whatever in it you want, it you want a lumenarc reflector and Vhos or T5s, you can at anytime change what you have. it isnt that you will have less problems with a canopy system, it is just more specially designed for what you want.
I still stick to my idea that for what you personally want from your tank and what you are capable of doing yourself that the aquamedic strip light is best for you. It is plug and play, it is quality, it is sleek and will look good suspended with no canopy. you have to remember you are getting advice from all of us, who pride ourselves on changing equipment. so for us a canopy is a piece of equipment we can always upgrade and tinker with. I dont think you are a tinkeror, and it isnt necessary for a nice tank.

scouncil · Sep 3, 2008

You are right. I am not a tinkerer and can't build things myself (took home ed in highschool and typing, not shop and auto mechanics). Hated being made to take that stuff when I really wanted to take shop.....
Susan

ironman · Sep 3, 2008

HEHE! we will help you build a canopy if that is what you choose to do. just wheigh the options

Garth Schafluetzel · Sep 3, 2008

i plan on starting my build of a canopy soon and i aggree totalyy on making something yourself so that way if you upgrade or deside you want to try something else all you have to do is take it off and rearrange things lol

scouncil · Sep 3, 2008

Bryan, I still think we need a tank stand/canopy intervention on you and help you get that big tank in your basement up and going. It looked very lonely down there.....
Susan

scouncil · Sep 4, 2008

OK, ok, Brandon, Bryan and Donny (and in a way, Tommy) have convinced me to go with the individual MH pendants. I think I'll be happy and we're going to do the pool table lamp look for suspension over the tank. That won't be too hard to convince my husband to do.....
Susan

ironman · Sep 5, 2008

Dont put my name in there, I think the individual idea is not for you. As with everything else it will work but wasnt the best for you and you will have the same money in it. but im done giving advice, its in one ear and out the other! LOL! Try asking people that are thinking about what YOU want, not what they have and feel you need! Sometimes it is hard for people to think about what is best for you when they dont think past there own tank. But I cant wait to see what you do either way, and im sure brandon and donny will love to come help you for days to get those lumenarc wired, hung and running! LOL

scouncil · Sep 5, 2008

Will can wire them. He's pretty handy around the house and is reliable with stuff like that, so I know he can handle it. I thought if I got the black on the outside luminarcs that they wouldn't look as funny and are they going to be THAT much different than a bar across the top. If it will allow me to have more corals deeper in the tank (and realize that I've been living with all my corals in the top 60% of my tank because everything on the sandbed is withering), I will like it. I just mainly don't want to have to ask Will to build a canopy and I don't want to have to reach into/over stuff to get into my tank. And even the pool table light look will be better than a canopy.

I listen to MOST of your advice and YOU started out telling me that the individual stuff would be better than a bar anyway. I'm giving IN to what you suggested!! EVERYBODY has made that suggestion, so I figure I should go that way......
Susan

ironman · Sep 6, 2008

I NEVER said individual was better for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

scouncil · Sep 7, 2008

Look at the date. That last note from me was posted before I talked to you at the show. I'm just gonna go with the bar. Fast, simple and maybe it's in stock.....
Susan