Do T5 Hanging Wires Need to Be 100% Vertical?

[PugsAndFish]

I'm about to hand my T5 Aquatic Life Hybrid. I wasn't able to find 2 studs in the exact location, so I installed 3 brackets using shelving units.

The original plan was to put a piece of plywood (orange rectangle in picture) that spans across all 3 and then have the wires hang straight down (like the red lines). I'm wondering if I can actually just not use the middle bracket and attach the wire on the 1st and 3rd brackets and have the wires (in green) at an angle holding up the fixture.

 

[WVNed]

I would not do that. Those type of brackets are very strong up and down but very weak to sideways loads. You could use something thin and anchor the ends of the brackets to each other to hold them apart. It could even be decorative. Then it would be OK I think.

 

[eggplantparrot]

put a shelf across the top of the brackets and screw them in through the brackets themselves. put some aquarium stuff up there. the bright light below would make the shelf very inconspicuous.

 

[mfinn]

IMO having the wires at a angle like that would not very very attractive.
You might be happy at first that you got the fixture hung, but I think over time you would get tired of looking at it that way.
It's hard to tell from the picture, but are you only considering a wall attachment?
No thoughts on the ceiling?

 

[WVNed]

Or use an intermediate bar at the bottom of the wires.
Something like this will keep the load straight up and down

 

[mfinn]

Something as simple as this.

 

[PugsAndFish]

IMO having the wires at a angle like that would not very very attractive.
You might be happy at first that you got the fixture hung, but I think over time you would get tired of looking at it that way.
It's hard to tell from the picture, but are you only considering a wall attachment?
No thoughts on the ceiling?

Yea ceiling is not an option unfortunately.

 

[mfinn]

Could a conduit hanger either diy or commercial unit be a option?
DIY would be really cheap.

 

[mfinn]

https://www.marineandreef.com/Aquat...OGMuqrkrRyDTxs_1mKAG2Vx_QoTa-sGhoCetIQAvD_BwE



https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-bent-conduit-light-bracket-advice-please.98370/

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I just got the hybrid recently. I took down my AI hanging rail and just used the same cables to hang the aquatic one. The AI rail was 72, now 61. My cables go in like you mentioned. I couldn’t move my cables since there is a giant ac vent where it would need to go.

The only thing I would say that worry’s me just a bit is where I anchored the cables into the ceiling. But my AI rail was heavier then my current set up since I dropped some of the hydras. Seems ok to me

 

[PugsAndFish]

Does the shelf board Does the shelf board I attach the hanging pit have to be plywood? I'm looking for some finished white boards and all seem to be MDF or something similar.

 

[don_chuwish]

Having the wires at an angle reduces potential pendulum swing back and forth. I set mine at an angle that I thought would be functional and look good.