How do you hang 'YOUR' lights? Looking for ideas!!

[Lemony Lemons]

I ordered my reef radiance dm-155e's last week and am looking for some creative ideas or even the 'norm' on how I should hang them. After reading a few different threads, I figured I'd start a new one for people to post some pics of their own tanks with lighting - how they hung it etc. Once mine arrive I will be posting some pics and feedback as well - just hoping to grab some ideas in the mean time!

Any brand, any type, any way... let me see your lights!!

 

[EllisJuan]

I ordered a Lumntek 240 and their mounting bracket. If I feel like it is too close to the water or I get a shadow from my cross brace, I am going to try this...

24" to 40" Frame Hanger with Mounting Bracket for Aquarium Fish Tank LED Light | eBay

If you have a longer tank they also make a longer one...
40" 70" Aquarium Fish Tank Light Frame Hanger with Mounting Bracket Stainless | eBay

 

[redfishbluefish]

I have Apollo LED's that, just like the Reef Radiance, have four eyelets for you to attach the cable hangers. The problem with the cable hangers is that if you are mounting in a canopy (which I am) the fixture hangs too low. So what I did was pick up a piece of aluminum angle for HD and cut it into four pieces. (However, I looked at the top of the Reef Radiance, and you can't do this because your plugs, switches and pots are in-line with these eyelets.) These were attached to the eyelets with #8 nuts and bolts.

The opposite face of the angle was drilled and bolted to the top frame piece of the canopy.

So the lights mounted in the canopy (with the door open) look like this:

 

[redtop03]

I have Apollo LED's that, just like the Reef Radiance, have four eyelets for you to attach the cable hangers. The problem with the cable hangers is that if you are mounting in a canopy (which I am) the fixture hangs too low. So what I did was pick up a piece of aluminum angle for HD and cut it into four pieces. (However, I looked at the top of the Reef Radiance, and you can't do this because your plugs, switches and pots are in-line with these eyelets.) These were attached to the eyelets with #8 nuts and bolts.

The opposite face of the angle was drilled and bolted to the top frame piece of the canopy.

So the lights mounted in the canopy (with the door open) look like this:

love it, excellent idea, super clean install, thanks for sharing....

that same design can be used with any light, you'd just have to make individual brackets for each cable eyelet with the Reef Radiance lights, I saw your design in another thread and am considering using it with my Reef Radiance DM132e lights, if I do, I'll post pics here of it as well

 

[redtop03]

here's how mine are hung right now....I hate the shelf above my tank but this was a rush job, I will build a canopy

 

[Ward9320]

With my newest corner tank I have a radion. In the part of the house the tank is in we have peaked ceilings that are textured. With the hanging kit for the radions they want you to put it into the ceiling and I figured if I needed to it would be a lot easier to fix a couple small holes in the wall then it would be on a textured ceiling. Long story short I ran to the hardware store and in the shelving section I bought theses shelf braces and hung my lights from them. Now my wife thinks that there should be an actual shelf on top of the braces and wants me to cut some wood, finish it, and put it on top of the braces so she can have a shelf to put pictures on. :squigglemouth:

 

[Mike O'Brien]

I really like the Radion hanging kit !

 

[Tradewinds]

A local guy makes these.

 

[solar]

I used 3/4" conduit, and bent it in home depot with one of there pipe benders. Then took it home and painted it black. This is the end result.

 

[Lemony Lemons]

So the lights mounted in the canopy (with the door open) look like this:

Wow that looks great and very clean! Nicely done, kudos - i really like the end product.

here's how mine are hung right now....I hate the shelf above my tank but this was a rush job, I will build a canopy

I see the shelf idea a lot without having an actual shelf on it, but with a shelf makes it more practical. It doesn't look bad at all, especially for a rush job

I used 3/4" conduit, and bent it in home depot with one of there pipe benders. Then took it home and painted it black. This is the end result.

This looks very nice, how did you attach it to your tank?

 

[Lemony Lemons]

A local guy makes these.

Is the top open for ventilation? It looks sharp, does this local guy still make these?

 

[Greenstreet.1]

 

[solar]

I used 2 3/4" conduit straps. Screwed then to side of stand. I wanted it in back but how stand is setting I couldnt get the screwdriver in the tight space. And ty for the compliment!!!

 

[RichieT]

Wow that looks great and very clean! Nicely done, kudos - i really like the end product.



I see the shelf idea a lot without having an actual shelf on it, but with a shelf makes it more practical. It doesn't look bad at all, especially for a rush job



This looks very nice, how did you attach it to your tank?

I've used conduit on my last three tanks. It creates a clean and simple look. The easiest way to mount toe conduit to the stand is two pieces of strut channel. They sell it at any hardware store. Then just use brackets to hold it in place. The best part is it is fully adjustable so you can move the lights up or down easily.

 

[Tradewinds]

Is the top open for ventilation? It looks sharp, does this local guy still make these?

Yes the top is open for ventilation. A rectangle opening is also cut in the acrylic that the unit sits on, so as not to hinder the light from the LED. I believe he is still making them as I saw several in stock the last time I was at the LFS.

 

[feh]

 

[SloppyJ]

AI EXT rail with a radion. Just got my rail in from BRS. It's expensive but I'm not so upset with the price when I opened it to see it was very sturdy.

 

[b-o-b-s]

Diy brackets and I crisscrossed the cables for looks and minimizing holes in my ceiling

 

[saltyhog]

 

[Dtech07]

Total cost $36