need help with canopy
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scouncil
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I've seen other threads say that you want your MH to be 10-12 inches away. I've got one of the coral life light bars with the little MH sections and mine is probably 8 inches from the top of my tank, but I've got glass hinged door things on the top of my tank and the lights are smaller.
Susan
Susan
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My lights which are SE mogul bulbs are only about 5-6" of the water.
I run 1 250 SE radium 20k and it is about 16-17 inches from the water. I also run no plastic or glass between my lights and water.
scouncil
Valuable Member
Just wait till you get that big tank running and you'll WANT something inbetween your tank and the lights. I know a lot of my heat comes from my pumps, but gosh that light bar is hot!!
The problem is using a glass top on your tank is you trap heat. It alos prevents good oxygen transfer. I think with a tall open back canopy with 2 fans mounted in the sides you can keep water temps pretty stable. But we'll see when I get the big tank up. If I set it up as a FOWLR tank I will probably run T-5's not MH's. We'll just have to see...
fish only with live rock and a covered tank blocks a lot of light and holds heat in as salt creep gets on the cover it gets very dim, i would never cover a reef tank top with glass or acrylic
scouncil
Valuable Member
Ugh! How do you keep your fish from jumping? The canopy would be so big on my tank, I wouldn't have as good access. I have to practically lay over the thing to reach the bottom of the tank! And sure, I've got the grabbers, but they aren't that great for heavier things and corals that you can't quite reach.....
I clean the creep clean (on my tank, not Brandon or Bryan- no cleaning for them- but I'm going to slap them both next time I see them). Does it block that much light? I know my husband is just jumping to build a canopy for me for this tank.... I just really like the way it looks right now with the suspended light bar.... Sigh.
Susan
I clean the creep clean (on my tank, not Brandon or Bryan- no cleaning for them- but I'm going to slap them both next time I see them). Does it block that much light? I know my husband is just jumping to build a canopy for me for this tank.... I just really like the way it looks right now with the suspended light bar.... Sigh.
Susan
Susan:
Are you using a glass top? If so take it off... heck so what if you loose a fish to taking a carpet dive least they won't die from ich that way.
Just kidding, but seriously you don't need glass tops if your worried about it use some egg crate, but that still blocks alot of light.
Are you using a glass top? If so take it off... heck so what if you loose a fish to taking a carpet dive least they won't die from ich that way.
Just kidding, but seriously you don't need glass tops if your worried about it use some egg crate, but that still blocks alot of light.
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you really do need to remove the tops susan, get the man to build you a canopy and do it right. you will solve alot if not all of the heat issue with the tops off and fans blowing across the top of the tank
I second the idea of the egg crate.
scouncil
Valuable Member
I can't do an open back canopy since my tank is in the middle of the room (divides the dining area from the "family" room). Have to think on that. I guess that wrasses are the main jumpers. Alex found one of my MIA wrasses under the tank that I sold him last weekend (squeezed out a hole). Maybe some nice wood panels on a frame that extend past the light and open at the top. I'll talk to DH. Home Despot will have the egg crate? Will Ace hardware have it?
