Need some help with lighting - am completely lost

Huh...someone is. No "Start Conversation" option...

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...like there is normally...
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Canopy is about 24" tall

Then you have plenty of options....the most basic one is to build a support to hang the bulbs so the emitters at at 12", or a little higher is OK.

but the problem is there is something wrong with the hood.

The problems aren't too uncommon and are probably fixable with a little effort...mostly it will be dead drivers and ballasts, but probably a dead switch or two in the mix as well.

There's still a question if it's worth that effort. Maybe.

Some folks have gutted those fixtures as a mounting facility for a GU10 build...that might work for yours too, just depends if you can get the bulb rows spaced properly. It would save about 80% of the DIY effort...screwing in sockets and twisting wires together isn't hard. ;)

Can you try PM'ing me? I'll try to reply.
 
the hood is about 6 years old and I think I am in need of an upgrade. Everything I have read is pushing LED's and difference in my freshwater tank has pushed me more that way.

The issue is which one? I would like one that I can adjust the colors depending on the needs of the corals.
 
If you want to take the time to watch these videos, there is a ton of information here on LED, Metal Halide, T5s and hybrids...





 
Well, the corals don't care about colors like that...you'll never bring a new coral home and have to turn up the red, for example.

Sunise/sunset, lightning storms, moon lights, tweaking exotic colored LEDs....all for you and me, the owners. Corals don't give a whiz. :)

To an extent you can incorporate some of those ideas in a gu10-based fixture, but I don't. :) (I do have a Maxspect Razor on my other tank so I could check out the sunrise/sunset effect....just wish I was around more to see it. Definitely not worth paying extra for IMO.)

Maybe someday when we can do an actual sun and moon simulation (they aren't stationary) coupled with a tide simulation....then it'll matter to them. Until then I'll go out on a limb and say that none of the successful tanks you can see in a look around here are successful due to any of the features mentioned. (Some folks may be doing this already, but not without some specialized gear and programming....it's not impossible.)

Consider also that a lot of the adjustments on commercial fixtures are there only to account for the fact that they don't know what tank they'll be on or even how they will be mounted. A DIY doesn't suffer from such uncertainty since you are there during the design phase. :) :) :) :)
 
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