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Re: Lighting (getting very frustrated)

Sylvia wrote:
"While it may be have been apparent to someone else with greater imagination
and ingenuity than me, I finally, after months, figured out that I've got to
rig together some type of glass covering for the tank, and not use my
existing hood, or even the stock sold glass tops by Perfecto, because of the
way they are hinged."

O.K., I hear you..... you sound like I did during the beginning of the CO2
discussion last month....so many people here throw off things like...." go
to the discount electronics store, root through the bins, find the bargin of
the century, take it home, spend a few hours with a soldering gun, and now
they can light their aquarium AND bounce lazer light off the moon...."

Sounds like you bought a tank/glass cover/light strip combo. You aren't
happy with the amount of light put out by the light strip and it seems like
that particular strip light might not be sized correctly to easily
accomodate one of the AH Supply kits.

No big deal (really!). The answer is simple....... ditch the strip
lights.....rip the guts out of 'em, turn them upside down, fill with potting
soil and presto, you have a planter box for your window sill!

There are plenty of ready made lighting fixtures sold by a number of mail
order vendors - IF you care to spend that kind of money.

If you (or someone you know) is at ALL handy with a saw and a drill, you can
make (or have made for you) a VERY nice hood for your tank for a LOT less
than it would cost to get some crappy piece of injection moulded plastic. As
Thomas Barr mentioned in another post this evening, places like Home Depot
regularly sell what they call "project wood" - the outlets here in Toronto
regularly carry such species as Pine, Maple, Oak, Mahogany and Walnut. Most
of it is available in widths from 2" - 6" and in lengths from 2' - 8'. It is
sold in thicknesses from 1/4" - 1 1/2". This stuff is what I used to build
my hood and I don't have access to a workshop or a lot of elaborate tools.
As a matter of fact, it was put together on my apartment balcony, and I
still had room for my barbecue and flowers.

It is a VERY simple DIY project to make a simple wooden hood which will
accept the AH Supply kits. The AH Supply web site even has project plans,
but all you are really doing is making a low sided, open top box which is
going to be upturned and sized to fit onto your tank. As someone said to me
during the CO2 equipment thread, it isn't rocket science.

If this is beyond either your confidence/ability/interest level, then you
are the perfect customer for Pet Warehouse (www.petwhse.com) or Monolith
Marine Monsters (http://www.marine-monsters.com/), both of which sell
wonderful (but relatively expensive) ready made light fixtures for those who
don't want to go the DIY route.

There is an answer to frustration.....

James Purchase
Toronto

P.S. - the dish detergent incident took place over 30 years ago....
hopefully I won't make that mistake again.....