[APD] Modifying glass tanks for lighting

["Thomas Barr" <tcbiii at earthlink_net>]

I've taken to playing with glass again and have made a simple easy to use
DIY open top powercompact design that I am pleased with.
 
I did not care for those ugly MH globes hanging over my tank. Then I tried
a small slim as I could build 1/4" popular wood hood(2.5"Hx 11.5Wx48"L) and
still cram 330w of light in there.It's light weight and about as small as
you can build it.
 
The problem was it did not look good sitting on the tank and chains hanging
down looked bad, I tried wire and frennule's, no good either and then ended
up with wooden feet that lifted the hood up about 3" but they were flimsy
and did not look like I wanted and also had the potential of slipping out
the tank when I was working on it..
 
So since I had glass already supporting the sides with 3" pieces on each
end, I simply was gloing to silicone a 1" square rod to support the lights
on each corner.
Well they did not have the glass this size.
 
So I got 2 pieces of 3/8" thick x 5"H x 6"L "feet" and placed these on the
top glass and siliconed them down. I have a 1/2" space on the inside of the
hood that the lights don't cover on each end. This is where the top of the
feet sit inside.
 
I can slide the hood back and forth easily and since the feet are matching
glass, they blend in very well and since they are also clear, you don't
even see them.
I can also add wooden spacers under the hood to raise it up another 1.5"
inches to do work on the tank also.
 
This design is very useful to me and I really like the look.
 
I am after a good open top design for the DIY'er for the PC lights. I think
I've found it.

I am also after a nice SMALL MH fixture with the HQI 150w double ended
lamps with an electronic ballast.
These are much smaller and nicer than those Globes of Ugly.
 
They are a triangular prism shape, roughly 6"Lx3H"x3D" suspended by nice
cables. 
I think these will run about 350$ a piece(W/electronic ballast).
The ballast are worth the $.
These lights are perfect:) and cost _a lot_. 
 
I'll post the pics of the PC hood soon. 
  
Regards, 
Tom Barr 
 
 
 



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