Canopy Stand

[bozack]

Couple questions on a new canopy I am building for my 210.

I am either going T5's or VHO's. Any idea how far off the water they should be?

Since the stand I am building is pretty impressive I am most likely going to build a larger top (let's say 10-12 inches high) but I was thinking I could create a rail or mounting system inside to mount retro kits where ever I wanted to.

Also, what about an all in one unit I could just sit on top of the hood? I could leave the entire top open (should help with cooling too) and just sit a unit on top but figured with the tank being 7 foot long I most likely wouldn't find a good all in one set up due to the length.

Thoughts?

[4R00P3R]

I'm a little confused by your proposed setup. As for the distance over the water it depends on 2 things: the angle of the reflectors, and the temperature.

I would also recommend (after having an expensive problem) to cover the bulbs and reflectors with thin acrylic similar to the setup of a Coralife PC fixture. The acrylic will keep the salt off the bulbs and reflectors. The salt can corrode the reflectors and block the light. It is much cheaper to buy new acrylic periodically than a new retrofit kit and bulbs!

As for the height, off the water I recommend 4-6 inches. The real issue is what angle the light enters the tank. I would buy the lights you plan to use. Then raise and/or lower them over the tank (with the acrylic attached) and simply look to see when there is the most intense amount of light in your tank. Then you will know how tall to build the canopy.

Let me know if that helps.