jpreefer Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Right now I am using my T5 light on my 46 gallon that I had on my 20 gallon and it is not getting the job done... I am thinking about builing a canopy and wanted some suggestions on building my own light in a canopy. I don't have a chiller and don't have the $$ to get one so will the canopy make it too hott? And How much money am I looking at spending on building my own light? I don't think I need metal halide because I am not doing sps, so would it just be a retrofit T5 inside the canopy? thanks for the help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishypets Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Just so you know you can grow any coral with a good T5 ballast/reflector. Look at getting a decent fixture with all in one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 FANS, fans, fans. . . I have 5 fans in the hood of my wifes 58 gallon. They are mounted on the back of the hood, 3 blowing in across the water and 2 blowing out the back. I also have a fan above the sump. A controller helps, when the water temp gets to 78.5 the fans kick on and then off when the water temp reaches 78. You could also mount a fan blowing in from the right (or left side) and 1 blowing out on the oppostie side. Either way be prepared for evaporation. Auto top off is highly recommended. She's running 300 watts of power compacts. . . Dave- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absolut_racer Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 (edited) I'm tagging along. Have 2x250 watt mh and 2x24"vho that I plan to use above a 65 gallon tank. If you don't mind me asking, what type of controller do you use for the fans to kick on and off accordingly? Thanks in advance! Edit: My intention is to run as many 80-120mm fans in the canopy as possible both intake and venting. Edited October 21, 2009 by absolut_racer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzobob Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 On two of my nanos that I run with halides I have fans that are on the same timer. It took a few days to tune the fans but I've had a lot of luch with this setup. On my new tank which is in the 'why is this taking so long to setup' phase I'll be using a reef keeper to control cooling fans and if necessary turn off lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I'm tagging along. Have 2x250 watt mh and 2x24"vho that I plan to use above a 65 gallon tank. If you don't mind me asking, what type of controller do you use for the fans to kick on and off accordingly? Thanks in advance! Edit: My intention is to run as many 80-120mm fans in the canopy as possible both intake and venting. I have a Reef Keeper 2 on the 58 and a Neptune Aqua Controller III on the 150. Dave- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamp Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) ... Edited October 22, 2009 by Hamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamp Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 IMO, you are going to have a hard time running 2 250's on a 65 without a chiller. I tried it with a 55 and it would have boiled without my chiller. even with 4 fans, 2 pointing directly at a turf scrubber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absolut_racer Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Sorry for hijacking the thread. Dapettit and Hamp, thank you for your recommendations, I will definitely look into these two items, the ACIII controller and a chiller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Daniel Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Right now I am using my T5 light on my 46 gallon that I had on my 20 gallon and it is not getting the job done... I am thinking about builing a canopy and wanted some suggestions on building my own light in a canopy. I don't have a chiller and don't have the $ to get one so will the canopy make it too hott? And How much money am I looking at spending on building my own light? I don't think I need metal halide because I am not doing sps, so would it just be a retrofit T5 inside the canopy? thanks for the help I don't think a canopy will be a problem. If the canopy is tall enough and the lights aren't unreasonably close to the water, one 120mm fan as an intake and one to exhaust on opposite ends should be sufficient. I would put those fans on a simple timer to turn on/off with the T5s. I use the Cooler Master 120mm fans on my canopy because they're quiet and are rated for a decent amount of airflow. You might also want to consider enclosing a portion of the backside of the canopy as this will better accommodate airflow across the water. Sorry for hijacking the thread. Dapettit and Hamp, thank you for your recommendations, I will definitely look into these two items, the ACIII controller and a chiller. A chiller may not be necessary, but an auto-topoff would be a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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