DIY hoods

[Larry M]

Pete--You can check out my personal site for a diy hood plan here: http://www.homestead.com/larry_reef/lightbox.html
Also, DBW's site has a good supply of diy hood plans. www.ozreef.org (http://www.ozreef.org)

Good luck,


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Larry M

View a list of RC Member's websites at:
http://www.reefcentral.com/membersites.html

[Jellyfish]

Any recommendations on how to build a custom hood to support sufficient lighting for a reef tank? I can't believe they don't sell sufficient hoods with your tank when you purchase it (mine only came with a perfecto reflector strip and a wimpy 20w flourescent). I plan to use wood, but is this problem with the heating generated by MHs? I have done some research on the light specs. and (give me your opinion) may opt for the Iwasaki 6500k MH supplemented with some blue flourescents (PC or VHO?) for a 56 gallon tank (~22inches deep). Thanks in advance for your guidance.
Pete

[badgers]

IMO you may want to consider using aluminum to make the reflector for you lights. I have a thread here that describes the use of a reflector lens system to "focus" the light onto the reef. You can build a wooden hood that covers the metal reflector. If you leave 2" between the wood and the metal heat won't be a problem. I would also say that remote mount ballasts are much more convienent. MH ballast are heavy. :D
thank you for your time and have a good day