How to make light strips work with canopies?

rsheets

I have 2 light strips resting on top of my glass hood, but I also have a canopy. So, as I feed the fish I have to move them back some, then after, move them up some. Does anyone have a solution that they have found to be useful in this particular app? Most people are more creative than me when it comes to stuff like this. But I can expand or alter ideas to fit what my abilities are.

Angel079

To be honest, I can't follow you right this second just how yours is built...could you take a picture for me?
You shouldn't have to move nothing for feeding...that's gotta be eliminated

rsheets

I'll do that when I get a chance. thanks.

Mikaila31

I think he's doing the same thing I'm doing. Which is the picture below. If you want to run two light strips on the glass canopy thats really the only way to do it as far as I know. Only other thing you can do is buy a better single lightstrip with a higher output. T5 or compact florescent. Or if you want you can modify one of you lightstrips. Its easy to remove the light fixture from the strip so you are just left with the plastic shell to modify. You can see my black one shows signs of this. It was torn apart and put back together. I lost the clicky button, so had to make due . I've got a 10 year old fixture I plan to mod for this tank eventually. The best mod/cheapest for these fixture IMO is to install 2-4 spiral compacts or 2 non spiral compacts, and line it with tinfoil. Use double incandescent socket(s). Wiring is fairly simple.

With my front one turned around backwards I can open the lid without moving it. But only 4-5" cuz it hits that wooden beam. Yeah this tank is in my closet. Even when I take the black strip light off, the glass canopy still can't open fully. That doesn't really matter, because the plastic hinge is broken on the canopy. when I do a water change both the front lightstrip and the front piece of the canopy are just taken off the tank.

rsheets

No, I should have explaned further. I have a 6' tank with 2 - 3' fixtures, I have them side by side instead of front and back like you have. I usually have the lights on the front side of the glass lids (for effect) but have to move them to lift the lids to feed. I was looking for a way to put them on a "slide" of some sort.

fish999

I may be confussed but, did you say you have canopy and glass cover? Just remove the canopy and put the lights on top of the glass, without the little plastic protection strip next to the bulbs... like the one Mikaila31 posted. Also try to get one full spectrum and one 6700k plant lamp in pairs on each side... as if you had a two-bulb strip with one of each bulb over each side of the tank (lengthwise).

I replaced my 2 24" single bulb hood lights that came with the 55 and got versa-top glass covers. I put the new 48" T5 twin bulb strip over the versa top and without the bulb fixture's plastic strip below the glass. Right on top of the versa-top.

T5 is great and effectively doubled the light in the 55 over weak kit hood lights, but the T5 HO is really the best I have seen. I got twin-bulb T5 HO for the 75g, with one full and one blue one. I'm gonna try it and see if it's a reef light (its blue not pink like plant lamps).. Plus a versa-top...

There ya go, all you ever wanted to know about my crummy lights systems on my tanks and more... :)

Mikaila31

Hmmm... Don't know how to help you there, except to leave the lights on the backside of the tank. I'm not sure what you are using, but when I use a single striplight I don't notice a major change in having it on the front or back of the tank. You could use metal sliders for drawers to make them slide. But how to make it look good and to still allow the glass canopy to open is a issue.

Angel079

Everybody got different taste on looks of tanks, but here's what I built...it hold a regular 4ft light strip with 2x4t T8's the inside of this is covered with regualr construction vapor barrier, evaporation of this tank: Nothing enough to make it visible if any and room isn't mucky neither, so I'd have to say non. So I just open & close the normal lid to feed. Nice part this way (yes I learned my lesson in the past) the light can stay OVER the tank while cleaning so you see better and the hood is open at the same time).
After having built this one, I actually wanna rebuilt all my hoods this way no for all tanks, cause I just love its convinces to be honest.

rsheets if you want something easier/ quicker then that there's 2 options
1) Take the top to a glazier (sp?) have them vut you a small corner out and fix it with small hinges for you
2) If too pricey exchange your glass top for a sheet of plexi glass from the home store, again cut a given small corner out and attach hinges

You know just something lil to feed like 2x2" or so

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