Aquatic Life Debuts LED/T5HO Hybrid Mounting System Fixture Reef Hobbyists Have Been Waiting For!

[Kyl]

Hey I am seriously considering this 24' hybrid, but I've got a problem with the dimensions. My tank (IM Mini 38) is 24' long, 19' wide (and since it's AIO tank, the display tank is only 15' wide, with the rest 4' being back chambers). I know the light fixture is 20' wide. So how do I fit it if I want to use it? I am afraid there will be a lot of light bleeding out either from the front or too much light thrown into the back chamber section. Can I just skip installing the 2 T5 bulbs in the back and only use the 2 T5s in the front plus the LED? Also it doesn't really sounds like an ideal solution ...

The 24" fixture comes with standard 18" wide end plates. The actual T5 bulbs are in-set 1-3/4 from the front and rear of the fixture profiles, so with 18" plates the actual lighting area would be 14.5" wide. With the optional smaller 16" plates, the T5 lighting area would be 12.5" wide. There are currently no 20" wide spacing plates, only 16, 18 (default) and 24".

 

[Jason Collins]

I'm working on setting up a 210 tank. I bought the 61" fixture and plan on using 2 AP700's on the tank build. I was curious does everyone basically use some kind of timer for the T5s? My LED's ill be able to program and not think about them too much. With the T5 cords I'm guessing I'll have to get a timer and plug both cords into the 1 timer. Is that basically how everyone is doing it?

I'm also trying to figure out how to go about mounting this thing in my canopy. I dont have a very tall canopy its only about 8"inch from top of tank to the top of the canopy. I was curious how people mount their lights in a canopy. I'll have to get the lights as close to the top as I can... also I was trying to figure out a setup that would make getting in the tank/changing bulbs easier. Has anyone put these lights on some kind of drawer system with glides mounted on the sides? So I could Slide the whole fixture out so changing the back bulbs would be easy? Just curious if anyone has done this and how to go about doing it myself. My whole canopy doesnt open straight up like a toy box. Only the front lifts up and back like 8 inches or so. Just trying to figure out the best way to mount these lights in a short canopy that I could possibly take off/move out of the way when I need to get into the tank to move something/Place corals. I'm thinking when I add coral I might have to take the whole canopy off so I have the room I need to have access to everything. Moving the canopy is easy... But once lights and wires are in it I need a good way I can disconnect it. I can take and post pictures of the canopy and the canopy lid opened if someone wants to help with figuring this out. Thanks!

 

[Jason Collins]

After I posted the last message I had another idea that could possibly work.. Since removing my canopy is easy with 2 people its not very heavy but we really want to keep the canopy because we like the look of it. I was thinking what if i just buy the mounting arms the come up the back of the tank. Then I just cut a slip up the back of the canopy bracket arms would be. Then hang the lights off the hanging brackets so they are not attached to the canopy at all. Then I can just take the top off the canopy without having to mess with the light fixture at all. Then I can change the back bulbs without too much problems. Using the mounting arms am I able to mount the light right to the arm or do I need to use cables? I need to keep my light as high up in my canopy as I possibly can so I can keep the lights off the water as far as possible.


Notice the 61" light in the corner waiting to be built and used! I bought it back during memorial day or July 4th sale so hopefully everything works fine I haven't built it to test to make sure everything works properly yet

 

[dwest]

After I posted the last message I had another idea that could possibly work.. Since removing my canopy is easy with 2 people its not very heavy but we really want to keep the canopy because we like the look of it. I was thinking what if i just buy the mounting arms the come up the back of the tank. Then I just cut a slip up the back of the canopy bracket arms would be. Then hang the lights off the hanging brackets so they are not attached to the canopy at all. Then I can just take the top off the canopy without having to mess with the light fixture at all. Then I can change the back bulbs without too much problems. Using the mounting arms am I able to mount the light right to the arm or do I need to use cables? I need to keep my light as high up in my canopy as I possibly can so I can keep the lights off the water as far as possible.


Notice the 61" light in the corner waiting to be built and used! I bought it back during memorial day or July 4th sale so hopefully everything works fine I haven't built it to test to make sure everything works properly yet

I just installed mine on my 180 with a similar canopy. My lights ended up being only 4 niches from the water as my kessil needed room overhead. I ran the mounting over over my canopy. I hope pics come through. I haven’t completely thought through a bulb change yet...

 

[linjuncheung]

The 24" fixture comes with standard 18" wide end plates. The actual T5 bulbs are in-set 1-3/4 from the front and rear of the fixture profiles, so with 18" plates the actual lighting area would be 14.5" wide. With the optional smaller 16" plates, the T5 lighting area would be 12.5" wide. There are currently no 20" wide spacing plates, only 16, 18 (default) and 24".

Thanks for the quick reply. So with my 15' wide tank would you recommend the standard or the narrower one? Also will the LED mount that comes wit 24' accommodate XR30?

 

[Kyl]

Thanks for the quick reply. So with my 15' wide tank would you recommend the standard or the narrower one? Also will the LED mount that comes wit 24' accommodate XR30?

I believe the 24" comes with two brackets, so yes it would work on an XR30. As for sizing, you could try the default width and see if that works for you, if not the 16" plates and brackets are a seperate, extra accessory SKU anyway.

Wanted to give a shout out to the guys at @AquaticLifeProducts for hooking me up with the mounts so I could mount my sBars that I recently got in. Looks amazing and glad that I didn't have to drill anything.

Please forgive the actinics, just focus on the way the sBars are mounted, lol.

That looks great Mitch! Mind getting a close up shot of the brackets? @AquaticLifeProducts Dave, are they something you guys stock or an off the shelf thing? Thinking of a use for mounting something on the back of the profile for my frag system

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

That looks great Mitch! Mind getting a close up shot of the brackets? @AquaticLifeProducts Dave, are they something you guys stock or an off the shelf thing? Thinking of a use for mounting something on the back of the profile for my frag system [/QUOTE]

They are some older metal leg brackets that we have left in stock. I can put some in the mail for you. Just let me know how many you need?

 

[mitch91175]

 

[Jason Collins]

That looks great Mitch! Mind getting a close up shot of the brackets? @AquaticLifeProducts Dave, are they something you guys stock or an off the shelf thing? Thinking of a use for mounting something on the back of the profile for my frag system

They are some older metal leg brackets that we have left in stock. I can put some in the mail for you. Just let me know how many you need?[/QUOTE]


What kind of metal leg brackets do you have? Do they screw into the back of the stand and go straight up then bend 90 degrees and the light bolt to the arm? If so that's kinda what I'm thinking of trying to do for my setup in my canopy.... I can cut 2 slots in the back of the canopy and the arms could go straight into the canopy. That way I can easily removed the canopy with the lights still attached to the arms.

 

[mitch91175]

They are some older metal leg brackets that we have left in stock. I can put some in the mail for you. Just let me know how many you need?

What kind of metal leg brackets do you have? Do they screw into the back of the stand and go straight up then bend 90 degrees and the light bolt to the arm? If so that's kinda what I'm thinking of trying to do for my setup in my canopy.... I can cut 2 slots in the back of the canopy and the arms could go straight into the canopy. That way I can easily removed the canopy with the lights still attached to the arms.[/QUOTE]

They slide into the side of the fixture. You will have to take it apart to get them in, at least that is what I had to do

 

[Jason Collins]

What kind of metal leg brackets do you have? Do they screw into the back of the stand and go straight up then bend 90 degrees and the light bolt to the arm? If so that's kinda what I'm thinking of trying to do for my setup in my canopy.... I can cut 2 slots in the back of the canopy and the arms could go straight into the canopy. That way I can easily removed the canopy with the lights still attached to the arms.

They slide into the side of the fixture. You will have to take it apart to get them in, at least that is what I had to do[/QUOTE]

But what are they attached to? A canopy? Top of tank?

 

[mitch91175]

They slide into the side of the fixture. You will have to take it apart to get them in, at least that is what I had to do

But what are they attached to? A canopy? Top of tank?[/QUOTE]

Mine are attached directly to the fixture

 

[mitch91175]

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

They are some older metal leg brackets that we have left in stock. I can put some in the mail for you. Just let me know how many you need?

What kind of metal leg brackets do you have? Do they screw into the back of the stand and go straight up then bend 90 degrees and the light bolt to the arm? If so that's kinda what I'm thinking of trying to do for my setup in my canopy.... I can cut 2 slots in the back of the canopy and the arms could go straight into the canopy. That way I can easily removed the canopy with the lights still attached to the arms.[/QUOTE]

They were for the T5 fixture legs we had years ago. They slide into the Hybrid too, just in case we wanted to make the extrusion work for T5 only.

So for now no legs, just the fixture hangers that we launched a few months back.

 

[Jason Collins]

What kind of metal leg brackets do you have? Do they screw into the back of the stand and go straight up then bend 90 degrees and the light bolt to the arm? If so that's kinda what I'm thinking of trying to do for my setup in my canopy.... I can cut 2 slots in the back of the canopy and the arms could go straight into the canopy. That way I can easily removed the canopy with the lights still attached to the arms.

They were for the T5 fixture legs we had years ago. They slide into the Hybrid too, just in case we wanted to make the extrusion work for T5 only.

So for now no legs, just the fixture hangers that we launched a few months back.[/QUOTE]


So you dont make any kind of mounting arms like Ecotech RW30 have or anything? Thats the kind of mounting arm im thinking about. One that I could adjust the higher on so I could put it inside at the top of my canopy.

 

[Tikosyn]

What kind of metal leg brackets do you have? Do they screw into the back of the stand and go straight up then bend 90 degrees and the light bolt to the arm? If so that's kinda what I'm thinking of trying to do for my setup in my canopy.... I can cut 2 slots in the back of the canopy and the arms could go straight into the canopy. That way I can easily removed the canopy with the lights still attached to the arms.

They were for the T5 fixture legs we had years ago. They slide into the Hybrid too, just in case we wanted to make the extrusion work for T5 only.

So for now no legs, just the fixture hangers that we launched a few months back.[/QUOTE]

Quick question, not to derail this at all but I have the 61 inch fixture coming in tomorrow and I have an extra 18 inch bracket coming as well. I have a 72x24x24 tank, should I be getting the 24 inch brackets? I have 4 AI Hydra LED's I am using now that will be going inside the fixture. Thanks!

 

[mitch91175]

Fixture all nice and tidy with the end caps installed

 

[Z3speed4me]

So the white doesn't come in the 61"?
Unfortunate...I still have my black in the box was hoping I could sell it for white or swap it.

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

So the white doesn't come in the 61"?
Unfortunate...I still have my black in the box was hoping I could sell it for white or swap it.

It is available in white but we do not have the larger boxes for shipping. All the online vendors should have inventory showing soon.

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

They were for the T5 fixture legs we had years ago. They slide into the Hybrid too, just in case we wanted to make the extrusion work for T5 only.

So for now no legs, just the fixture hangers that we launched a few months back.

Quick question, not to derail this at all but I have the 61 inch fixture coming in tomorrow and I have an extra 18 inch bracket coming as well. I have a 72x24x24 tank, should I be getting the 24 inch brackets? I have 4 AI Hydra LED's I am using now that will be going inside the fixture. Thanks![/QUOTE]

Are you considering running the AI perpendicular to the T5 or parallel? If parallel you can keep it 18" if you want to go perpendicular you will need the 24" (23.25")