rlkilwil
Active Member
Hey everyone!
As I get rolling on my (hopefully) SPS-only tank, I am dealing with some lighting struggles and need your advice!
Tank Details:
57g Deep Blue Rimless (36" wide, 18" deep, 20 something inches tall)
Center overflow
Lighting: 5x AI Hydra 26 (I know, old school- but a LOT of light)
So here's the big question/issue: I want to set my lights up so that two of them are centered on either side of the overflow near the back, and two will be closer together at the front, so kind of in a semi-circle around the overflow. I have them in a row currently, and I'm finding that it creates a large shadow on the front of the overflow and in the front center of the tank. Ideally, I will have acros packed into this tank, and a big shady spot isn't something I want to have to work around. I plan on creating a laser-cut mounting system for the lights, as I am a graphic designer (so I can design them to be whatever) and have a good buddy that has access to a laser cutting machine! The big question is, should I design that fixture and then mount it from the side, or from the back of the tank?? I could even mount it to the wall behind the tank or drill it into the stand. I'm just not sure what's best, because all I have ever dealt with personally is the typical arm mount attached to the back of the tank. Does anyone have experience with side-mounted lights?? Those of you who have built your own lighting setups/hardware, how did you go about it??? I could also get crazy with it and make something with moving parts so that I could adjust the lights' angles or even push them upwards out of the way for maintenance!
Ultimately, I am open to any suggestion, as long as it checks a few boxes (below). I like to get creative with things like this in order to get the best results!
Goals:
- Obviously, I need it to support the weight of the lights and any cords/accessories needed.
- Can be installed and used without permanent damage to the wall/tank/stand
- Can be assembled using common hardware parts
- All custom-shaped pieces need to be able to laser-cut out of a flat sheet and assembled (meaning no circular tubes, angle brackets, etc. unless I can buy them at Home Depot!)
- Holds the lights where they need to be (I'm also open to suggestions on how far above the surface to mount them- acro lovers, what do you do?)
- Can be cut out of sheet metal (any angled/dimensional pieces need to be standard/easy to get)
- Isn't too inconvenient when doing routine maintenance on the tank (no full hoods, anything that would get in the way too much during water changes)
Other than that, I think I am open to suggestions! My current favorites are:
1. Two horizontal rails (one back, one front), each holding two lights. Rails connect at the ends, and are supported by one vertical bar that clams onto either side of the tank's glass. I like this option, as it seems fairly straightforward, but I don't know if mounting them on the side will put a huge dent into the limitations as far as cleaning/taking things out of the tank.
2. Two vertical angle brackets on the wall behind the tank, and two lights connected to either (I'll probably make the "arms" curved to form the semi-circle pattern for the lights). They could either be braced to each other for stability, or be independent.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I am so stuck! Thanks in advance, everyone!
As I get rolling on my (hopefully) SPS-only tank, I am dealing with some lighting struggles and need your advice!
Tank Details:
57g Deep Blue Rimless (36" wide, 18" deep, 20 something inches tall)
Center overflow
Lighting: 5x AI Hydra 26 (I know, old school- but a LOT of light)
So here's the big question/issue: I want to set my lights up so that two of them are centered on either side of the overflow near the back, and two will be closer together at the front, so kind of in a semi-circle around the overflow. I have them in a row currently, and I'm finding that it creates a large shadow on the front of the overflow and in the front center of the tank. Ideally, I will have acros packed into this tank, and a big shady spot isn't something I want to have to work around. I plan on creating a laser-cut mounting system for the lights, as I am a graphic designer (so I can design them to be whatever) and have a good buddy that has access to a laser cutting machine! The big question is, should I design that fixture and then mount it from the side, or from the back of the tank?? I could even mount it to the wall behind the tank or drill it into the stand. I'm just not sure what's best, because all I have ever dealt with personally is the typical arm mount attached to the back of the tank. Does anyone have experience with side-mounted lights?? Those of you who have built your own lighting setups/hardware, how did you go about it??? I could also get crazy with it and make something with moving parts so that I could adjust the lights' angles or even push them upwards out of the way for maintenance!
Ultimately, I am open to any suggestion, as long as it checks a few boxes (below). I like to get creative with things like this in order to get the best results!
Goals:
- Obviously, I need it to support the weight of the lights and any cords/accessories needed.
- Can be installed and used without permanent damage to the wall/tank/stand
- Can be assembled using common hardware parts
- All custom-shaped pieces need to be able to laser-cut out of a flat sheet and assembled (meaning no circular tubes, angle brackets, etc. unless I can buy them at Home Depot!)
- Holds the lights where they need to be (I'm also open to suggestions on how far above the surface to mount them- acro lovers, what do you do?)
- Can be cut out of sheet metal (any angled/dimensional pieces need to be standard/easy to get)
- Isn't too inconvenient when doing routine maintenance on the tank (no full hoods, anything that would get in the way too much during water changes)
Other than that, I think I am open to suggestions! My current favorites are:
1. Two horizontal rails (one back, one front), each holding two lights. Rails connect at the ends, and are supported by one vertical bar that clams onto either side of the tank's glass. I like this option, as it seems fairly straightforward, but I don't know if mounting them on the side will put a huge dent into the limitations as far as cleaning/taking things out of the tank.
2. Two vertical angle brackets on the wall behind the tank, and two lights connected to either (I'll probably make the "arms" curved to form the semi-circle pattern for the lights). They could either be braced to each other for stability, or be independent.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I am so stuck! Thanks in advance, everyone!
