Thank you for responding!
I'm thinking about doing something similar to what you have done as far as putting wood across the inside of the stand for the lights to rest on but I'm concerned about weight. I will be mounting 5 lights. The 5 lights together will weigh just about 30lbs.
My other concern is HOW to secure the wood.
I don't want to screw through the outside of the canopy. I think "L" brackets might work but it all takes me back to the weight concern.
I need to make the rails strong enough to hold at least 30lbs and I need to figure out how to install without screwing from the outside.
I don't want to see screws exposed outside the canopy.
I am going to re-do pretty much the whole canopy. The 2 slats that go across the front of the canopy will be moved deeper inside the canopy and will serve as a shelf for the lights to rest on. I will build a lip for each slat so the lights fit securely and are not able to fall into the tank.
I will be making a new entry into the canopy that lifts the whole canopy for access to the tank AND a flap at the front of the canopy for feeding access to the tank.