Mounting led light? DIY

[Trickdout69]

I recently purchased a few led light similar to the Taotronics LEDs. I'm wondering if anyone has built any kind of bracket to hold these? I don't want to hang them. I have a 210g tank and I will be using four of these lights. If possible I woul like to figure out a way to be able to still get in the tank to clean and service it. Any info would be great. Thank you

 

[mfinn]

Have you seen the led mount system that reef koi sells?

LED Lighting : REEFKOI CORALS, SPS, LPS, Zoanthids

 

[skinz78]

Can you post a pic of the inside of your hood and one of the lights so we can see what you have to work with?

 

[mfinn]

I made a rack to hold 3 Radions with materials from a company called eztube.
It was actually very easy and made a very sturdy mount.



Product Catalog - Parts, Components, Accessories, Order | EZ Tube - International Designs

 

[Trickdout69]

I like that idea. Very nice

 

[redfishbluefish]

I worked with those four small eyebolts on the top of the fixture. What I did was use 8 – ½ inch machine bolts that fit through the eyebolts. I drilled a hole in offset aluminum angle (3/4 x ½ x 1/16) (FYI, A four foot piece at HD is six bucks and change. On a side note, I didn’t go to HD looking for offset, just wanted a regular symmetrical piece of aluminum angle. But my local HD had their aluminum section very poorly stocked. The only four foot angle was this one offset piece.) Now each side of the fixture has a one foot length of aluminum angle that is attached by two bolts through the eyebolts. I did have to file slots around the fixed cable points, since they were slightly in the way of the angle. Here’s a picture of the bolt point of the eyebolt to the angle:

I then drilled holes in the opposing side of the angle, and attached this to a wood frame of the canopy using machine bolts. You can see the nut end in the above picture.



Now I’m not done. The above was for two fixtures in a canopy over a five foot custom 90 gallon tank where the lights were “hung” from the top of the inside of the canopy. I also have a JBJ 28 were I first build a canopy for this tank and then cut a hole into the ¾ plywood top, slightly smaller than the dimension of the light fixture.

Now this cut was actually done at a 45 degree angle (from the top side), so that the bevel on the light fixture would rest in this hole:

Here is that fixture resting in the canopy top, so you can get the idea of what I’m talking about. No hanging stuff needed….the light will simply rest on the top of the canopy, fitting in the beveled cut-out.

 

[Eckolancer]

Here is what I did.

Sent from inside the shark tank!

 

[mfinn]

Eckolancer, your lights look way to close to the water.
Most people usually have their leds hung between 6"-7" to 14" above their tank.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I made a rack to hold 3 Radions with materials from a company called eztube.
It was actually very easy and made a very sturdy mount.



Product Catalog - Parts, Components, Accessories, Order | EZ Tube - International Designs

If one could not weld, or get something welded, would not UniStrut work as well?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Or this kit.
AquaticLife Stand Light Fixture Hanger

 

[mfinn]

Or this kit.
AquaticLife Stand Light Fixture Hanger

I made my own light hanger that was very similar to the aquaticlife one, but decided I needed something a little cleaner and wanted to get away from the led hanging cable look. Just my personal preference.


Uni-strut would work, but again I wanted something a little more finished, that I could do.

 

[mfinn]

I also made a single led light holder using 2" x 3/8" and 1" x 1/8" aluminum flat bar. For a single mount I like this one best.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Right on. Very nicely done!!

 

[mfinn]

Right on. Very nicely done!!

Thank-you.

 

[Eckolancer]

Eckolancer, your lights look way to close to the water.
Most people usually have their leds hung between 6"-7" to 14" above their tank.

Been doing saltwater tanks for about 15 years. Also been doing DIY LEDs for over 3 years now with great coral growth. I never run optics on my led setups as well as having good sps growth on sandless bottom. To date only lost one coral bleaching out. But still think it may have been a high mag level at the same time as adding the coral. I have never followed what people say and place corals on bottom first. I mount them where they are going after dipping them for bugs then a quick dip in coral RX to heal anything wrong with them.


Sent from inside the shark tank!

 

[SloppyJ]

Make one out of tubing. Get it at your local home improvement store.

 

[mfinn]

Been doing saltwater tanks for about 15 years. Also been doing DIY LEDs for over 3 years now with great coral growth. I never run optics on my led setups as well as having good sps growth on sandless bottom. To date only lost one coral bleaching out. But still think it may have been a high mag level at the same time as adding the coral. I have never followed what people say and place corals on bottom first. I mount them where they are going after dipping them for bugs then a quick dip in coral RX to heal anything wrong with them.


Sent from inside the shark tank!

Was just making a observation, and repeating what I have seen and read over the last year or so.
If it's working for you that's great.

 

[fishface NJ]

I also made a single led light holder using 2" x 3/8" and 1" x 1/8" aluminum flat bar. For a single mount I like this one best.

Hi @mfinn

can you tell me how you bent the flat bar? I have a ATI 45" T5. Would that support something that heavy? Previously I had it attached to the stand using round conduit piping. I just finished building a new stand and like the look of your bar better.

Tanks!

 

[mfinn]

Hi @mfinn

can you tell me how you bent the flat bar? I have a ATI 45" T5. Would that support something that heavy? Previously I had it attached to the stand using round conduit piping. I just finished building a new stand and like the look of your bar better.

Tanks!

My son in law bent that for me. He had a jig that was specifically made to bend flat bar. He's a fabricator/boiler maker by trade.
I was going to try bending it in a vice. Maybe even use a small butane torch. Doing it this way will probably add and lot of tool marks. So figure on some sanding.
There may be metal fabrication shops in your area that might have the aluminum bar in stock and be able to do the bends properly.
I did use this style to hang a ATI 6 x 24 watt fixture over the tank. Using 2" x 3/8" aluminum bar I think this is probably the maximum weight it would support.
I came up with this idea after seeing a thread on RC where a guy made this insanely clean looking cube build using a curved aluminum bar, instead of 45 degree angles. Getting the curve to be completely uniform was difficult. ( never did get one I liked)

Here is a picture of the ATI fixture over the tank.

 

[fishface NJ]

thank you @mfinn