Mounting under Canopy

[kkgaskin90]

I'm not sure how to mount our new LED, Reefbreeder Photon 48, under our canopy. The included legs won't fit because it's both too tall and the legs sit outside the frame of the tank, and I can't hang it from the top of the canopy because even at the lowest setting, it hangs too low. Any ideas?

 

[tcarter1936]

Not sure how much room you got but here's how I did mine. Used wires running front to back

pic was before I attached doors

 

[miamiangler]

I cut my top of the canopy to fit mine

 

[kkgaskin90]

That's what I ended up with :)

 

[redfishbluefish]

I'm almost positive Reefbreeders also have the eyelets on the top of their fixtures. What I did was to pick up aluminum angle from HD and small nuts and bolts to fit through the eyelets. Here you can see the small bolt going through the eyelet and a nut on the opposite face going up to the canopy top.

And here you can see the canopy open with the fixtures bolted to the top of the canopy.

 

[tatorswife]

We are in the same process. We are upgrading to a 90gallon with a canopy and wondering about the light mounting under the canopy. redfish my concern with that mount would be the space from the top of your canopy. I would think the lights would need some breathing room above them or is the top of your canopy not enclosed??

 

[redfishbluefish]

We are in the same process. We are upgrading to a 90gallon with a canopy and wondering about the light mounting under the canopy. redfish my concern with that mount would be the space from the top of your canopy. I would think the lights would need some breathing room above them or is the top of your canopy not enclosed??

I said canopy top....but it's actually open and simply made of inexpensive fir strips. So it is open on the top, allowing the fans to suck in air for cooling

 

[tatorswife]

Ok gotcha!! That's awesome!! Im thinking that's what we will have to do too. Our canopy is a Monterey top and just has a cut down the entire center about 3 inches wide but we will probably have to cut the top out for more air flow.

 

[ruppertb]

What I did was get a flat pieces of aluminum and drill holes and then drive screws down into the LED fixture and then I drilled holes on the pieces that were hanging off and mounted it to my canopy. And actually today I am working on adding more spacers to tilt them back and point them at the rocks I will post a picture

 

[AZDesertRat]

I used anodized aluminum T Track to mount my AI Sol Blues inside the canopy of my100G mixed reef. I cut two pieces and screwed them to the canopy roof front to back the cut a long piece that can slide front to back on those two pieces. I then loosely fastened the two fixtures to the long lateral piece so the lights can be individually adjusted side to side and front to back. I was not sure where I would get the best coverage so wanted the adjustability.

 

[redfishbluefish]

AZ, I like the adjustability of your llights, but that aluminum looks to be U channel, not T? Also curious as to how you are running your fans....both blowing in or both blowing out? Thanks.

 

[AZDesertRat]

No, it is T Track. The fans were there from my 2x250w Metal Halide/2x140w VHO Super Actinics I replaced. They were set up so both pull fresh dry cool air in and it exits the roof ofthe canopy through he holes you can see in the pics.
I do not use them at all now but they are still hooked to my Reefkeeper Lite as a backup if for some reason the tank gets warm. What I found with this configuration is I get lots of cooling by natural convection alone even without the fans, you can hold your hand above the canopy and feel hot air rising out the top and the filters on the sides still get an occasional cleaning from that.

The heads of I think it was 3/16" or 1/4" bolts slide perfectly in the T track so movemnt is easy.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Oh, I see.....gee wiz they should call that two T'ed U channel. Interesting. Thanks.

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[Fin]

This is how I mounted my AI Sols (now Hydra s) under my canopy. I just used some aluminum tubing from Lowe's, small L-brackets, eye hooks and some s-hooks. The units slide easily from side to side and can be removed quickly. Just another option for consideration.