More updates!
I did a bit of cleanup work on the light rack and I am really liking how its turning out. The lights are held up with 3/16" wire which I looped at each end with aluminum ferrules. Whats really nice is I can slide the lights across the black pipe if i need more intense light due to coral placement.
The lights are hung 8" from the water surface and 4 are doing an amazing job lighting this tank! Even though I'm going to do a hybrid lighting with T5, for now, this is more than enough light and the shimmer is unreal!
The only thing that bugs me is the wires but I think I will find a nice black tubing, split it and cover the wires for a cleaner look. I also need to make the wooden shelf for the light rack.
The light rack was SO simple to assemble and looks great! I bought 1/2" black pipe and fittings from Lowes. I really wanted a bit of an industrial look so it was not too modern looking and it goes with some other industrial pieces we have in the house.
I noticed that the fittings did not have the same black finish as the pipe did, so I ended up de-greasing the fittings and spraying them black. This thing ended up being 104" long, so I was glad my brother-in-law was here to help me put it up. If you are considering something similar, make sure you have some pipe wrenches because you can't really hand tighten this stuff very well.
With the lights in and working, I finally could pull my fish and coral from the temp tanks. The fish are doing great and the corals are all being acclimated over the next couple of weeks. I am also really liking the Walt Smith Fiji rock, the color is a nice change from the stark white dry rock. Here are a few shots..
Left side
Middle
Right side