40g goes MH with NEW DIY canopy

[Mariner]

Well, I've done it. I got an old 400w ballast and some bulbs from Yoda and have been building a canopy for my 40g in my spare time.
Here's the result.
Full View

Top Half

Here are some of the acros under the new light -- of course their current color is attributable to the PC's

[/IMG]

 

[Mariner]

Here's the inside of the canopy. The bulb is a used Hamilton 14k -- I'm planning on ordering a new one. The fan is an 80mm computer fan that I rigged to an AC/DC plug. And I'm using one of the Coralife 2x96w PC's units for supplementation -- mainly to light the tank when the MH isn't burning.

Tell me what you think.
Mariner

 

[wpecoul]

Very nice work, Mariner. I think you'll be happy with the Hammy 14kK bulb, too. I really like mine.

 

[MaryBebo]

Looks really good Mariner. I like the front of it too with the decoration on the wood. I bet your Acros will really take off growing with the new lighting.

 

[joejoe1055]

very nicely done
been wondering about the 14's myself

 

[Rollin]

Nice looking canopy. I had 14K 250w MH over my 40 for a while until I went with T5s. I really like the color.

 

[cainchristy]

Great job Mariner! I am about to install my new 400 watt 14K fixture over my 92.... I'm anxious to see how the coloring will looks. Do you think the coloring is good, or is it too blue? Your's looks great!

 

[8BALL_99]

Holy cow thats a light.. LOL looks good.. Your growth in that 40 with that much light should be insane :eek2:

Btw how id your Temp doing?

 

[Mariner]

Thanks for the compliments.
Cainchristy -- I like the color of the 14k. I noticed that the pics look a good bit bluer than they did under the PC's but that's not as obvious to the naked eye. What I know about MH lighting you could put in a thimble, but my impression from what I've seen on other's tanks is that 10k or below needs actinic supplementation, 20k is too blue. 12k to 15k is the most pleasing to my eye.
8ball -- yep, it's a monster. My temp hasn't gone up any so far, but I've only been running the MH three hours per day for two days. I left the back of the canopy fairly open, and the fan really moves some air, so I'm hoping I'll not have much of a temp issue.
Oh, you might notice that the fan came with 3 led blue lights -- BONUS MOONLIGHTS!!!
Mariner

 

[yoda]

Looks great!

 

[kng]

Who would have ever thought, Mr. Normal Output with a 400 Watt MH! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Looks good...you got some nice pieces in there. Curious to see how their color changes.

-Kyle

 

[Mariner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6783522#post6783522 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kng
Who would have ever thought, Mr. Normal Output with a 400 Watt MH! :lol: :lol: :lol:

LOL -- I've still got the NO's on my 75g -- no plans for changing them out. It just looks TOO GOOD!
Mariner

 

[H@rry]

You catch that dolphin?

 

[Mariner]

You catch that dolphin?

Nope. My dad caught it before I was born. It's been out of the water for 50 years...but it looks like it's trying to jump back in
Mariner

 

[Mariner]

I got the new 14k Hamilton bulb; here's an endview pic I took before the meeting last week.

Mariner

 

[Opiy]

How tall is that canopy?

I just built me a canopy (finished today actually) but its only 13" tall but was planning on the Lumenarc Mini refelctor which is 6.5" tall. I hope around 6" of clearance will be enough for a 175w MH

 

[Mariner]

It's 18" high. There's about 13-14" from the bottom of the light to the top of the water. With 400w on a 40g, I actually wanted it a little higher.
In your case, 6" shouldn't be too close from the standpoint of heat/light, but I'd worry that the bulb might catch some salt spray off the water, which is no good for MH bulbs.
Mariner

 

[Opiy]

Yea the splashing is true. I think it comes with a piece of glass but not positive. Hmm

 

[Mariner]

I've added a new piece of rock and a couple of frags (pink and golden birdsnest), so I thought I'd share a new pic.

Mariner

 

[Opiy]

Looks like some awesome growth on the acros !

How is the Flameback in the picture doing with picking on corals?