DIY Canopy

[brad]

I upgraded my lighting to DIY LED on my 270 (48"x48"x30").

I used 2 2'x4'x1/2" aluminum panels for both a heat sink and the top of my canopy - other than being heavy these worked very well.

For a canopy, I am using 4 pine 8"x1" boards. These look like crap, and I need to take everything off the tank to get my hand inside (but they were cheap and I built it in a few hours). Any ideas on how to build a canopy that is easy to work with?

I do not want to hang my fixture. I have too much evaporation and heat loss as it is.

I have seen lots of canopy designs with doors that fold up. Given the size of this tank, most of these do not give me enough room to work.

 

[stacy_vennes]

we used 1"x12" and made a flip door that allows us plenty of room to work with heres some pics

some details i would change from our tank to yours would be make sure the door has the lights mounted to it because when you flip it up your lights will be out of your way or make a seperate box to slide your lights out of the way to work on your tank hope it can give you at least some ideas there is also a diy canopy concepts thread i can't get you a link to it from work but its on the forum somewhere

 

[brad]

Thanks! What is the black thing that looks like a door closer?

 

[deepstar]

nice idea for a canopy... can I steal it?

 

[michaelkittrell]

I'm stealing this idea too!!


With the top folded back you could actually look/reach down into it without coming in horizontally then making the turn

 

[stacy_vennes]

well of course you guys can use our canopy idea and yes it does work great the black thing is actually a pneumatic arm from the tunk lid of a audi a4 and then two 10mm ball mounts from napa for 15 dollars and then i just played with the mounting points till it worked like i wanted it too anyways good luck and have fun with it

by the way micheal where you from in MT my husband is from Libby/Wilsall

 

[brad]

Unfortunately, buying an Audi a4 for this project is above budget. Does this exert pressure upwards, to make the lid easier to lift? Or does this hold the lid up after it is lifted? Or does it do something else?

 

[michaelkittrell]

by the way micheal where you from in MT my husband is from Libby/Wilsall

Billings.

Never been to Libby, but that whole asbestos super fund thing sounds nasty.

 

[stacy_vennes]

go to a junk yard and get them or a pick and pull but they hold the lid open and assist in opening the lid we love them

mike that asbestos thing was nasty its on the tail end of things tho thank god anyways any other questions just let us know

 

[smaione618]

How tall is it

And where do u have all your return lines going thru

 

[fishgate]

I made mine with a liftout top. Also if you spray paint your canopy flat black it will look much better.

 

[stacy_vennes]

our canopy is only 1x12s n then it covers the top trim of our tank which is two inches n then the canopy is another ten inches on top of the tank n our return lines are drilled into our tank


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[jackde]

This one uses doors and a flip up.

 

[Jonnyhot]

I like the first one , how much light goes tru the opening?

 

[smaione618]

After taking a closer look I see where the lines come in sorry but very very nice hood

 

[10reefman]

What angle did you use on the side panels?

 

[stacy_vennes]

hardly any light goes through the anghe opening when its closed and the angle is right around 50 degrees