Light bleeding everywhere. Wife not happy!

[chrisw669]

I'm in the process of setting up a new aquarium. Got a rimless 48x20 tank with two Hydra 26 HDs. Currently just filled with fresh water to leak and noise test but something happened that I wasn't expecting; I have a lot of light bleed. Maybe foolish on my part but I wasn't expecting it to cast like this. Last system I had was 20 years ago with t5's sitting right on the rim of the tank.

Here's the million dollar question, what can I do to get the light into the tank and not on the walls and ceiling? I'm condering building a hood that sits off the tank a few inches if that's my only option. I should mention that we have cats that are very interested in taking a swim so at the very least I need to put a piece of glass over the top to keep them out.

Please help me with my wife's happiness!

 

[rudy.guzman.925]

Easy fix! Get rid of the wife! [emoji23]
Just kidding
Get a canopy for the top made. Ask around, some people can custom make it for you here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Uncle99]

Yup, hood will solve this prob, needs fan to keep moisture out of lights, otherwise they will not last long.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

NO glass tops use a screen top to keep the cats out.

 

[chrisw669]

NO glass tops use a screen top to keep the cats out.

Yeah, screen won't cut it. Cat is heavy and will make it through the screen like a hot knife through butter.

Sounds like a hood is going to be my best option. So, do I suspend the hood above a couple inches or let it sit right on the glass? Any harm to the tank with the extra weight of the hood?

 

[ca1ore]

Hood rather spoils the whole notion of a rimless tank though. I’m not familiar with the hydra lights, but they look to be mounted way too high. Lower them and light spill goes away.

 

[JWClark]

On the cats--one dunk in the tank and they will never try to get on top again. Leave filled with fresh until that happens and problem solved. Only took our cat a day or two to figure that out.

Now dogs wrestling in front of you when you try to do sump work is another story.

I second lowering the lights but the light on the ceiling is reflected. Perhaps the screen top would diffuse that. I really never noticed that when running G4s but my light cycle is mainly on when the sun is out so I'm never in the room in the complete dark.

 

[Constantine]

I don't have any experience to draw from, but is it possible it's just caused by the bare bottom and nothing in the tank? That bottom glass is just acting like a mirror and shooting light everywhere. If there is sand and rock, etc... will the light be absorbed and not reflected? Might just get to that point before building a hood and all.

 

[mcgyvr]

I don't have any experience to draw from, but is it possible it's just caused by the bare bottom and nothing in the tank? That bottom glass is just acting like a mirror and shooting light everywhere. If there is sand and rock, etc... will the light be absorbed and not reflected? Might just get to that point before building a hood and all.

yes.
some (quite a bit actually) of that "spill" is reflected light..

I might suggest using this for a "top" to the tank if you want to maintain that "rimless" setup.. It can support the weight of a cat.. It lets enough light through.. It helps reduce evaporation.. It does trap heat which can be good or bad depending on your situation..
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Ship-Wi...019205&sr=8-3&keywords=twinwall+polycarbonate
You can easily cut it with an exacto/razor blade if needed..
It will reduce the reflections some too..
Cheap enough to give it a try and see if thats sufficient to quiet the beast

 

[West1]

If your wife is like my wife, she was very unhappy with the bright blue. I did a DIY 3/4 canopy that sits on the rim of my tank. The canopy has no back wall or roof.

You have the option to do a floating canopy (drill to back wall) or as I did and simply place of the rim, remove when needed.

I use my hood as a table when doing maintenance.

I highly recommend using a pocket jig, very handy tool.

 

[steallife904]

I say you do a floating canopy that sits a few inches off the rim of tank. They look very nice and hide the lights. You could make one or have one built that hangs from ceiling or mount it on the wall (studs). I have seen both, they are nice.

I have a canopy on my tank to fix your exact issue. Mine sits directly on the tank no problem. The back of it is completely open, that's how I deal with getting moisture out.

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

Same reason I have a canopy on my tank. Wife saw the tanks at the fish store and said she loved how they look. Then when I set mine up the same way, I hear the complaints of light everywhere and humming noise. I guess she didn't notice at the store since there were tanks everywhere and very high ceilings which hid any light spill. Funny how a good portion of the changes we make and money that is put into the tanks is to appease the better half's. Does make for a nice tank though. I tend to look past any filtration or lighting or powerheads or whatever and only notice the fish and coral. I think my wife is the opposite and only sees the equipment.

 

[Kevin Guthrie]

Can't you just lower the lights?

 

[chrisw669]

Thanks for the ideas. I tried lowering the lights but didn’t get much from that. I didn’t think about the reflection coming from the bottom of the tank. I plan on having a sand bed but I don’t think that’s going to be good enough to make wifey happy let alone I’m still not dealing with the cat situation. I threw together a canopy out of cardboard to see how it would work and minus light spilling out the back because I left it open, it worked great so looks like I’m building a canopy.