Light Rack

Mahlhavoc

Mahlhavoc

New member
Can some of you guys with moving, preferrably up and down rather than in and out, light racks post some pics and the DIY steps?

I was thinking a pulley system or something of the like and pulling them in or out just won't work I don't think. I have three Lumin IIIs and VHOs I want on the rack, the tank is 8 foot long and 3 foot deep. I can't stand the way they sit now! :mad:

Thanks in advance!
 
What are you trying to accomplish?

I have a 96" x 31" tank and have just started on my light rack.
It will have 3 MH DIY reflectors and a double row of t-5s in front and behind the MH. The whole front of my canopy will open on a piano hinge via a electric linear actuator, and the light rack will be attached to tool box drawer slides and will be slid out/in with another electric linear actuator. When the lights are in the in position, another linear actuator will be able to lift up the front of the light rack for tank access. The rear of the drawer slide will be attached to the canopy steel frame on a pivot and the front will rest on a metal stop.
DSC00076.jpg

DSC00005.jpg
 
I am trying to devise a way to raise and lower the lighting over the 8 foot tank and am not sure how to go about it.
 
Here's my lighting currently, I still have yet to add the VHOs to it. I hope this helps you out. I really don't like how this currently is and I need to refine it and make it more usable because right now. . it's cheap and blows and won't do it for the long haul.

This is an 8 foot tank 3 feet deep.

100_1107.jpg

100_1110.jpg
 
I think that will be an easy fix. Build a light rack from 1 inch angle aluminum, attaching your MH reflectors to the aluminum angle by removing the MH bulbs and drilling and bolting the reflectors to the aluminum so the reflectors are below the aluminum. You can attach VHOs in front and behind the MHs so the bottom of the bulbs are at the same level as the bottom of the MH reflectors. Use two linear actuators that will bolt to the ceiling and pull on a cable attached to each end through a pulley (like you have), but have the actuator and cable run paralled to the center of the tank, and the lights will rise straight up to the ceiling. Here's a link to actuators.
http://www.firgelliauto.com/product_info.php?cPath=86&products_id=49
I'm going to try to get an engineer/artist friend to come to this thread and draw it up for you.
 
Hello Mahlhavoc, I'm a friend of MFLamb and he knew I was going to have close to the same setup so he thought I might already have some ideas. And yes I do have ideas but nothing right now on paper. But - between MFLamb and myself and of course others here on RC, we can get some drawings for ya and get you headed in the right direction.

I had the same pulley system as you and yes it did suck. For a quick fix you can put some stoppers on your pulley so it will only travel so far. This way your frame isn't sitting on your tank frame. That is just a quick fix, the best way is with a actuator. So right now two choices - continue using what you have (Pulley system - I hope that isn't rope) or actuator that at a push of a button it will raise and lower the complete canopy.
I can't tell is that an aluminum frame?

For the next few days I'm going to be very busy with a build our reef club is having. As soon as that is finished we can start putting together a drawing see what system you might want to go with.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9968284#post9968284 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefArtist
Hello Mahlhavoc, I'm a friend of MFLamb and he knew I was going to have close to the same setup so he thought I might already have some ideas. And yes I do have ideas but nothing right now on paper. But - between MFLamb and myself and of course others here on RC, we can get some drawings for ya and get you headed in the right direction.

For the next few days I'm going to be very busy with a build our reef club is having. As soon as that is finished we can start putting together a drawing see what system you might want to go with.
Click to expand...
Thanks Carol!!!
 
Well hello again. I've been looking around for different ideas and have found a few. Your current system actually looks good - at least to me. You can just mount your VHOs under your frame and that would be finished (Mike has suggested the same). I found this system that lifts bikes, and things. Here's the link and looks very simple.

http://www.garagegorilla.com/

It appears lots of people go with the actuators as MFLamb suggested. you do need to purchase two but they would do the trick. After looking at a load of threads that will most likely be the way I go.
 
Thanks Mflamb and Reefartist.

I kinda get it, but how would I go about wiring these? I want to make sure I have all the parts I need. I saw a mounting bracket, would I need that also?

I get the general idea, just am a little sketchy on how it would come together. I understand the rack itself, just hooking up the actuators, wiring them up and mounting them.

I appologize if I sound a bit ignorant about it, I am actually extremely handy :bum:
 
Take a look at the rack lower down in this post for an idea of how to mount the lights together. This is what mine will be like, except the bottom of the flourescents will be even with the bottom of the MH reflectors.
 
Mike - where's the link? :).

Here is an example - one that I'm going to possibly go with - General idea of the T5 or VHO mounting:

132223light_rack_System.jpg
 
To bad you didn't make it to the build. My 75 is only VHOs and I had lots of comments about the color. I do love the VHOs - just not changing them every 4 - 6 months. I know they only last that long because that is the only lighting on that tank and you can watch the corals down grade as the light weakens. With yours being supplements you can get away without changing them a little longer.
 
I'm thinking about two Ice Cap 660s, each with two UV (URI) 72 inch, 160 watt Super Actinic VHOs staggered, so that one end of each bulb will be about 8 inches from one end of the tank and overlap over most of the tank. Then I can put moonlights in between the MHs. I've always liked VHO lighting...(old timer)...so I'm considering that direction. I'm considering buying some bulb testing equipment and find out how long the bulbs will actually last. My canopy will be open on top and back, so I will should be able to vent more heat than most, which may or may not help.
 
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