# Protecting hood lights.



## TypeZERO (Jul 20, 2007)

After seeing dekstr's thread on his simple diy lights, I went out and got the same set up. I'm in the process of getting everything, equipment wise ready before I leave to Vietnam.

Planning to set up a 5 gallon tank as my first planted tank. Still undecided on the filter, either a aquaclear20 or sponge filter, will have diy co2 and leaning towards eco-complete as substrate. In the process of assembling the lights, I realized that I need to protect them from the evaporating water since I don't have anything covering the top of the tank.








The picture shoes the setup with only 1 bulb. I was planning to silicon the hotpink area to seal it up from moisture, maybe silicon the yellow part up also or just use electrical tape. But what worries me is the red area. Does this area need sealing up too? If so how would I go at it? Looking at the chubby soda bottle I have for the diy co2, gets me tempted to use that to cover the whole bulb, but will the plastic bottle handle the heat of the lights. The lights are 13w6500k cf bulbs.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

I used a dual tube florescent fixture for my custom hoods. What I did was cut a piece of acrylic and/or glass to fit on the top of the aquarium just below the lights.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

Nice idea.

You can buy heat proof silicone that's used on wood burning stove chimneys and use it for all your seals.

Cheers.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Shattered said:


> I used a dual tube florescent fixture for my custom hoods. What I did was cut a piece of acrylic and/or glass to fit on the top of the aquarium just below the lights.


I agree with Shattered that a plexi/lexan cover for the tank is your best bet. It will protect your light and slow down evaporation (less work for you, and prevents mildew from forming inside your canopy - assuming DIY wood canopy). A while back, I ran my tank with no cover for a while and had mildew form on the underside of my canopy. Not to mention saving you the work of removing silicone should you want to change a light.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

No fight about the mildew problem.

As long as you put just a very thin coating of silicone on the joints it shouldn't be that hard to replace a bulb. Use an exacto knife to cut the silicone. No need to scrape it all off.

The only problem with using a cover is that it cuts down the light reaching the plants especially after a while from the calcium build up.

I guess you either spend the time cleaning the hood or the cover although cleaning the cover is probably easier to do.

That's my $0.02 worth.

Let me know what you decide and how it turns out.

Cheers.


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## TypeZERO (Jul 20, 2007)

I think I'll scrap the sealing up the joints idea because of buildup on the lights itself. The tank is kind of rimless with corner things on each corner.









and









I think I can try to make a plexi glass cover that can dodge the corner kinks.

























My dad made me that hood a good while ago. The sides were lazily notched out using a router and it sits snugly onto of the corner pieces. The hood is covered in white shiny plasticky thing that I think does a great job at reflecting light.

so its either make a plexi glass top cover or make a plexi glass box that covers the lights.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

After seeing your canopy, I'd like to change my suggestion if you don't mind. 

Based on the melamine like finish of your cover, I think it will resist mold very well and clean up very easy too. Get a small (spray?)can of Varathane Diamond Polyurethane Outdoor (I can't recall the name exactly - but it's water based and dries fast and super, super hard) and seal up your canopy edges where wood is exposed by the router cuts etc and go with no cover. Nice little canopy BTW.

Also, after seeing the frame of your tank, it'd be a bit more work to make a nice fitting cover for that - I expected a standard black plastic frame and I expected less sealed wood on the canopy...

Note to self: Always collect all the details before making statements.


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

That is a very nice tank, I like the hood. The finish looks like a vinyl coating, thought I can't be sure.



Mr Fishies said:


> ...prevents mildew from forming inside your canopy - assuming DIY wood canopy). A while back, I ran my tank with no cover for a while and had mildew form on the underside of my canopy. ...


I had the same problem with both my wood DIY hoods, mildew forming on the inside. I used a Marine Spar varnish and the problem is gone... so far.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

So basically you're using an old clear garbage can full of empty pop bottles as an aquarium? 

Instead of building a plastic cover why not cut off the top and bottom of the plastic pop bottles, cut the remaining cylinder in half length wise and use each half under each bulb to shield it from the water spray. You can screw one edge of the half to the side of the hood using stainless screws.

It could work...


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

TypeZERO, I'm just curious where you got your 8 pack of Daylight CFL bulbs from; I've been to Home Depot, and they only have a 6 pack.


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## TypeZERO (Jul 20, 2007)

I got them at the Keele and StClair Home Depot. They have both the 6 and 8 pack. But strangely the 6 pack is $20 and the 8 pack is $18.


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