DIY Splash gaurd - Or ??

[Playdope]

Hey all - hope you could help, because ive been giving this one some thought, with no luck.

I have a 6 inch oak canopy, in which I was planning to mount several VHO's or t5's. However, I also want to leave the two acrylic lids that came with the tank off, to promote better gas exchange. There is about a 3 inch space between the openings of the tank (not water line) and where the bottom of the bulbs will extend to when mounted to the canopy. The ballasts will not be in the canopy, or mounted on the stand - I plan to leave those hidden off to the side of the tank, sitting some bricks.

Bulbs being exposed to water doesn't sound good, and neither does salt buildup on them... so what could I do? Help would be great on this one.

Many thanks,
Jon

 

[sid]

I hope i can help, What about putting a pice of square wood at each end of the canopy big enough to form a lip which you could then set plexi or possibly reuse your stock tops on. then to clean you just lift the pieces out for cleaning or bulb replacement. for a center brace, make an upside down T to lay the pieces in.

sid

 

[Playdope]

I guess that would work well....

I just want to be sure that the wood wouldn't topple over .

Also, which kind of plexi do you recommend using that wouldn't warp/bend, and that could handle the light intensity shining through it?

Thanks
Jon

 

[sid]

with vho or t5, heat shouldn't be a big problem but the bowing affect may be due to the span. what you might do to solve it is to use alluminum u channel from home depot or someplace similar to add strength to the plexi or get some glass panes cut. if this is a wood canopy, just screw the wood blocks into the inside to make a lip for 3 sides and use glass from the home center. they can cut it to the size you need.

also, just an added tid bid speaking from experience, buy yourself a piece of egg crate light diffuser to cover that tank so fish dont try to see what dry land looks like up close. it is VERY cheap and can be cut with a simple pair of side cut pliers. you'll find it in the lighting department near the flourecent (sp) light fixtures. it doesnt seem to make a noticible difference as far as brightness goes imo.

one last idea i have is from the bottom of the barrell...they sell clear tubes that t5 bulbs can slip into that are designed to be used to prevent the glass from going everywhere if the bulb should break. mainly used in commercial aplications like over serving lines at cafaterias. buy the tube and cut to the bulb length desired, you can probably leave a little extra to act as a shield at the electrical connections by cutting a notch in the end to slip over.

hope some of this stuff helps or helps your ponder...
sid

 

[liquid]

I just left them go and they've been that way for 3 years. Check my equipment pics on http://www.liquidreef.com/

Shane