"Low Profile" lighting options?

Perched Urchin · 04/06/2010, 01:48 PM

Please don't laugh at me. I bet there are a lot of guys that have to answer to a "higher power" when it comes to this hobby!

I am in the design/build process for my 90G (36"Lx24"Dx24"H). I had been planning to build my canopy to house a single 250W Lumenmax Elite with some actinic supplementation; however, my wife, who should be considered "reef safe - with caution" has recently made it very clear that while she is okay with me setting up the tank, she is not in favor of a "big honkin' canopy" on top of the tank, and apparently the design I had orignally planned falls into that "BHC" category.

So I need some help from all you creative lighting experts.

My intent is for this to be a mixed reef, mostly LPS and softies with some well placed SPS.

I have a 250W IceCap MH ballast and an IceCap 660 on hand, but have not yet purchased the reflector or endcaps, so I am not 100% married to that plan. Initial plan was a full canopy that matches the stand with an internal structure to hold the MH fixture and VHO suplements. I believe, however, that I would need that MH bulb to be at least 10" above the water, which means the canopy would have to be about 15" tall internally, \which means about 16" externally. That probably isn't going to fly.

Options that I can come up with:
- Hang a single MH pendant - still has to be just as high off the water, but the massiveness of the canopy is gone. How does the Lumenmax Elite look hanging as a pendant?
- Find a quality hybrid MH/T5HO fixture that I can hang
- scrap MH all together and go with an ATI Sunpower or Powermodule

My main concern with any of these options is light spillage, from the wasted energy perspective as well as the uncomfortable blinded-by-the-sun when sitting in the same room perspective as well.

While I am not thrilled with the change of plans, I am sure glad this is happening now versus after I got the thing built!

Pictures of your lower profile lighting set ups would be appreciated as well, both for illustration to the wife and for design ideas for me.

Thanks!

elFloyd · 04/06/2010, 03:14 PM

Tagging along... just starting a new build for 180-240 system.

swanny · 04/06/2010, 03:18 PM

If you have a 48" 90g I would personally do 2x250w with the LumenMax Elite's and you could just leave it at that without the supplementation. Run a couple 14k Phoenix' and you won't need actinic supplementation. Ditch the hood, go open top and don't worry about heat probs, that's what I did with my 120g, looks and works great.

James77 · 04/06/2010, 03:21 PM

I cannot stand over imposing canopies either, IMO they take away from the focal point- the tank.

You can do a lower profile canopy and cutout reflectors holes- my canopy is about 6" off the tank, with the reflectors being like bumps on the top. Lumenmax 2 and 3 reflectors are fairly short as well.

The following IS NOT my tank, but I got the idea from this member, BigJays tank:

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJay

Melev gave me a hand with my 180 gallon canopy. He took my extremely shallow canopy, cut holes in it, and mounted my three lumenmax pendants on top.

Here you can see the VHO actinics and all three faceted reflectors with glass covers.

Here are the pendants with the canopy closed.

Perched Urchin · 04/06/2010, 08:17 PM

James77,
That is a pretty good idea. I wonder what the Elite would look like up there on top?

Swanny,
My 90 is going to be a "brick" - 36" long by 24" deep by 24" high, so only one MH. Two would make soup, I am afraid.

nikon187 · 04/06/2010, 09:33 PM

Or you could make a low profile canopy and suspend the canopy " floating" over the water at the proper height for your halides..( With low profile cable of course)

Perched Urchin · 04/07/2010, 02:36 PM

Any more suggestions or pics out there? I have to believe this is a common issue that people deal with.

RoscoPColtrane · 04/07/2010, 04:20 PM

I'm leaning toward an ATI T5 fixture for the same reasons. I would prefer halides, but nice looking fixtures are very expensive. If I had an unlimited budget and was not worried about electricity costs or being blinded when sitting on a nearby couch I would consider a Giesemann Infinity MH/T5 combo. I will likely put a 6x54W sunpower over my 120G.

Perched Urchin · 04/09/2010, 06:37 PM

Any other people out there with "slim" canopies?
I like what I am seeing so far, but there have to be more ideas out there.

04/06/2010, 01:48 PM	#1
Perched Urchin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Plain City, Ohio Posts: 390	"Low Profile" lighting options? Please don't laugh at me. I bet there are a lot of guys that have to answer to a "higher power" when it comes to this hobby! I am in the design/build process for my 90G (36"Lx24"Dx24"H). I had been planning to build my canopy to house a single 250W Lumenmax Elite with some actinic supplementation; however, my wife, who should be considered "reef safe - with caution" has recently made it very clear that while she is okay with me setting up the tank, she is not in favor of a "big honkin' canopy" on top of the tank, and apparently the design I had orignally planned falls into that "BHC" category. So I need some help from all you creative lighting experts. My intent is for this to be a mixed reef, mostly LPS and softies with some well placed SPS. I have a 250W IceCap MH ballast and an IceCap 660 on hand, but have not yet purchased the reflector or endcaps, so I am not 100% married to that plan. Initial plan was a full canopy that matches the stand with an internal structure to hold the MH fixture and VHO suplements. I believe, however, that I would need that MH bulb to be at least 10" above the water, which means the canopy would have to be about 15" tall internally, \which means about 16" externally. That probably isn't going to fly. Options that I can come up with: - Hang a single MH pendant - still has to be just as high off the water, but the massiveness of the canopy is gone. How does the Lumenmax Elite look hanging as a pendant? - Find a quality hybrid MH/T5HO fixture that I can hang - scrap MH all together and go with an ATI Sunpower or Powermodule My main concern with any of these options is light spillage, from the wasted energy perspective as well as the uncomfortable blinded-by-the-sun when sitting in the same room perspective as well. While I am not thrilled with the change of plans, I am sure glad this is happening now versus after I got the thing built! Pictures of your lower profile lighting set ups would be appreciated as well, both for illustration to the wife and for design ideas for me. Thanks! __________________ Rob IM Nuvo 10 with Nanobox led 40G IM Nuvo Black build in process!

04/06/2010, 08:17 PM	#5
Perched Urchin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Plain City, Ohio Posts: 390	James77, That is a pretty good idea. I wonder what the Elite would look like up there on top? Swanny, My 90 is going to be a "brick" - 36" long by 24" deep by 24" high, so only one MH. Two would make soup, I am afraid. __________________ Rob IM Nuvo 10 with Nanobox led 40G IM Nuvo Black build in process!

04/06/2010, 09:33 PM	#6
nikon187 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 4,717	Or you could make a low profile canopy and suspend the canopy " floating" over the water at the proper height for your halides..( With low profile cable of course) __________________ ----------------- Current Tanks: New 210 custom 84 x 24 x 24, 60g sump, SWC 250 extreme with bubble blaster 5000, 2 vortech mp40, 2 vortech mp10, 12 T5, Water blaster 5000, warner marine bio pellets, 60g clownfish cube, red carpet anemone with a 25g sump,SRO octopus 1000sss, 250w radium, lumenarc large.

04/07/2010, 02:36 PM	#7
Perched Urchin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Plain City, Ohio Posts: 390	Any more suggestions or pics out there? I have to believe this is a common issue that people deal with. __________________ Rob IM Nuvo 10 with Nanobox led 40G IM Nuvo Black build in process!

04/09/2010, 06:37 PM	#9
Perched Urchin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Plain City, Ohio Posts: 390	Any other people out there with "slim" canopies? I like what I am seeing so far, but there have to be more ideas out there. __________________ Rob IM Nuvo 10 with Nanobox led 40G IM Nuvo Black build in process!

04/06/2010, 03:14 PM	#2
elFloyd Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Cumming, GA Posts: 421	Tagging along... just starting a new build for 180-240 system.

04/06/2010, 03:18 PM	#3
swanny Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: denver Posts: 406	If you have a 48" 90g I would personally do 2x250w with the LumenMax Elite's and you could just leave it at that without the supplementation. Run a couple 14k Phoenix' and you won't need actinic supplementation. Ditch the hood, go open top and don't worry about heat probs, that's what I did with my 120g, looks and works great.

04/07/2010, 04:20 PM	#8
RoscoPColtrane Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 586	I'm leaning toward an ATI T5 fixture for the same reasons. I would prefer halides, but nice looking fixtures are very expensive. If I had an unlimited budget and was not worried about electricity costs or being blinded when sitting on a nearby couch I would consider a Giesemann Infinity MH/T5 combo. I will likely put a 6x54W sunpower over my 120G.