DIY Bowfront Hood - completed

K

Kron

Membership Expired
I'm in the process of designing a hood for my 36g bowfront and have a few questions before deciding on materials. I'm not set on using wood but figure it would be easier than metal fabrication.

Fixtures:
  • 150w MH retro
    2xt5 actinic 24in
    2x Lunar Lights

1. Does the wood need to be treated with something before using as frame for the hood?
2. If I use wood on the inside to hold the MH reflector, should I add spacers in between the wood and reflector to prevent heat transfer to the wood?
3. Do I want to keep the ballasts inside the hood say above the lights or place them elsewhere?
4. Should I use the glass top for the tank?
5. What type of fans are recommended? I'm thinking two 140mm but not sure yet.

Thanks,
Thomas
 
Wow, old unanswered questions. Here you go:

1) Treated? No. I would recommend painting it with flat white paint (not glossy). You can buy a gallon of Kilz and get protection and the white reflective surface at the same time.

2) I always did. Those MH fixtures can get hot, and a spacer is always a good idea.

3) No, put the ballasts elsewhere. Somewhere dry, and safe. If the ballast gets hot to the touch, perhaps putting it on a piece of ceramic tile would be wise to avoid it heating up the carpeting day after day after day. Putting the ballast in the canopy means the canopy will be heavier - and if you can't lift it easily, you'll put off stuff because of the hassle factor.

4) No, don't use the glass top, but be sure to use the tempered glass piece that belongs in the 150w DE fixture. Double ended bulbs are not shielded, and the piece of glass avoids UV burns to your livestock. This is not an optional piece, be sure it is there. If you have to buy another one for some reason, it must be 1/4" tempered. Window pane glass will not work; 1/4" standard glass will crack from the heat. It must be tempered.

5) Two cooling fans are good. You can have them mounted in the lid of the canopy, blowing down onto the surface of the water. 80mm or larger - whatever you prefer. If they make noise, they may annoy you so look at the CFM and the db ratings to find out what you feel would be best. Usually a slower fan is quieter. I use the IceCap fans which have a thermostat and are variable speed.
 
Awesome, thanks for the info. I ended up mounting the ballasts away from the hood underthe stand.

What type of material should I use for a spacer? Heat resistant rubber?

Thomas
 
I used wood blocks - the gap created air space and reduced the surface area of metal to wood contact.
 
Bill, here are some pics of the wood frame. I've actually torn down the 36g bow and moved on to a 92g corner bow..

Layout
IMG_0572.jpg
alt="">

Finished Product (Never painted the wood because I left the glass hood on for now.
IMG_0712.jpg
alt="">
IMG_0713.jpg
alt="">

Next project: Metal hood for the 92g with LEDs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top