Need advice: Lighting in a canopy

[dachsieholic]

First of all...I know nothing about electricty except turning on a switch
I just bought a 140 with metal halide/PC lighting under the canopy. My current tank (which I am switching to the new one tomorrow) has a Nova Extreme T5 light on it...which I love.
I really like the Current Outer Orbits and am considering getting one for the new tank to replace the lights on it (it has (2) 250w HQI with T5 HOs and 18 lunar lights. The canopy is 61" (measuring inside the canopy).
So, here's the questions...
1. Would a 48" fixture be okay since the tank is roughly 60"? I'm not sure the 60" would fit under the canopy.
2. Could I mount either a 48" or 60" fixture in the top of the canopy?...AND how hard would this be to do?

Thanks in advance for the input!
(NO, I haven't told my husband yet... )

 

[Firewolf4]

The biggest issues you may run into is how high (Tall) is the canopy and do you have the access you'll need to change bulbs. The next major consideration is what will it take to remove the heat. Lastly is How will you control the lights? If the switches are inside the canopy, can you get to them easily? Figuring all this out will help you tremendously when wanting to plan a transition. and Yes, you can Run a 48" fixture over a 60" wide tank without problems

 

[dachsieholic]

The canopy is 11" tall (my tank is 5'x2'x2'). The canopy has a built-in fan on each end. They say Comair Rotron on them. The canopy is pretty boxed in, but I (or I should say, my husband) could add some more vents in the back of the canopy. I'm wondering if more small fans could be mounted inside the canopy since it is so large of an area.
I would put the lights on timers, so I wouldn't need access to the switches.

Thanks so much for the input so far!