tank trim/ lighting question

[Eric B 125]

is there any way to put a 72" fixture with three 250 watt halides over a 125 gallon tank with a center cross brace?
i've tried changing the trim from a center cross brace (marineland) to a double cross brace (AGA) and it didnt fit. i dont think that marineland makes a double-braced trim for a 72" X 18" tank, though i'm going to shoot them a call tomorrow. i have this new fixture and would like to use it rather than going back to two 36" fixtures with one 250 watt halide on each side.

[billdogg]

Have you considered replacing the (I'm assuming black plastic) brace with a glass, or better yet, acrylic brace? The acrylic is especially easy to do. WITH THE TANK EMPTY (or at least drained as far as possible)cut out the brace but leave a short stub on each end (about 1" is enough) Go to home depot/lowes and pick up 4 sets of nylon nuts and bolts (I used acorn nut to make it look nicer) Drill 4 holes, 2 in each stub, with the acrylic piece ( i used a 4" wide strip) held in place so that the holes will line up easily. Fasten it all up snugly, and fill 'er up! I have a tank that was old when I got it 20 years ago that i fixed that very way and it has held up to this day.

PLEASE do not use your tank without a brace if it was designed with one! It may be fine for quite some time. It might explode tomorrow.

[patsfan1130]

Have you considered replacing the (I'm assuming black plastic) brace with a glass, or better yet, acrylic brace? The acrylic is especially easy to do. WITH THE TANK EMPTY (or at least drained as far as possible)cut out the brace but leave a short stub on each end (about 1" is enough) Go to home depot/lowes and pick up 4 sets of nylon nuts and bolts (I used acorn nut to make it look nicer) Drill 4 holes, 2 in each stub, with the acrylic piece ( i used a 4" wide strip) held in place so that the holes will line up easily. Fasten it all up snugly, and fill 'er up! I have a tank that was old when I got it 20 years ago that i fixed that very way and it has held up to this day.

PLEASE do not use your tank without a brace if it was designed with one! It may be fine for quite some time. It might explode tomorrow.

+1000

Very well stated

[Eric B 125]

I LIKE IT!!! the halide wont mess up the acrylic? the legs of the fixture are only 3" so the light will only be maybe 5" from the acrylic. also, i know that acrylic wont silicone to glass, but is there another bonding agent i can use to either glue the acrylic to the "stubs" or the glass? i would just like to make it as sturdy as possible and i'd like to back-up the nylon bolts.

[Eric B 125]

oh, and i know better than to use a trim without a brace for this tank

[Eric B 125]

bump

[Palting]

Marineland does not make a 125 with two center braces. They can custom build one from scratch, but that would be the whole tank and not just the trim and brace. Long story on how I know.

Anyway, if you raise the MH at least 7"-10" from the brace, you probably will be OK. If, like me, you put the light on legs and it sits about 4" above any acrylic brace, it will melt that acrylic.

[Eric B 125]

thank you so much for your suggestions, guys. i think that i'm going to leave the trim intact, and just hang the fixture.

it's my understanding that 7-10" wont make a difference in the PAR because air doesnt diffuse light like water....?

[Palting]

Well......Air won't diffuse and cut down PAR like water, but light does spread out the farther you go. For practical purposes, though, raising the light fixture from 5" to 10" in air won't make anywhere near as much change as the light going the same distance in water. Good individual reflectors directing the light is a definite plus. A lot of reefers hang their light 7"-10" off the water.