Need to revise custom canopy. How?

[NaCL Aquarist]

We set up our 90 gallon tank last week. We had gone through an area LFS to get a custom stand/canopy made because of height issues with the entire setup where the tank sits.

Problem arose,...when we went to place the canopy over the top of the tank. The legs of the T-5 light unit can not work with an inside strip on the canopy. The stand builder had added a 3/4" to 1" strip of inside trim to the canopy on each end. These two strips prevent the canopy from sliding down the sides of the tank (support canopy at both ends). This interferes with setting the legs of the light unit, by "blocking" the tank edge. The long sides of the canopy offer no support, or have any inside trim.

Can we chisel off the strips on the ends of the canopy to free up the space needed to site the legs of the light fixture?

To keep the canopy from slipping down, can we add 1 inch strips to the LONG sides of the canopy? This would appear to me to add more support for the top, than using just the two ends of the tank, AND allow us to set the legs of the light on both ENDS of the tank. Is this a No-No...? I am neither carpenter, nor engineer.

Mr. Builder is frowning on my idea. Can't we support the canopy by the long sides? We tend to think that Mr. Builder does not want to modify any of this, even though he clearly screwed up. He had access to a 90 gallon tank at the LFS, and the exact light unit that I purchased ...before he started the project.

LFS guy now wants to set the T-5 unit directly on the glass covers, which I feel is not good (?). We are hoping to NOT mount the light unit directly to the inside top of the canopy, as the fixture is not designed for this, and it would add weight to removal of the canopy, as well as fighting a light cord every time we move the canopy.

Hope, some among you are stand/canopy "constructors". Did any of this make sense? Sorry, for the long digression.

[username in use]

Maybe just make a notch where the leg will be, so the canopy is still supported where it is. The other issue, is if the canopy is flush to the tank, then the leg won't be able to drop down the side of the tank like they usually do.

[NaCL Aquarist]

Thanks, Joshua, for your comments.

Yes,... bummer.... the canopy is close-to-flush with the tank trim/wall. Could we "Dremel-out" a small "channel" for the portion of the light feet that drops over the side of the tank, without seriously weakening the only support added to the canopy? Any ideas whether it would be O.K. to place support strips on the long sides of the tank?

Could we add some other form of support to the inside of the existent canopy? Would short diagonal braces at all four top inside corners of the plywood canopy keep the canopy from twisting/warping? Provide enough "structure" to the plywood "topper" (back may not be plywood? We no longer have canopy in hand).

We have been told that the guy could remake the canopy to be one inch, or more, wider than the stand. But...that would not look good at all? Canopy would be noticeably wider than the tank, and stand below? Look bad.....?

We would like this to be functional, and attractive, as it is in our dining room. If we forgo the canopy within a "standing area", I don't think the look would be totally bad.

BUT... as the tank backs the dining room table, having everyone seated and staring upwards at the light output from the bottom of the fixture may be very irritating. Stand is 38 " high, to clear the backs of the dining room chairs. Do we offer everyone a hat with a visor?

We need to keep the idea of a canopy. We just need better engineering.....sigh.

Appreciate your input. Truly.

[enowlin1]

Id just mount the lights inside the canopy lid I did on mine and its not all that bad to remove. The cords dragging from it are a small pain but worth the overall look and gets the lights higher away from the water surface

[username in use]

Is the canopy hinged to open, or do you have to take the whole canopy off? If you have to take the whole thing off, I would have them cut it in half lengthwise and set it up so it hinges open and then you can just mount the lights to it and be done with it.

[hardin4019]

I have a 55g acrylic tank. My canopy sits atop the tank with only 4 points of contact (1 per corner) of 1/2 thick and maybe 2 or 3 inch wide supports. My vote, take out the strips on the ends, notch what you need to so it will slip over your light, then put the strips so that you have support at each corner, and in say 2 places both front side and 2 places back side. If the not so intelligent builder knew what you had, I wouldn't go back to them for anything, and I would steer my local club away from them too.