Anyone make their own hood fixtures?

I feel like $30 for a small 10gal fluorescent hood is just ridiculous. Regular fixtures with bulbs go for about $7-8, so it beats me why a plastic lid accounts for the other $23.
I've got 6 10 gallon tanks and only 2 hoods. Only one of those hoods is fluorescent, the other is the old school 2-bulb incandescent. I'll have to read up on retrofitting that pos sometime.
So i have 4 10 gallons that need hoods. Also have 4 5 gals, but those aren't a priority at the moment. They're not keeping anything important, just white clouds in a 5 gal.

What materials should i use to build hoods? Wood seems like it would soak up water/moisture. I can buy starters/ballasts/endcaps/switches and wire up fixtures no problem. Just need to fine something to mount it onto for a hood. Any advice or links to old threads or articles would be appreciated.

most likely, i will be making a frame that will sit inside that little ledge on the trim of the aquarium. something to the effect of wooden planks, standing on their long skinny sides (not wider flatter side) so it stands about 4" tall from the top of the tank. then having a piece of wood, 1/2 or 3/4 in thick with an area similar to the footprint of the tank to sit on top of that frame. very simple design. will hinge it in the back to be able to lift that top piece. then just mount the light to the underside of that.
or i may decide to get a little fancy and ambitious and start with a wide flat piece (foot print of the aquarium size) right on top of the tank, and then cut a hole into that piece where the light will shine through and make a housing above that for the light. idk.

here's the one that i will need to retrofit. it's a dual incandescent, 2x40watts max.

is there a special place i can get black shelf wood? did it come in black or did you paint/lacquer it yourself?

jflng said:

You might be able to screw in a spiral compact bulb there.
I think a 32w Sunpaq or Smartpaq kit will fit in that hood. I got a Smartpaq kit a couple months ago for 30$ from ebay. It works well for me.

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can you find me a current auction for the item that you speak of? i'm seeing to many kits and bulbs and i'm not too familiar. thanks.