Light Fixture: New Problem to Solve

[Kashta]

The good news -- I have a very sturdy, well-built 110 gallon tank - AND - a snazzy new 322 watt light fixture to place on top.

The bad news -- The fish tank is sooo well supported that it's got thick bracing not just in the middle, but also to support both ends of the tank. Unfortunately (as you can see below), the footing of the supports for my fancy new light fixture don't clear the width of these end braces on the tank. Instead of slipping past them to screw the bolts against the glass, the whole thing just sits there on top... precariously.

What am I going to do now to fix this? If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know.

:help2:

 

[1oooop]

hmm... well you don't really have a major problem unless you are in earthquake valley(LOL). I think it should be fine, but that is only my opinion.
If you want, you can screw it in just to make sure it won't topple(flip over).

 

[Kashta]

LOL.. so it should be okay as it is, at least until California falls into the ocean. (I live in Las Vegas.)

I do have a rambunctious cat (Maine Coon) who could very well jump up there and the whole thing would topple down. She always went up there when the tank was still empty before there was any light on it. Once she gets curious enough, again.... disaster.

The only way I've thought of to secure the fixture as this is now is to use a hacksaw to cut off the inner part where the bolts are. Let the base part of the supports sit down lower - onto the tank rim where they belong.. and use small black c-clamps to anchor it to the glass. Using some foam cushioning to protect the glass itself. That might work okay for a while, but... I really don't know.

 

[Kashta]

Darn. No other ideas?

 

[H3D]

Is it a coralife light?

 

[Kashta]

Is it a coralife light?

No H3D. Coralife is what I wanted, but I could never find one in a 60" length. I especially like their anodized aluminum housing. Those look great since this thing sits right on top in plain view. But their fixtures seem to stop at 48" everywhere that sells them - as does a lot of the other notable brands. Seems like most tanks of this general size are either 48 inches or 72 inches long... so I have an odd tank to start with.

With that disappointment, I tried to find even just a plain old 60" standard strip light that would fit so I could gut it and install either DIY CFLs or get a nice retrofit kits from ahsupply. Couldn't find one of those, either.

This fixture (okay so it's not so snazzy) is one of those el cheapo JEBO/Odyssea lights. Found that at aquatraders for $179 and it was delivered yesterday. I read up on these and know a lot of people complain about them melting (major inconvenience there) and bad reports about aquatraders' customer service. There were also a lot of good reviews online where the light works fine for many others over the years. Most of the problems reported weren't so recent.. seemed to stem from the ballasts they used a few years ago. I'm being real cautious about the light anyway. Will only have it on when I'm at home and am running it now from a separate outlet of it's own, so a failure won't take out anything important with it. And if it seems to be running hot at all, I can modify it to add an extra cooling fan, or something. Within the first year, I realize it might go out on me. Most of the reports of this light failing seemed to happen within the first few months of operation. So if that happens, I'll just replace the wiring and other components myself. This cheap light for starters then would still get my tank lit for now, for as long as it lives ... and give me a good fitting generic fixture for the 60" tank after it dies that I can use to hold up a better quality retrofit kit.

I'll follow this post with another that gives details on the light fixture, itself. (Doesn't seem to be enough space allowed to do this all in one post.)

 

[Kashta]

60" 322W Dual Strip Power Compact Light Fixture

Store Price: $199.00
Website Special: $179.00
You Save: 10%

Availability: In Stock

Fixture Size: 59.75 x 7 x 2.75
Support: 2x 96W Power Compact, 2x 65W Power Compact, 5x Dual Bluemoon LED

Built-In Electronic Ballasts
Three On/Off Switch, 2 for CF, 1 for Bluemoon LED
Three Power Cords for Separate Timer Setup
Non-Corrosive Powder Coated Aluminum Housing
Built-In Cooling Fan
Clear Acrylic Lens Cover
Highly Polished Reflector
Flipable Mounting Legs Included
​

FREE ITEMS w/ 60" 322W Power Compact Light Fixture Purchase
2x Odyssea 96W Power Compact Bulb Daylight 12000K
2x Odyssea 65W Power Compact Bulb Actinic Blue
5x Dual Bluemoon LED

---------

As this is, it comes with reef tank bulbs insead of plant-growing bulbs. So I'll replace those with 6700K daylights and sell off the original bulbs on Craigslist... before I get little baby reefs sprouting all over my plantscape.

I've attached a photo that shows how the mounting legs connect to the fixture itself.

 

[Kashta]

A minor update -- I've been looking at all the available mounting legs and mounting brackets I can find, which mostly seem to be brand-specific to the light. No help there. In the meantime, I've noticed that the fixture feels remarkably stable and well balanced as it sits there now.

I know I can't leave it this way, though. All the weight of the fixture is sitting on the end-brace glass panel - which is there to provide lateral support for the tank, not vertical support for a large, heavy light fixture on the tank.

So.. if I do cut off the inside "prongs" (for lack of a better term) which I've shown below on the image in a blue box, the light would slide down and rest snugly onto the glass sidewalls where it belongs. (Shown in green.) The outside part of the support leg feels sturdy so this should prevent sideways movement of the light... and the weight of the light will be centered on what's left of the mounting leg. There are two of these legs on each side of the tank, so no worries there about forward or backward tipping.

To make these cuts, should I try using a hacksaw by hand or should I use a jig saw? These are the tools I have on hand and I've used them many times to cut plywood or PVC pipe. I've just never cut through hard plastic before. Would it be better to buy/borrow a dremel to cut this?

See what I've marked on the image below.. and let me know what you think? Thanks!

 

[zzyzx85]

Even with my engineering skills, I'm at a lost at what you should do. That is is some serious bracing on that tank!

Perhaps you should attach the legs to a piece of wood the same length as the edge of the tank. That should give you enough stability for it to stand, but if the hinges are stiff, it might be difficult to tilt the light upwards if you wish to do so.

 

[CHOMPERS]

Gravity is really reliable and doesn't go out unless you forget to pay the bill. Seriously though if it bothers you, you could glue some tabs for the clamps to grab onto using Loctite Stick-N-Seal.