Building A Hood

[Min8040]

I would like to build a hood for my sons tank. Can someone please point me into a direction as to where I can get some ideas on how to go about making a hood. I would like to see different designs. The light I will be using is a 2ft flurocent tube. I was thinking of a design where the light is closer to the back of the hood and then from the middle of the hood it would slope down abit. Or would a straight top be better.

Any ideas/input/links welcome.

Thanks, Min.

 

[OldMan47]

A simple box is definitely the easiest to build. I have built a few. I have found that a hinge along the middle of the top lets me flip the top back out of the way for feedings, etc. I use piano hinge for that since it gives me a nice finished look. The light strip simply mounts to the stationary back half of the box. In order to avoid any moisture problems with the light fixture I find it best to use either some glass or plastic sheet material to separate the hood from the water. I recently cut 5 separate covers from a sheet of plastic that measured only 28 inches by 30 inches. I got 3 covers for 10 gallon tanks and a cover for each of a 5 gallon and a 2 1/2 gallon. It sure beats what I was doing before that to control moisture losses and cost me under $10 for the piece of plastic. The hinge material used by tank manufacturers to hinge their glass covers can be bought in bulk at many LFS so that gives the option of using a 2 piece glass cover to hold down evaporation. By working with plastic I was even able to use a router and cut out an opening to fit a hang on back filter into those covers.
Box type cover for a 45 gallon show tank

Close up of the rabbet I use for support

I use a rabbet to support the lid to give the custom built look and paint the interior white because it is almost as reflective as a high tech mirror in terms of light utilization.

 

[Min8040]

Hi OldMan47, do you have any pics of the construction of that hood? Looks like a simple but nice hood to make. I would like to see some pics of the light mounting if possible.
Thanks for the post and pics, youv`e got me sketching now.

 

[OldMan47]

It is a simple 5 sided box with an open bottom. I tend to rabbet joints where it is really not needed. The only place it really needs a rabbet is around the top of the tank so that it can settle into place and be held by the lip hanging down below the tank frame. I simply screwed the light strip into the hood using the attachment points that were provided by the fixture manufacturer. A few holes in the hood to let hot air escape and I was done. By aiming the holes so that they did not intersect the path of the light, I avoided having white spots on the wall from the light leaking out of the hood.

 

[Min8040]

That is a good tip about the holes. Never thought about the possibility of white dots on the wall. I will have to keep that in mind when the time comes.
Now i`m just trying to figure out a way on how to keep it light weight but sturdy. Also what kind of white paint is reccommended for painting the underside as a reflectant that won`t go moldy to quick and is moisture proof. If there is such a thing as moisture proof. As for doing the rabbet joints this shouldn`t be a problem. Will be for me but I`ll just get my brother inlaw to use his router and do it for me(he is good with wood work).

I`ll hopfully get started on this next week or so once I have searched more and made a design that will make me happy.

Cheers, Paul.

 

[OldMan47]

I just use a white latex primer. It gives me a nice moisture resistant coating that I can more or less ignore once it is done. I am no painter and multiple layers of paint would not be a thing I would enjoy doing. Whenever you see one of my posts remember that I believe in the KISS principle. KISS, keep it simple stupid.