DIY hood questions

[alabaster]

Hi everyone. I'm planning on getting a 29 gallon aquarium about 2 months from now, and I'm going to make a DIY hood out of plexiglass. Its not that I don't want to pay for the standard hood, its just that I hate how they look! Anyway, I plan to get an appropriately-sized piece of plexiglass cut at my local hardware store (I know they do it), and then I'll drill holes for the heater cord and for the filter hose (I'll be using a Fluval canister). I also will drill two large holes at the front of the hood to allow me to easily take it off for cleaning, etc. I have two main questions about the feasibility of this:

1. If I set some type of light on top of the plexiglass hood, will the hood melt? Will the hood prevent any wavelengths of light from shining through to the plants (live obviously)?

2. Would I be better off making the hood out of some type of plastic mesh/grid? I would like to do that, except I'm afraid that will be even more susceptible to melting than plexiglass. Also, if I use plastic grid, will the water in my aquarium evaporate?

THANKS FOR LOOKING AND REPLYING!!

 

[simonbrown403]

I,ve lead flurecent tubes on a thin plastic cover and it didit mealt, so i would think plexi should be ok.

If you where going to make something why not go the hole hog and make some thing diferent.

You could get an arcadia luminar that sits on the sides of the tank, i think they looks cool with no cover glass and plants that can grow out the water.

 

[alabaster]

How tall are they? I only have 5 inches max over top of the tank itself, since it will be sitting on the kitchen counter below some cabinets. Thanks for the tip, though, I'll do some research on those.

 

[alabaster]

I've just researched the Arcadia stuff, and unfortunately it wont work for me. Anyone have any advice about lamps to set on top of the plexiglass?

 

[BigC]

If it's below some kitchen cabinets, then why dont you just use the under cupboard concealed flourscent kitchen lighting that you can wire in series. The light is actually affixed to the cupboard and therefore not on the plexiglass. Is this possible.

 

[Tolak]

You will need to put some sort of frame around the plexiglass unless it is 1/4" thick or more. Thinner stuff will warp & not lay flat. Cheap styrene light panels won't warp, and are made for use with flourescent lights.
http/www.gcca.net/howto/tank_covers.htm shows how to make them. If the drywall corners look a little cheap, you could glue on a pvc pipe frame with some 90 degree corners. I've got 10's, 20's & a 29 with the styrene on it. The cheapest stuff doesn't warp, the more expensive stuff does. Go figure.

I had a plec knock a cover off a 55 gallon & broke it. Tried putting a 4"x20" piece of plexiglass on it. It warped in a couple days, ended up putting a wood edge on it to straghten it out. If you can get the thicker plexi, go for it.

Tolak

 

[simonbrown403]

If it's below some kitchen cabinets, then why dont you just use the under cupboard concealed flourscent kitchen lighting that you can wire in series. The light is actually affixed to the cupboard and therefore not on the plexiglass. Is this possible.

Sounds good to me big C just thinking that myself uitill i read your post

 

[alabaster]

Actually I can't attach lights to the underside of the cabinets. Also, I can't have suspended hoods. The light housing needs to lay on top of the tank, and not be too tall, since I only have about 6 inches between top of the tank and the cabinet. Please give your input!!

 

[carrcn]

The UV lighting from the flourescents will eventually degrade the plexiglass and make it very brittle. Don't know how long this would take. On the other hand, you could go to a glass place and get a piece cut for your tank. You will lose about 4% of the light emission for each surface of the glass, so 8% counting both the bottom and top surface. Maybe 12% with the water surface, not sure what water does to it.

I wouldn't worry too much about evaporation. If you do your water changes frequently, you'll be replacing it faster than it can disappear.

Space is going to be a problem. I've got mine with the glass built in above the filter, and my top stands about 10-12" above the top of the tank. I think there's about 8" from the water surface to the bottom of the glass. If you've got a smaller filter, that might work for you also. Access to the tank then becomes a problem because you don't have enough room to build a door for feeding/etc.

But you might ask at the glass place if they can cut notches for the filter/heater. Might surprise you. And make sure to get tempered glass if you go this route.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[alabaster]

Thanks carrcn for your advice it was very helpful. Im not really concerned about space, I only said that to make it clear that I cant have a hanging canopy, ets. Ill be okay on space with just an normal flourescent housing on the top of the hood. Also, because this hood will be for a convict breeding tank, I'm using sponge filters (even though I sauid fluval, sorry), so the filter wont be a problem.