# Muirner's DIY Hood (lots of pics)



## Muirner

Ok, so I did it, i've decided that I will have a planted aquarium and I needed to deal with the lighting. So I decided that I'd build my own hood. It took about 2 weeks to build and paint. I thought i took more pictures but ooppss i didnt.
Specs:
Lighting - 4 T8/T12 Fixtures. With Philips Daylight Delux 6500K bulbs
Night Lighting - 18' of blue rope lights, around the inner lip of the Hood. 
Both are ran on timers, the night light has it's own, and the daylight has it's own.
Electrical - Concealed in the hood, one wire runs down to the outlet. GFI outlet for both timers to plug into thus it'll be on a GFI circut.

Now for the pictures, sorry if they suck I just got my Panasonic DMC-TZ1 and havent played with it much.

This is the hood boxed in. 









Ends are on look close on the left side you can see they drop about 1" to cover the black ring around the top.













































This picutre had auto white balance on it









This picture i set the white balance to the white in the tank (i dont really like the results)









4 48" T8 6500K Philips bulbs









Night lights. To take this picture i had to set my camera on a dresser because I used an 8 second shutter speed to absorb as much light as possible.









Any ideas on the Light Timing schedule? I can turn the white lights on only together, but with my timer in can have them go on and off up to 2 or 3 times a day. The night lights are on another timer. Any comments welcome

Also Thanks to mahamotorworks, I used his thread as a guide


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## Jimbo205

Good work!


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## hoppycalif

That is a very interesting design. Are the timers in the upper part of the hood? With a single electric cord coming out to the wall socket? That's a neat way to do it.


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## Muirner

Exactly hoppy. How i have it wired is with 2 electrical boxes, the single power cord goes from the GFI to the wall outlet in my room. This is where both timers will plug in. The other junction box is where i have both of the shop lights spliced together and into a plug, that plug will go into a timer and control the flourcents.

The night lights will come on after the daylight lights go off, but not for a long long time, idk gotta figure out the schedule.

Also, is there an easy way to resize these? I feel bad stretching the forum, i'll look to reupload.


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## Muirner

Not to self bump, but for anyone reading this. I would like to add a few things.

I run 4 x 32 Watt Philips Daytime Deluxe T8's. 

And the hood stays closed using magnetic locks.


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## SKSuser

Pretty cool. I'm curious about all the extra hight above the level of the lights. Is that just room for the wires or did you have any more plans up there?

What brand of shop lights are those, and where did you purchase them?

What are your plans for the tank. What kind of filters will you be using, if any, and if they're hangons how will they interact with the hood?

Could you post a picture of the timer setup if its not burried where you can't get a shot of it?

I'm wanting to build a hood very similar to this one for my 55. Is there anything you would reccomend I do differently?

Sorry for all the q's. :-D


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## Muirner

The extra height was used, because when I mount the 2 timers to the GFI, one of them has to face in a different direction. The only thing is sense they are polarized plugs I cant use just one GFI unless, I use a small "riser" I will provide pictures of them so it makes a little more sense. Also this provided me with a little air exchange area above the shop lights. 

Brand of shop lights: Unsure, the fixtures were ~$14 I believe from Home Depot. I got these because they are T8/T12 capable, and also the reflectors arnt monsters.

MY plans for the tank are setting it up as a NPT. My plants come this week (thanks epic) and a few fish as well (thanks John N.). The filtration will be taken care of via an Rena Filstar XP3. The wood i used is only 1/2 wide so the intake and discharge fit right over it, they just may sit a little "high" in the tank. 

What would I do differently... Hmmm. I made everything fit exact. I mean, too exact. So when i put the wood on the ends it was to be the EXACT length. The inner edge of the outside boards is 48". I would make them 48.5" or 49" to allow it to slide on easier. It was so tight I needed to use a putty knife and a little "persuasion" to get it onto the tank. I would have made it a bigger.


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## SKSuser

Muirner said:


> also the reflectors arnt monsters.


That was my favorite part.
Definately post some pics when you get some live things under it!!!


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## Muirner

Plants are on the way, and they should be here by my calculations no later then friday. AND Endlers are on the way as well. Should have pictures soon.


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## TigerLilly

LOL your hood is bigger than your tank! Good job.  

P.S. I have the same background on one of my tanks.


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## Teeleton

That hood reminds me of my hood.  Only I just used a single shoplight, and ran a string of christmas lights for a night light. To switch the nightlight, I just used an electric eye used for a patio light. When the timer turns the main lights off, the electric eye kicks the night light on. I also managed to find a timer that replaces the lightswitch in the wall, so there's no plug/outlet to deal with. You just mount the thing in a junction box and wire it up.

Mine was kind of an excercise to see how cheaply I could do it, and still keep is useful and presentable.


















You can barely see the electric eye mounted in the side of the shoplight housing at the far end. All of the electrical connections are made inside the shoplight housing.

Teeleton


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## treesmcdonald

Hey Jeff that looks great. Now show us some pics with PLANTS!


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## Muirner

Thanks Errin, I'll be posting a few pics (the reflectors, and the full tank) probably monday, or tuesday. I'm down to low light conditions due to S. Minima LOL, but I have found someone nice enough to take A TON of it off my hands. So i'll have a few pictures once i pull it off and get everything looking better. Need to do some serious replanting as of today but i have to help someone move lol. 

I just picked up a couple Harliquen Rasboras last night, hopefully I can find 4-5 more before the pictures. But probably not. Their collor is SO much nicer now that they are in a "home"


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## soulmia

VERY nice! Loved your set up!!!


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## Muirner

Thanks soul, i'm going to try to get some pictures up, i have some with plants in the tank when it was looking good, now it's in disarray, my hornwort is not doing what i want it to, but the rest of the stuff is taking off. I need to do some rescaping today, and i'm going to probably hop to it soon, maybe i can upload them during that time. As for current pics, i have algae on the glass and hopefully my fert regimine newly implemented will help with that issue.


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## Muirner

Here are some pics before crap hit the fan:
Whole Tank









Left Side:









Middle:









Right Side:









Now mind you, on the right side, the hornwort, ya, didnt stay planted after it grew for a day now it's a massive floating bunch. I think it'll go soon.

The Bacopa monneri is growing bigger and bigger, the Ludwiga is looking more healthy but it stunted and instead of producing leaves every 1/2 inch, it's more like 5 in 1" lol. hopefully ferts will solve this issue along with CO2, my mom (i hope) is picking up today


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## Sushi Monster

WOW!!!! Thats a LOT of plants!  rayer:


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## Muirner

Sushi - the thing is, the Cabomba on the right became long and leggy, not as full as i had hoped, so i'm thinking of pulling it. The bacopa in the corrner has gotten massive. The 1 stem of ludwiga is now 4. And the Marsilia is going nuts. I cant get the Rinnoculus (sp) to grow tho. I only have 2 small stems of it now. I'm going to have to try to increase light to it. Oh yes, my HM is getting fairly large. And the vals are gone as well. I'll have to try for pics soon.

The Hornwort, is mostly removed, i just use it as a "sponge" for snails to lay eggs on.

The Hydrocotle was so big it covered 1/3 of the total tank. I now only have a little. Hopefully i'll be able to do a rescape soon and take another picture with clean glass.


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## Jimbo205

Can I see a photo of the HM? 

I don't see it.

Thanks.

Jimbo205


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## Muirner

I'll see if i have a previous picture of it, currently my tank is overgrown with what seems to be a brown hair like algae. IDK what i can do to remove it, but my tank was cleaned a few days ago, and now all my moss is messed up, and it's growing on just about everything...


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## ad9465

I love the whole thing, including your maintenance free forest.... It soooo 3D. This is the most fun thread I've read.

Let us know about the algae situation 

ad9465


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## OD_1

I love you canopy design, i hope to achieve something similar. When i start planning i'll be sure to give you a call for some tips and tricks...

Keep up the good work...


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## Jimbo205

I like how you have the main 'cube / rectangle' internal frame on top of the tank, and the thin wood paneling all around it. 

I am planning on this for a much smaller tank and I could not figure out whether the frame should rest right on top of the tank frame with trim on the lip of the frame OR
have the frame go AROUND the lip of the tank frame with trim INSIDE to support the hood. 

I have the basic ideas down pat With basically one slat per light fixture to allow for air flow. 

I guess with the rest of it you just get the basic ideas and then wing it. Yes?


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## plantkeeper

Any problems with moisture??


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## treesmcdonald

Hey Jeff! How are things going? I have been too busy to keep up on the forum but I'm here today and wanted to check up on you  Do you need more plants yet? I just tossed about 4lbs of them last week lol. I hooked a friend up though so hopefully there is a new aquatic plant enthusiast in the making in MA. Oh yah and I think I gave you those worms. Sorry I had them in my tank but the didn't cause any problems and I haven't seen them in months so I think they are gone. Post a new pic!


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## Muirner

Hey everyone sorry this took so long for me to write back in my own thread, but i'm never on here anymore, i just started at a new school and i'm doing that as well as living on my own lol. So here goes i'll answer your questions as best i can being 400 miles from my tanks.

Jimbo. What i did, was i took the inner box and had it sit on the lip of the tank, not on the inner part but exactly on the top. The wood used to make the box 1x1 (i think) (i can check) sits right on the lip all the way around. And then the panneling (popler sp?) goes down far enough to cover the black ring that covers the top 1/2"-1" of the tank. This way when the tank is closed there is no black ugly ring. If i can offer advice dont make the hood exactly the measurements. What i did was the inside edges of the popler that would hold the tank are exactly 48" apart. And it was real tight to put on the tank. I wish i did 48.5" apart, maybe even 49".

gmc - only with the blue "night lights" the fastners i used got wet from a loose discharge and rusted. soooo idk what to do seeing how it's on my tank.


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## Muirner

Hola APC, i havent been here in FOREVER but now i'm back and needing some advice. As i said in my last post in 10-2007 (Phew it's been on that long?!?!) i built this hood a little bit too tight. 

I've already had one ballast blow and had to replace it, and now the other has done the same. I managed to score a 4x65 watt PC fixture from a friend and am looking to put it on. But here is where i need advice.

I need to find a way to get this current hood off... It's extremely tight and it wont just slide off and i'm not sure what to do. I tried a piece of 2x4 and a rubber mallet tonight to no avail. I dont want to blow a side of my aquarium out or something catastrophic. So any ideas on what to do???

How can i manage to expand this without distroying the hood i worked so hard on. Actually that's it! What can i use to push the sides of the wood outwards from the inside? I might have an idea of something but i'm not sure. ANY ideas are greatly appreciated and i'm glad to be back to APC!


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## endgin33

Stupid random idea- put an inner tube (bicycle style) fairly tight to the side wall of the frame up against some kinda counter brace (scrap wood cut to length) and pump it up. Should give you slow gradual spacing without catastrophic failure. You probably only need a 1/8"... Random guy, with a random thought... Best of luck. Could be a "Dumb Idea" though- I am not a builder type.


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## Muirner

Hmmm that sounds like a good idea. I'll have to look into that!

I was also thinking of using this









If i reverse it and use custom lengths of wood i can probably get away with spreading the wood apart that extra 1/8th inch. I like your idea though i just gotta figure out where to put the brase and where to put the tube. If you could elaborate it may just be what i need.


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## sonaps

How did you seal your wood? It looks like it’s been a couple years since you put this on your tank. It’s likely that some of your finish has been “weathered” off and the wood has absorbed moister from your tank and expanded. You could try to dry the wood out somehow (hard to do when your tank is full of water though). Once you do get it off I’d recommend sanding the inside edges down so it’s not so tight and then resealing the wood with a weather resistant finish.


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## RestlessCrow

I've gotta put my two cents in here too..... First off, awesome job on the hood. I went a very similar route, using shop light fixtures. I've got three T8's in a custom built hood. I REALLY like the way you used a frame and then paneling. I used solid pine boards because I was trying to match the existing stand that I had. You can see pictures of my hood Here

I made my fixture to set exactly on the top of the rim of the tank and ran a set of custom parallel hinges to allow access for maintenance. It's a workout to tip the hood up, so I might head over to the Auto Parts Store and get some of those gas charged shocks like they use to lift the hatchback of a car and add them to the hinges to help lift it.

I run my lights on a timer, but I leave the moonlights on all the time. They don't draw that much electricity. I used a twelve foot string but I wish I had gotten a longer string to get just a bit more light at night. If there's any lights on in the room you can't see much at all inside the tank. Good job though! It's good to see someone out there gettin' their hands dirty and creating!


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## Diana K

Could you put a little olive oil on the tight spot? If a tiny bit ends up in the tank it is OK, not toxic, but do not get too much in there. 

Is it tight at the corners? Or more like the middle? If the tightest spot is in the middle (ends or front/back) a spacer might do it, if you can make it maybe 1/16" bigger. But this pushes apart the lid in one direction, and tightens it in the other. 

Yes, once you get it off it would be a good idea to shave it a bit bigger so this does not happen again.


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## Jimbo205

My canopy on my 75 is similar to this and is driving me nuts. Probably because I am not the handiest guy. I learn things the slow hard way. I can't see the photos too well from this computer - so I will try again on another. I also use shop lights. I have 3 lights that work (out of 4) that are Overdriven Normal Output. And to make it worse, I have no clue how to build or repair ODNO. Some things you just have to learn in person from others (patient others). 

What I might do is use Commodity Axis lights that are 47" instead of the 48" shop lights I have now. 

Most importantly, I have not been able to get my hands INTO my tank on a regular basis to do DAILY stuff. Which means when I finally GET THE THING OFF, I do a hack job trimming, etc. 
I am going to cut the closest 1/3 of the canopy off and put some sturdy hinges on the top. 

Wish me luck. 

Muirner - thanks for this thread. It might just save my planted tank....


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## Muirner

Oh sorry i never updated this!! I got the hood off successfully. What i did was use a desk lamp to illuminate the side panel and i noticed where there was no woodgrain. This was i used filler to cover the screws. I pulled 6 screws out and used a flathead and it spread apart...

I'm now using a 4x65 coralife fixture and i like it, excpet i need new bulbs... Major expense. I may sell my hood to help finance it.

Jimbo - Arnt those lights just overdriven by the ballast? Just replace the faulty ballast and hazzah! done!


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## captaind

Wow, that is great work, and beautifully done! I wish I had the time to complete a project like that. It would save me a lot of money too. Is this something that could be completed in a weekend, or much longer? I would love to create a planted tank with my son and wife, could be a great bonding experience. Thanks.


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## Muirner

My dad and i did it a few hours at a time. Im sure if you could dedicate a day to building it, and a day to painting it you'd have no problems at all. I really enjoyed building it as it was the first project that i worked on with my dad, and i learned a lot. Let me know if i can answer any more questions


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## Jimbo205

> I'm now using a 4x65 coralife fixture and i like it, excpet i need new bulbs...


Roughly how much?


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## SpaceToFu

great job, this has inspired me to build my own ^_^.


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## Muirner

Jimbo205 said:


> Roughly how much?


Jimbo - Wow, it has taken me over a year to reply and i'm really sorry. PC's will run between 5-30 per bulb x4. So anywhere between 20-120$ would be a fair guess. So still costly to say the least.

SpaceToFu - Let me know if i can be of any assistance!


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## B-9

Looks good.

Ive been thinking about selling my PC retros, because they all need new bulbs.

And going back to t8's/t12's.


anyone need 2 x 65w pc retro's? i have 3 maybe 4.


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## funnytrash

i just have a question... why would you make the hood so tall?


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