# DIY cheap & low profile light hood



## niko

This is a simple to do project that requires a few simple tools and maybe some patience for the paint to dry.

Here are some pictures:

Front. Nothing too interesting in this picture but notice that there is no light spill on the wall behind and above the hood. Also notice that the hood works well with the height of the tank - namely it's not too bulky:









A shot from above. Note that the inside is painted white and there are 3 support planks that provide structural strength to the hood but also provide a place to secure the reflectors with screws. The screws are very short and are on the inside so there is no screw showing on the outside of the hood.









The hood rests on the inside lip of the tank rim. This is a trick to shave off almost 1/2" of the hood height so when viewing the tank the hood appears even shorter:









The hood is only 2.5" tall and part of that height is "sunk" in the tank rim. Also note that the black fiberglass mesh used as a cover for the hood does not protrude up in any way:









A close view of the mesh, the planks, the reflectors, and some light loss. Once again - the light is not visible when viewing the tank from the front or side and does not spill on the wall or ceiling:









An even closer view of the black fiberglass mesh. This sunscreen or bug screen mesh is available in any home improvement store and it's very easy to cut and glue with Super Glue. Tiny drops of Super Glue were used to attach the mesh to the wood. The glue is almost invisible and holds the mesh completely flat. I'd say it gives a "cool" look to the hood. Of course ventilation is not impaired in any way plus fire hazard is not an issue since the mesh is made of fiberglass. The stores sell Aluminium mesh too but I was concerned that it will get deformed easy and not stay flat:









A look inside the hood. One can actually cram four 36" CF with reflectors in there. Also keep in mind that in my implementation the hood does not cover the entire tank - there are about 1.5" of free space behind and in front of the hood. The reflectors are DIY from super cheap gutter tin (like the ones here). Note the way the bulbs are secured - green Florist Wire is tied to the holding screws and then wrapped around the bulb. By the way that wire is available in hobby stores, it's dirt cheap, and is also great for securing plants to rocks or wood.









The DIY "end caps". Electric wire was tightly wrapped around the contacts of the CF bulbs. Then a generous amount of Aquarium silicone was used to completely cover the wire and contacts. Besides the cost another benefit of such "end cap" is the minimal space it occupies. Using waterproof end caps with these 36 watt bulbs would make the total length of bulb+end cap too long to fit over the 30 gal Oceanic cube. WARNING: If you decide to make similar "end caps" make sure you don't miss a tiny spot uncovered by silicone.









The hood is stained, not painted, black outside and white inside. I used 3 coats of oil based paint but the wood texture still shows nicely on the outside of the hood. It looks very much what we are used to see on the black Oceanic stands and canopies - a satin look with a light shine. The application is simple - put on rubber gloves and use a small piece of fabric or sponge to wipe the wood with the paint. A square piece of sponge is useful around the corners because it does not smear paint on surfaces other than the one you work on.

The wood that I used is only 1/4" thick and it's hardwood found at Home Depot. I used one of the cheap saw blades made for cutting metal to cut the pieces so they form the wooden "box". Using that kind of blade provided a clean cut. Note that I did not have to adjust the height of the hood but cutting, just the length of the wood pieces. Easy! 

I drilled small holes where the screws go so they don't crack the thin wood when driven in. The screw heads are recessed and covered with carpenter's putty. After painting is over there is no sight of the screws.

The ballast powering the bulbs is remote (outside of the hood) because I didn't like the weight that it added to the hood. Also I did not feel comfortable with the ballast being only 1/2" off the water surface. In addition the ballast gets warm and I did not want to deal with that heat for safety and water temperature reasons.

Depending on where you get the bulbs/ballast/reflectors this project may end up pricier than my case. I got the bulbs from ebay, they are Hamilton 10,000K and only $10 a piece. Since I like the looks of that hood I have no problem replacing the bulbs later if I decide I'm not too happy with them.

*My price (approx):*
Wood - $15
Tin - $2 for 8' piece ...so a few cents for this project
Florist wire - $1.50 for like 20' roll.. so a few cents again for this project
Electric wire - $2 total
Screws and electric caps - $3
Fiberglass mesh - $6 for about 10 ft.. again a few cents for this project
Paint - $6 for white and black
Bulbs - $30.. Hamilton.. not sure 
Ballast - $25 but I had a Workhorse 5 laying around getting fat 
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*TOTAL:* Approx $90 with the ballast and a lot of leftover materials.

Price for adding 2 more 36 watt $10 PC bulbs and using a Workhorse 7 ballast would be about $30 more. That would make 180 watts total, 6 wpg, I'd say great light for about $120.

Ask me any questions.

--Nikolay


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## turtlehead

this is a good article, I built my hood just like this but I top it off with wood not a sreen mesh. And it looks good with the mesh.


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## Piscesgirl

Looks very nice, Niko -- wish you'd make one for me  hehe. I totally lack the skills to do something like that.


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## dwhite645

Looks great! I usually build my own stuff too when I want something really specific that's hard to find. Where did you get the ballast from? Also, before you siliconed the connections, did you solder it, or just wrap it around? Instead of using the silicone, you can use heat shrink tubing, which shields the connection, to make it easier when you change out a bulb.


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## Talonstorm

Thanks Niko, this is just what I am looking for!

Tina


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## neonfish3

That is a nice looking hood Niko! 
I love the low profile, everything I have built has been big and bulky.(and ugly)
Could you post a wiring diagram from the ballast to the bulbs?
Are there other ballasts that could be used, like common hardware ballasts?

Thanks, Steve


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## niko

Thanks all for the good words!

Dwhite,

I got the ballast from AHSupply 3 years or so ago. But on ebay one can find the Workhorse 5 for about $25 and the Workhorse 7 for about $30.

I didn't solder anything thinking that the heat from the bulb may be enough to melt that material that is used to solder. I just tightly wrapped the wires around the contacts.

Same with the heat shrink tubing. That would be an elegant solution but I thought that the bulbs get pretty hot and would "unshrink" the tubing. I'd be very glad to hear that I'm wrong on that one.

Neonfish,

Some people actually prefer big and tall canopies because they make the tank look more like a piece of furniture. I personally like really streamlined hoods. My ideal hood would be a reflector that serves also as a hood and a skinny T5 bulb in it. Just like this and this but even skinnier and lower.

The wiring of all Fulham Workhorse ballasts for all kinds of bulbs can be found here.

Common hardware ballasts can be used with CF's, at least the electronic balasts that power fluorescent bulbs but some rewiring is needed and I personally am not comfortable with that. Also from what I've found at the local home improvement stores buying a Workhorse balast comes out cheaper.

--Nikolay


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## dwhite645

Niko, I wouldn't worry about the heat. I think solder melts at about 500-600 degrees F, and the shrink tubing probably around 300-400 F. I wouldn't worry about it now, but when you replace the bulbs, you might want to consider trying that.
You can use a candle or lighter for the tubing, but have to be careful not to burn it. I have a heat gun that I use. It gets so hot that I can light my cigarettes from the hot air coming out without even touching the surface!


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## chubasco

Niko,
That's the nicest idea for an easy hood I've seen! I plan on copying it for a
hood on a 10 gallon using (2) 13w cfs. The design also lends itself to a 
pendant application which I'm considering for a 4foot tank. 

Thanks for sharing! :smile: 

Bill


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## Naja002

You can also use a blow-dryer to shrink the heat shrink. You have to get it close, but it works without a problem.


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## mrmagnan

It's really easy to polish aluminum gutter if you have the patience (ie. about 6 hours) and a polish wheel w/ fabulustre. The stuff is really reflective.

Sanding procedure:

600 wet sand (lightly remove scratches)
800 wet sand 
Maroon scotchbrite pad or 0000 steel wool
Polish w/ wheel.

You will be amazed! I polished a piece of 22 gauge aluminum for a reflector and it worked great.

mrm


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## niko

Funny that you restored this old topic exactly today. I was just this morning when I was wondering if tin can be polished well. I don't know how aluminum gutter looks like and I was thinking about trying something like this:
http://reeftuners.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11

Made of pieces of tin that are easy to cut and shape. Would the tin used for gutters polish well too?

--Nikolay


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## bichirboy

Would the PC's work better under individual reflectors or just as well under one large one? I was thinking of doing one because I have access to aluminum flashing that should be able to be polished nicely. It could always be fanshioned in to individuals reflectors too if that works better.


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## ACHELMAGAN

nice job.


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