calling all DIYers!

[londonloco]

I have a 120g open top reef, with two mag9.5 pumps, 32W PC retrofit over my fuge (on at night when MH are off) and TWO 250W HQI MH mini pendants over my tank. I miss my actinics and moon lights. I'm considering putting a canopy over my tank. I have my heaters set at 78 degrees, it seems after the MH are on for 10 hrs, the temp goes up to 80 degrees, by morning, it's down to 78 degrees. The MH are 10 inches from my waters surface and of course have a glass uv shield on them. There are NO fans blowing on the water’s surface. I would like to put the two pendants, plus two 96W actinics and several moonlights in this canopy. I’m concerned about heat. The canopy would have fans, an open back, and holes in the top and sides for ventilation. In your opinion, would I need a chiller if I added this canopy?

[Jager]

probably.

it would be much easier to put a false canopy front and partial sides. that would give you the look of a canopy, without the heat trapping.

if you put fans in the canopy you might be able to do it, but i would still have that chiller handy just incase.....

[londonloco]

Isn't that basically what I'd be doing, with the back open? I could hang the lights from the bar therefore eliminating the need for a top also (open top on canopy). Three sided canopy, would this be stable? Hmm, maybe braces across top to stablize it...

[Jager]

well a false front does nothing but hide your wires and lights. a true canopy has a closed lid andthat traps quite a bit of heat. being open allows the room to keep things cooler as the heat is not concentrated on a small canopy space.

ybe and i made plans that might help for this. and a false front as i am planning it is very stable, just open topped. so not a "true" canopy