creativity needed: Mounting t-5 under canopy

Two ice caps end caps, one actinic bulb. How can I make this work?

 

if you really wanted to get creative, you could pull the reflector out, trim a few inches off of each side, mount directly in canopy, and you would have plenty of room for a t-5 bulb. With the bulb being directly centered like that, you are going to have a hard time getting a t-5 in there.

 

So remove the pendant all together?

 

I would...if you want to mutilate it. hold up....nevermind. You need glass between that bulb and your tank because of UV from the bulb. scratch that

 

Yeah, that's right.

 

God dude...that pendant takes up a lot of room in your canopy. what bulb are you running right now? I think by the time you get ramped up, you will be able to run 10 hours a day and be just fine.

 

Phoenix 14k. I'm running 4 hrs right now. Thinking of going up in 1/2 hour increments each week, which may be highly conservative.

 

I was only planning on running the lights 7 hours, but if you think I could work my way to 10 hours, then I don't think I would need them.

I wonder if I should just buy the lighting anyways, even if I don't install it. They are ice cap end caps (I think 8 of them) and a ballast for $25. I think I could do something with them down the line whenever I upgrade. I am in the process of building the 55 gallon stand/canopy, but I think I will finish that build and trade it in for a 75 or 90 gallon when I finish. i can't drill this 55 gallon and it's a narrow tank. i also don't like my fish options with a tank that small.

I've only put in $40 into the 55 gallon build, including the tank cost. So if I could trade it in for a larger tank (I'm pretty goof friends with my fish guy and cuts me deals all the time), I'd make out pretty good.

 

That's very conservative. I used to run my 400 watt mh over my 150 for 10 hours per day, easy. You can work your way up to it. I would go up an hour per week until you get up to 8 or 9 to see how that works out. If you see bleaching, you can always back off a bit.

 

I would just do a retro right under the front door or just anywhere along the front wall