ballast placement

[mogurnda]

I have two 250 watt electronic ballasts that obviously need to be put somewhere.  Placement in or on the stand seems like it might cause problems with heat and possibly safety.  What about screwing them to the top of the canopy?  They will be out of the way, and (as Michael pointed out) it will reduce the amount of cable.

 

Opinions?

[Lee Stearns]

I assume you mean just the ballasts and not the lights themselves. I have 2 250's and layed the ballasts under the cabinet but I do not have the sump under the cabinet. The lights are mounted on top of the wooden canopy by cutting a squre hole in the canopy and just placing the lights on top of some rope insulation that they use for seals on backyard grills. Any simular insulating material would work for the ballasts, but mine only get slightly warm to the touch.

[mogurnda]

Yeah, I'm just thinking about the ballasts.  The lights and reflectors will be going into the canopy.

 

I'll have to fire the lights up to figure out how much heat the ballasts give off.

[michaelg]

wear some shades. :blues:  rk]]

[GaryL]

The only problem i would see with putting the ballasts on top of the canopy is that: in the long run, would anything leak out of them into the tank? Ive seen them mounted on a metal plated on a wall away from the tank in an out of site place.