Suggestions on Making a T5 Fixture with Splash Shield

[DaveS]

I'm looking to get/make a hanging T5 fixture. It's in the back room so it doesn't need to be pretty.

 

I know I could easily get a sheet of plywood, screw the waterproof end caps down, attach the ballast/wiring to the other side and be done. However, I don't want to deal with cleaning the bulbs, much less reflectors from salt due to splashing. What I think I want is to be able to put a thin acrylic shield in front of the bulbs and then just deal with wiping down the acrylic periodically.

 

Anyone have some ideas on how to make a fairly easy and lightweight fixture like this? I've seen this one: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1756003 which accomplishes the functional goals. However it seems a bit bulky and heavy. If it was possible to make it out of 1/8" aluminum that would seem to be much better. Anyways, I'm just looking for more ideas before I get started on this.

 

On a side note, if someone has other ideas on how to avoid cleaning salt off the reflectors I'd be interested in hearing them. The fixture will be about 6" above the water so that should help but since it's going over a frag tank that I'm always doing stuff with, I just get the feeling it's going to be a problem. Maybe I'm wrong?

[amay121]

Dave,

 

Can't you build what you're talking about, but recess it a little. Then at the tips, add like 2" of wood, and then just place an acrylic piece to run the full length? That should give you a space shield of sorts. IE:

 

 

******************

*T5 T5 T5 T5 T5 T5 *

******************

****Splash Shield****

Edited December 20, 2009 by amay121

[Black Mammoth]

Not to sound like a jerk....but why don't you fix the splashing issue? Mine hover about 2 - 3 inches over the water. I would get splashing when I turned off my return pump and then turn it back on. But I fix the returns so that they wouldn't splash.

[DaveS]

The splashing isn't from a pump or any one particular source. Since it's a frag tank, I'm just thinking about general splashing that would occur since I plan to have my hands in/out of there a lot as well as corals, frags, etc. I dunno, maybe splashing isn't that big a deal??

[Black Mammoth]

The splashing isn't from a pump or any one particular source. Since it's a frag tank, I'm just thinking about general splashing that would occur since I plan to have my hands in/out of there a lot as well as corals, frags, etc. I dunno, maybe splashing isn't that big a deal??

 

I see what you are saying. Can you just raise the lights when you get in to the frag tank? Maybe you can put some pexiglass under the lights and then remove it when you are done working?

[L8 2 RISE]

You could just go the plywood route and then get a tek light hanging kit to raise and lower it.

[dandy7200]

How big is the tank? How many lights? How long are the bulbs? Lots of ideas come to mind, just don't want to type out a bunch of things for a 10g solution to a 200g problem.