Holder for Tek light 8-bulb t5

[treesprite]

I need to make some kind of holder for my light fixture. It is a t5 Tek light with 8 bulbs. Any ideas? I am still debating whether to make a hood for the tank, not sure I want to do it.

Edited October 30, 2019 by treesprite

[YHSublime]

I'm a firm believer in a good wire hanging kit. A lot of people don't like drilling holes or using toggle bolts, but there's nothing cleaner looking IMO. 

[treesprite]

I can't put holes in the ceiling due to renting. The fixture does have hanging wires on it already.

[YHSublime]

I can't put holes in the ceiling due to renting. The fixture does have hanging wires on it already.

There’s something in your lease? I’ve had holes that I’ve patched up while renting and never had any issues.

[Origami]

Drill it and put cables to the ceiling, like Isaac suggests. Patch it on exit. You're handy enough that you can do a great patching job, Forrest.

 

 

[treesprite]

On 11/3/2019 at 8:10 AM, Origami said:

Drill it and put cables to the ceiling, like Isaac suggests. Patch it on exit. You're handy enough that you can do a great patching job, Forrest.

 

 

The only thing I've ever put in the ceiling is some tiny screws  for a fake bird that flies around the room for the cats to chase. That application didn't require anything really going in the drywall. For the light fixture, would I just use those spring anchor things that open on the opposite side?

[Origami]

The only thing I've ever put in the ceiling is some tiny screws  for a fake bird that flies around the room for the cats to chase. That application didn't require anything really going in the drywall. For the light fixture, would I just use those spring anchor things that open on the opposite side?

Isaac, did you use a toggle bolt or what?

[YHSublime]

2 hours ago, treesprite said:

The only thing I've ever put in the ceiling is some tiny screws  for a fake bird that flies around the room for the cats to chase. That application didn't require anything really going in the drywall. For the light fixture, would I just use those spring anchor things that open on the opposite side?

 

2 hours ago, Origami said:

2 hours ago, treesprite said:

The only thing I've ever put in the ceiling is some tiny screws  for a fake bird that flies around the room for the cats to chase. That application didn't require anything really going in the drywall. For the light fixture, would I just use those spring anchor things that open on the opposite side?

Isaac, did you use a toggle bolt or what?

 

It depends on the ceiling. In the past when I've been renting, I've just used a toggle bolt. When I had the 150, it was 4 toggle bolts holding the canopy on retractable spring loaded coils, and then 4 additional toggle bolts (2 for each light) on the old Evergrow IT2080's, I believe they were 3' black boxes. That six foot by 18" section of drywall was completely fine with those 8 supports. When I moved out, I actually filled the holes in on the ceiling with crest toothpaste. And yes, I got my deposit back! 

 

In my condo, I've been blessed with cement slab ceilings and plaster walls. So those were just cement screws and a pilot hole with a hammer drill. 

[treesprite]

I think the owner wouldn't really want me to try hanging from the ceiling, certain enough that I ended up not actually asking her. I also am afraid I'll drop the fixture on the tank, because that is how my luck is.

 

 

[Origami]

35 minutes ago, treesprite said:

I think the owner wouldn't really want me to try hanging from the ceiling, certain enough that I ended up not actually asking her. I also am afraid I'll drop the fixture on the tank, because that is how my luck is.

Ha! I hear you, Forrest!

 

Really, though, if you look at your lease, you may have a clause that allows you to put holes in the wall (and such) up to a certain size (with or without repair on exit). And, certainly ceiling-mounted (hanging) lights aren't all that uncommon, are they? If they actually permit a large(ish) aquarium in the apartment (so many are afraid of the flood potential), hanging a light from the ceiling would seem to be a small thing.

[treesprite]

4 hours ago, Origami said:

Ha! I hear you, Forrest!

 

Really, though, if you look at your lease, you may have a clause that allows you to put holes in the wall (and such) up to a certain size (with or without repair on exit). And, certainly ceiling-mounted (hanging) lights aren't all that uncommon, are they? If they actually permit a large(ish) aquarium in the apartment (so many are afraid of the flood potential), hanging a light from the ceiling would seem to be a small thing.

 

It isn't a standard lease arrangement. I don't want to cause any worries for the owner, and I don't want to cause a disaster as I'm really afraid I would do.

 

I need to construct something not ugly to keep the cat from going behind the tank, so maybe I can incorporate a light holder somehow. When I took down my 50, I found very obvious evidence that a cat was peeing in the sump, which explains most of what was going on with that tank. This 75 is about 18" from the wall.

[treesprite]

Here's an example of how things don't go right for me. I'm right now in the middle of painting the back of the tank, but I need to let the coat dry. Well, looking at the tank from the front, there is a big area and a few streaks that look faded out. I cleaned the glass before painting, but there must have been some kind of residue (I'm certain it isn't inside the tank). I can't take off the paint and start over, so the tank will always look that way. It will be harder to see once I put more rock in the tank, but I'll know it's like this (still gotta scrub most of my rock from the 50g, but I have other rock that was in another tank of just rocks, which was soaked in peroxide for a few months before I changed the water and put rock from my sump in it to seed it back into being liverock again several weeks ago).  (Yes, it is crazy waiting until now to paint. I was going to just put some black backing on it because I have a whole roll of it, but I couldn't find it and the can of paint in the junk room was yelling "choose me, choose me"). 

 

Now double this. I went to do another coat and dropped the lid from the paint on the carpet (it hit a step stool, hence went that far). Thankfully it landed on the back and just a dot of paint got on a plastic container. On a better note, I actually think the faded area is decreasing as the paint dries.... time will tell.

Edited November 13, 2019 by treesprite

[Jon Lazar]

I always recommend a canvas drop cloth for painting.  They last forever and have a thousand uses.  Ok, maybe a hundred.

 

Anyway, they're much easier to use than the thin plastic sheets and stay in place better.  Easier to use means more likely to use (for me at least).