Dolfan
- #1
I finally converted my 2nd tank over to the Finnex Planted Plus LED light fixtures. They are great lights for plants, very cost effective, and extremely beneficial for growth as well as just general visual eye appeal. I also like my open air tanks as well as I grow frogbit on the surface. The included mounting legs that come with these light fixtures are good and can attach to most any tank frame, but they don't raise the light much above the top of the tank. I have a 40 gallon breeder which is very wide, so to get optimal light spread in the tank, and to make sure the frogbit wasn't shaded too much in the corners, I needed to raise my fixture up a few inches. So here is what I came up with for a solution, cheap and easy....
Materials needed :
scrap molding pieces from home improvement stores like Home Depot/Lowes - At Home Depot they have a cutting table where they sell molding/trim by the foot. Many people come in and cut off smaller portions they don't need. So I needed 2 pieces that were about 18 inches wide, so I found a scrap piece that was 36 inches. You want the molding/trim to be 1/5 inch thick and as tall as you want to raise the fixture, in my case about 2 inches. The design doesn't matter too much, although you want it to be semi-flat, as the rounded corner trim isn't good for this. This molding is usually around $1 per foot.
gloss black spray paint - Krylon fusion is recommended as it's water proof and I have read where some people have even used it on stuff they submerged in their tank, with no problems. So if others can submerge it, then I don't worry about it being on top of my tank, and getting the occasional splash.
I cut my 2 pieces a little longer then the width of the tank. Then I measure the inside dimension of the lip of the tank, to make a small notch on each corner, so the molding will fit down into the lip well. Don't make this too snug as a little wiggle room is good, since you will be adding some thickness with paint and such. Sand corners well so you don't snag any clothing reaching into tank etc.
After sanding, I spray painted the entire piece with 3 good coats on both sides. Be sure to let each side dry for a day before flipping and doing the other side.
After all painting is done, I would give it 2-3 days to be sure to let the paint adhere well, since it may get wet with bubbles or splashing. Then you should be good to go.
Some photos below....
Photo 1 shows my 2 pieces for my 20 gallon tank drying
Photo 2 shows a close up of the notch so it sits down in the lip of the tank rim
Photo 2 shows them in use on my 40 gallon tank.
Materials needed :
scrap molding pieces from home improvement stores like Home Depot/Lowes - At Home Depot they have a cutting table where they sell molding/trim by the foot. Many people come in and cut off smaller portions they don't need. So I needed 2 pieces that were about 18 inches wide, so I found a scrap piece that was 36 inches. You want the molding/trim to be 1/5 inch thick and as tall as you want to raise the fixture, in my case about 2 inches. The design doesn't matter too much, although you want it to be semi-flat, as the rounded corner trim isn't good for this. This molding is usually around $1 per foot.
gloss black spray paint - Krylon fusion is recommended as it's water proof and I have read where some people have even used it on stuff they submerged in their tank, with no problems. So if others can submerge it, then I don't worry about it being on top of my tank, and getting the occasional splash.
I cut my 2 pieces a little longer then the width of the tank. Then I measure the inside dimension of the lip of the tank, to make a small notch on each corner, so the molding will fit down into the lip well. Don't make this too snug as a little wiggle room is good, since you will be adding some thickness with paint and such. Sand corners well so you don't snag any clothing reaching into tank etc.
After sanding, I spray painted the entire piece with 3 good coats on both sides. Be sure to let each side dry for a day before flipping and doing the other side.
After all painting is done, I would give it 2-3 days to be sure to let the paint adhere well, since it may get wet with bubbles or splashing. Then you should be good to go.
Some photos below....
Photo 1 shows my 2 pieces for my 20 gallon tank drying
Photo 2 shows a close up of the notch so it sits down in the lip of the tank rim
Photo 2 shows them in use on my 40 gallon tank.
