BiomesInaBox

Category: Lighting

  • How to Make an Aquarium Light Stand for Hanging Lights

    Finding a way to create an aquarium light stand for hanging lights can be challenging. Most aquarium lights have legs that extend to the aquarium’s frame, making setup quite easy. However, some lights need to be hung above the fish tank. This article will discuss one way that I have created a DIY aquarium light stand for a hanging light using only conduit, spray paint, and straps. I made a video of this process for anyone interested, but I will provide a step-by-step process below with links to everything I used.

    Gathering Materials

    I wanted to try something different with a 40-gallon breeder aquarium. The goal was to use an LED Grow Light to get some powerful lighting above my soon-to-be fish tank. I jumped online and purchased the KingLED LED Grow Light (affiliate link). Unfortunately, the grow light I purchased needed to be hung above the aquarium. I was not able to simply rest legs on the frame of the aquarium. This predicament got me thinking of cheap and DIY ways to hang my LED lights.

    I ran to Home Depot and purchased 1/2″ x 10ft. Conduit for $5.98. I didn’t think to bend the conduit with a conduit bender when I was on site. However, I’m glad I didn’t, so I can measure how much conduit I needed to hang over the fish tank. I didn’t get a clean 90-degree bend because I didn’t have a bender at home, but I made it work. While I was at Home Depot, I also purchased 1-Hole Speed Thread Straps (4-Pack) for $2.49. I also purchased HDX No Rust Black Spray Paint for $5.50. So far, excluding the light fixture, we have invested less than 15$ into this DIY aquarium light stand.

    Prepping The Conduit & Thread Straps

    Before screwing the parts onto the aquarium stand, I decided to spray paint the conduit and straps to make them a little more aesthetically pleasing. I bent the conduit after measuring where on the stand it was going to screw in, and how far above the aquarium I’d want it. After bending, I laid the conduit and straps on top of an old piece of cardboard and spray-painted one side of the material. Once dried, I flipped the material over and spray-painted the other side. After everything drys, it’s time to start screwing the conduit and thread Straps into position.

    Putting it all Together

    So everything is dried and ready to be set up. For this setup, I previously made an aquarium stand out of 2x4s, so I had plenty of wood to screw this light stand to. I did my best to eyeball where I wanted the lightstand to be. I started screwing in one of the thread straps but I made sure I did not screw it in too tightly. I didn’t overtighten the strap, so I can easily slide the conduit into place. Make sure the bend of the conduit is facing in the direction of the aquarium. Once the conduit was in place, I tightened the thread strap and installed another one to solidify the lightstand. After everything was in place, I hung the light above the aquarium and made sure everything was sturdy to avoid potential collapse. That’s all there is to setting this DIY light stand for hanging lights.

    Final Notes

    Hopefully, this quick tutorial on how to make an aquarium light stand was straightforward enough to help you set one up. I highly suggest you watch the video and follow along. It’s very easy to set up, but make sure you have a strong enough aquarium stand to handle the weight of a hanging light. There may be pre-built hanging lights available to purchase online, but you can’t go wrong with building one for 15 dollars.

  • Different Ways To Make a Hanging Aquarium Light Stand

    Different Ways To Make a Hanging Aquarium Light Stand

    There are many different ways to hang aquarium lights. You can hang them from ceilings, or shelves, or build something that will save you from having to make holes in walls and ceilings. Ideally, it’s best to build or purchase something that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. You’ll have to decide how to hang your aquarium lights and what materials to use. This article will hopefully provide you with different options to choose from.

    Hanging Lights From a Ceiling

    If you’re handy with house renovations, have done some DIY work, or have used a drill/screwdriver in the past, you may be good to hang your lights from the ceiling. Some very easy-to-use Adjustable Light Suspension Kits on Amazon can help you achieve this. A measuring tape, hammer, and drill/screwdriver will likely be the tools you’ll need to do this.

    I also recommend covering your aquarium temporarily with a blanket, tarp, or other cover so that debris from drywall doesn’t fall into your aquarium. This will also help provide some cushion if you drop your tools that can crack your glass. I do not like hanging lights from my ceilings because if I decide to move the fish tank, I’ll likely have to patch holes and repaint. There are plenty of other ways to hang lights without messing with your drywall.

    Build Your Own Hanging Light Stand

    Building a light stand is something that can be very easy to do, and can save you a lot of money. I have made one using conduit, speed thread straps, and spray paint. You’ll have to bend the conduit to your desired length, spray paint it, and then screw it onto your aquarium stand. It’s very straightforward and will cost around 20 dollars to make. The conduit holds the KingLED Grow Light I put on top of it with ease. Here is a video showcasing the process.

    You can use a lot of different materials if you’re not interested in using conduit. Another one that might work well is PVC piping. You are limited to your imagination when building your hanging light stand. I decided to go this route when building my aquarium because, with this, I do not have to drill holes into the wall or ceiling.

    Build Into Aquarium Canopy

    You’ll occasionally see aquariums built with massive canopies above them. It is reasonable to assume that you can use the space inside the canopy to hide lights. If your aquarium has a canopy, you might have braces running through it that can be used for hanging lights. It could be as easy as screwing hooks into the bracing of the canopy, and then hanging your lights from the hooks.

    If your canopy does not have bracing, you’ll have to add them yourself or find a different method to hang your lights. Cutting and screwing wood into the canopy will probably be the easiest route. Besides wood, you can also use aluminum for bracing instead. Once you have that made, adding a hook should be very easy.

    Hang Lights From Shelving Above Your Aquarium

    If you have shelving built above your fish tank or are looking to use the space above your aquarium, you might be able to hang lights under the shelf or build a shelf and then hang lights underneath. Most light fixtures are fairly light, so a lot of shelves should handle the additional weight. Before trying this, look up your shelving max weight capacity to guarantee they can handle the weight. It would be terrible for the shelving unit to collapse onto your aquarium.

    Shelving on top of an aquarium could be great if you’re tight on space and need more room for fish food, filter media, and other supplies. I have never tried this method of hanging lights, but have seen it work well. It looks nice with floating shelves (Amazon Affiliate Link).

    How High To Hang Light Over Aquarium?

    It all depends on the light, the intensity, and what you are keeping in the aquarium. I usually try to keep hanging lights about a foot above the aquarium as a safe bet. Depending on the size of the light compared to the aquarium, a foot of clearance will pretty much guarantee you have access to the fish tank without a light getting in your way. The light spread will increase the higher you go, but you will also lose overall strength the further your light is from the aquarium.

    Final Notes

    There are countless ways to hang lights to illuminate an aquarium. You can make the build as simple or as complex as you want. The most important thing is that the lights are securely placed and they do not risk falling into the aquarium. If you’re not sold on hanging lights you can consider getting lights that sit on top of the aquarium instead.

    How to Make an Aquarium Light Stand for Hanging Lights

    Finding a way to create an aquarium light stand for hanging lights can be challenging. Most aquarium lights have legs that extend to the aquarium’s frame, making setup quite easy. However, some lights need to be hung above the fish tank. This article will discuss one…

  • Can I Leave My Aquarium Light on 24/7?

    Can I Leave My Aquarium Light on 24/7?

    The question of whether running aquarium lights all day and night comes up constantly, especially when talking to newer fish keepers. You walk into a fish store and see countless lights beaming at aquariums all day long. It makes you wonder if that’s okay to replicate at home. In my opinion, no I do not think you should be running your aquarium lights at all times of the day. The goal when setting up an aquarium is often to mimic the natural habitat of a fish, coral, plant, and/or invertebrate. Part of that means providing a day and night cycle for your inhabitants. Besides this, there are a few other reasons why I recommend not keeping your lights on all day, which will be discussed in this article.

    Rest Period for Fish

    Many species of fish are diurnal, which means they are active during the day and have a rest period at night. Most fish don’t sleep, but they do have periods of rest. This is a time when a fish will wedge itself in between rocks or plants, and remain incredibly still. Their metabolism slows, and it’s time for them to recharge their little fishy bodies. Some fish, like plecos, do this but in reverse, where they are nocturnal and active at night and hide and rest throughout the day. Regardless, providing a dark time for your fish tank will help provide a natural period of activity and rest.

    Having lights on all day can cause your fish to stress more because they are not provided a normal “rest period”. In the wild, they spend most of their day foraging and hunting for food throughout the day and will take refuge between rocks and plants at night. Most of us humans use the night to catch up on sleep and rest, and the same goes for many fish species.

    Spike in Algae Problems

    A constant light cycle increases the chance of your aquarium being plagued with large amounts of algae. Constantly providing a light source for photosynthesis will likely allow different species of algae to wreak havoc on your fish tank. One remedy to fight against algal blooms is actually to cut down on how much light you provide. If you’re fighting an algae problem, take a look at the many ways to Help Remove Algae in Aquariums. Light intensity and duration are both factors to consider when dealing with algae in your aquarium.

    Cost & Replacement

    If you have one aquarium running, your electric bill probably won’t see a difference if you run your lights all day long. However, once the addictive properties of this hobby overwhelm you, you’ll likely have 3, 4, or more fish tanks set up over a short period. Having your fish tank lights running all day will drive up the price of your electric bill. On top of that, the life of your lights will surely decrease and there is probably an increased chance of your lights burning out the longer you have them running.

    Exception To This

    There are a couple of exceptions that would allow you to keep your aquarium lights on 24/7. Both of these are related to plants. In the freshwater world, if you keep an aquarium with only plants, and no other animal, you could technically run your lights all day long. I still wouldn’t do it, because your plants likely don’t photosynthesize all day long, but it’s an option.

    Second, many saltwater enthusiasts have refugium or macroalgae reactors that have a light running all day and night. Some do it with purpose, and others do it because they’re lazy or don’t have a timer to automatically turn the lights off. However, the idea behind this is to allow macroalgae, whether it’s chaetomorpha or some other species to constantly have a light source in the refugium or reactor which will allow them to grow. Their growth uptakes nutrients like nitrates and phosphates which will aid in keeping algae from growing in the display tank. Keeping the light on 24/7 also helps stabilize the pH in the aquarium. However, from reading people’s experiences, a similar result can be achieved if you simply run your refugium on an inverse cycle to your display tank.

    Aquarium Lighting Recommendations

    I recommend providing anywhere between 8 and 12 hours of light over your fish tank. Deciding on the specific photoperiod will depend on your specific fish tank’s needs. If your aquarium gets natural light from a window, it will likely not require a 12-hour light period. If your fish tank is in a dark room, it may thrive under 12 hours of light. It is all experimentation to see what works best for your fish tank. Everything is dependent on your plant species, environment, light intensity, and many other factors. Regardless, I do not recommend anything over 12 hours in most cases.

    Many aquarium lights now have timers/controllers that work well with your light systems. For instance, the NICREW Saltwater Aquarium Light has a built-in timer that allows you to adjust your photoperiod to your needs. The freshwater counterpart to this is the NICREW SkyLED Aquarium Plant Light, it also has a built-in controller that allows you to adjust different aspects of your light. They can set the photoperiod, and have a ramp-up and ramp-down feature that will mimic sunrise and sunset.

    Some saltwater lights have apps that allow you to customize your light intensity, colors, and scheduling. The Ecotech Radion XR15 LED Light is the perfect example of this, but it comes with a high price tag. If that price point is too high, there are cheaper lights such as the NICREW Hyper Reef LED Light that don’t have an app backing them up but still pack a punch when combined with a NICREW HyperReef Light Controller.

    If you already have an aquarium light that has neither a controller nor a timer built into it, you can still run your lights on a timer. As someone who is lazy and does not want to turn the lights on and off every day, I invested in a very cheap plug-in timer, similar to the BN-LINK BND-60. This timer is very easy to set up and should take away the chore of turning your lights on and off.

    Final Notes

    Keeping a steady lighting schedule is great for your fish, and is what should be done to help mimic your aquarium inhabitant’s natural environment. Avoid running your lights 24/7 to help prevent potential algae blooms and for your fish’s health. Whether you do this by switching your lights on/off manually or using a timer/controller to make it hands-off, is completely up to you.