DIY Metal Halide Reef

Metal halide lamps are prized among marine hobbyists as they produce an intense light. These bulbs are strong enough to produce glitter lines in the aquarium water, exactly as the sun would do on a natural reef. As the color temperature of metal halide lights range from 5000K to 20,000K, hobbyists have a considerable range to choose from. In the upper color range, metal halide bulbs give off a blue to purple light, which is ideal for corals and other reef-dwelling invertebrate animals. These lights give off a considerable amount of heat however, and are often suspended as pendants above the reef aquarium.

Things You'll Need

  • Horizontal metal halide light unit with two 20,000K bulbs
  • 2 x stainless steel cables
  • 2 stainless steel eye hooks
  • Drill with wood bit
  • Electrical timer
  • Large sheet
  • 2 x short ladders
  • An assistant
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a large sheet over the reef aquarium to prevent dust created by the drilling from landing in the tank's water.

    • 2

      Measure the distance between the eyehooks on the light unit.

    • 3

      Position a ladder next to the aquarium and find a ceiling joist above the tank. Due to its weight, the metal halide light unit must hang from a secure point in the ceiling to prevent it from tearing loose and smashing the aquarium as it falls.

    • 4

      Measure and mark onto the ceiling the distance measured in Step 2.

    • 5

      Drill into the joist at the points you have identified and marked.

    • 6

      Screw an eyehook into each hole and turn tightly. Apply strong downward pressure with both hands, to ensure that the hooks are well-secured.

    • 7

      Attach a stainless steel cable to each of the eyehooks on the light unit. Ensure that both are securely connected.

    • 8

      Place a second ladder on the opposite side of the reef aquarium.

    • 9

      Request your assistant to hold the light unit above the aquarium in the position where it will eventually hang.

    • 10

      Climb onto the available ladder and secure the first stainless steel cable to an eyehook in the joist. Adjust the cable length, so that the light unit is not closer than 12-inches from the water surface (this is because of the heat produced by metal halide lights).

    • 11

      Secure the second stainless steel cable to the second eyehook in the joist.

    • 12

      Ask your assistant to slowly lower the light unit until the cables are supporting its weight.

    • 13

      Plug the metal halide light unit's plug into the electrical timer and plug the electrical timer into a wall power point.

    • 14

      Set the timer to run from 07:30 to 19:30. Switch on the wall power point. Turn on the switch / switches on the light unit.