DIY Metal Halide Aquarium Lighting

Metal Halide lamps are categorized as "high-intensity discharge" lights. The hobbyist has a choice of color temperatures, as these lamps range from 5,000 K (Kelvin) to 20,000 K. Marine invertebrate animals, such as living corals and anemones, require a spectrum and intensity in the upper range, which appears as blue to the human eye. As these lamps give off a considerable amount of heat and are normally too heavy to be placed in an aquarium canopy, they are typically suspended above the aquarium.

Things You'll Need

  • Metal halide light unit
  • Electrical timer
  • 2 eyehooks
  • Drill with wood bit
  • 2 stainless steel cables
  • Large sheet
  • 2 short ladders
  • An assistant
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a sheet over the aquarium to prevent wood debris created by the drilling from falling into the water.

    • 2

      Measure the distance between the eyehooks on the horizontal metal halide light unit. Locate a beam in the ceiling directly above the aquarium. The metal halide light unit must be secured into such a ceiling joist to prevent it from pulling free.

    • 3

      Measure the same distance as between the eyehooks on the lamp, on the ceiling. Mark the two points where the ceiling eyehooks will be positioned. Drill into the ceiling (beam) at the two marked points.

    • 4

      Position an eyehook into each hole and fasten securely. Apply downward pressure with your hand, to ensure that the hooks have been correctly secured.

    • 5

      Connect a stainless steel cable to each of the eyehooks on the metal halide light unit. Place a ladder on either side (length) of the aquarium.

    • 6

      Request the assistant to pick up the metal halide unit and climb onto the ladder. Ask the person to hold the light unit in position under the eyeholes in the ceiling.

    • 7

      Stand on the other ladder and secure both stainless steel cables to the eyehooks in the ceiling. Adjust the cables so that the light unit is not closer than 20 cm from the water surface (due to the heat given off by these units).

    • 8

      Request the assistant to gently lower the light unit until the cables take its full weight. Plug the electrical timer into the wall power point and set the timer to run from 07H00 to 19H00.

    • 9

      Plug the light unit into the electrical timer and turn on the wall power point. Turn on the switch/switches on the metal halide unit.