[pballdan]

Ive got an old plastic light hood, those cheap ones u get with a complete setup aquarium. And I want to put either PC lights or Metal Halide lights in them. Do u think they would get to hot for the plastic hood? Would I have enough room or should I just think about building a hood?

Heres a pic of the hood
http://upload2.postimage.org/aquariums/oscarfish/82156/aquarium.html

 

[lumpyfunk]

my sister is running 2 55 watt pc bulbs in a ghetto fixture made from an old plastic bucket. . .It is only temporary. but she has had no problems in about a week. I would recommend building a hood though, you don't have the pita of trying to fit something in a space. You build the space that you need and get the look you want.

 

[Curare]

Metal Halide will melt anything plastic, it's SUPER super hot.

I'd go for PC definetely

 

[jimmydrsv]

Building a fixture is very cheap. If you just want to build a rectanglar one, it would cost very little. The wood is about 3-6 dollars at home depot depending on if you want to put a back onto it. You can either nail it or just get 4-6 joints and screw them in on the inside and you can stain it or gloss after.

It is a good project. After the first time I did it, the next was much easier and faster.

Yours doesn't look like it is that big so it probably will cost very little to make the hood.

 

[whitepine]

Why not just get a ready made fixture with lights built in.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=13975&N=2004+113352

just halide

or

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12779&N=2004+113352

has both cf and Halide.

 

[jimmydrsv]

The biggest appeal of a premade fixture would be the ability to have the tank open top. You can easily reach in and work on it and it looks nicer.