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Hello
I am in the process of upgrading to a new 55 gallon aquarium. In the interest of getting the most for what I had to spend, I ordered as much as I could online. So, everything came yesterday, and to my disappointment, none of the hood components fit together correctly.
I purchased two 24" All-Glass Versa Glass Tops, and one 48" All-Glass Twin Tube Strip Lite. The problem here is that the light fixture is wider than the rear half of the glass top, so it sits on top of the hinge, and the glass won't open. The fixture also turned out to be too tall for the wooden canopy, but that's another headache.
I did a substantial amount of looking last night and can't find a fixture that is less than 5" wide. I would prefer to have twin bulbs, but at this point I will do anything just to get the darn thing set up. What are my options here? Anyone have a similar experience? Any ideas?
As always, thanks!
Kari

Can you put feet on this light fixture? I know that it sounds like a dumb question but some companies sell optional "feet" or legs that raise the light above the glass and permit the tops to open.

I use legs on my 72" Coralife fixture that I purchased from my LFS as a "special order" item. After talking to them, they matched the on-line price for the non-stock item and swapped out the 10000K bulbs for 6700K bulbs...



Attached Image:

Aqualight Legs Package

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

No, I can't put legs on this fixture since it is 4" tall, and my canpoy only allows 3". I don't understand why most Internet sites don't provide actual dimensions of the fixtures....it sure would have been helpful for me.
I have to send back this fixture, since it cannot be modified in any way to fit, and need to find another that will be less than 3" tall, and a max of 4 3/4" wide. I think I may look at mounting something to the top of the wood canopy. Can I build my own fixture, or is it best to purchase one?
{Sigh}, I wanted to have things up and running by now....guess that's how it goes sometimes....

Just use a regular shop light.make sure to get one that has some kind of reflector on it and that there are no exposed wires.

20 Gallon Long:
Aquaclear 300
2 Bolivian Rams, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus: Gumby and Pokey

Go to: http://all-glass.com/products/hoods/index.html

Choose the fixture that you want and identify it by part number. Remember that the correct terminology is a fixture that is three feet long or four feet long. Your 55 gallon should be 4 feet long by 13 inches wide by 20 inches deep. A four foot fixture should be perfect for the aquarium as it should stretch from edge to edge.

Did you puchase a single tube, double tube, triple tube or compact fluorescent fixture? Each tube configuration demands a certain configuration of the Versa Tops.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

The Versa Top that was suggested by the supplier was the standard size made for a single bulb light, and I had ordered a twin tube. I didn't know until after I received my order that there is a specially sized Versa Top for a twin tube fixture. There was no problem with the fixture length. I ordered a 48" fixture. Maybe I didn't explain very clearly.
I'm just going to send everything back and retrofit my own fixture (whatever it may be) to the wooden canopy, since it looks nearly impossible to find a reasonably priced twin bulb fixture that will fit my limited space. And next time I'll just buy from my LFS. It may be at a higher price, but at least I can see it with my own eyes!
Thanks All.

I don't think it's possible to find a twin bulb fixture that fits on top of a 55g without hitting the hinge unless you design the glass top and hinge location yourself. Which is pretty easy to do. Just go to any place that cuts glass and tell them the dimensions then use the hinge and handles that come with your top on those pieces of glass. It's just too hard to fit 2 bulbs on only half of a 55g tank. The whole thing is only 13" plus you have intake and output or spraybar tubes that usually take up several inches.

KariLyn,

Consider a CoraLife compact fluorescent for the tank in the four foot length. Research it on line and then at your LFS. Look to play "Let's Make a Deal" with the LFS if they do not stock the unit.

Sham,

All-Glass manufactures Versa-tops for both a dual fluorescent fixture and a triple tube fluorescent. I used a triple tube AGA fixture atop a 30G AGA with a AGA Versa-top that was specific for that tank and fixture.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

My double bulb versa top does not fit twin bulbs. Maybe the triple top does but I've never seen one for sale.

I've been away a few days.......
I ended up ordering a Coralife Compact Aqualight, which arrived yesterday, and fits perfectly. Also, I was much more impressed with the quality of the Coralife, as opposed to the All-Glass fixture I had originally ordered. A twin tube versa-top (6" on the back half, 3" on the front) will be here tomorrow. I think I finally have all of the right items for my aquarium and can finally get started on the fun stuff.
Thanks for all of your help!
Kari

BTW: I have another post in Planted Aquaria- I have a white film on the glass in my aquarium (began when the plants were added). Any idea as to what it is? What to do about it? Most appreciative. Thanks.

KariLynn,

Order the feet for that unit. It will keep the fixture above the glasstops and prevent excess heat from weakening the tops. The legs will also9 allow you to slide the fixture to the rear for those times that you want to change water or aquascape.

Tip: Use a little "Armor All" on a paper towel to "shine" the plastic trim at the top of your aquarium. The "Armor All" cleans the plastic nicely and also makes it "slippery" so the feet slide easily!



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright