46g Bowfront hood and light assistance needed

[jonatheber]

I'm basically a newbie to live plants. I have a 46g bowfront tank with some low to medium light plants (a picture is attached). I picked up the tank from someone else, and the current lighting is (I believe) a Marineland 35" advanced LED strip. Unfortunately as you can see from the picture attached, it isn't in great shape. One of the lights is broken, and in general the light and the hood itself isn't in great shape. The tank is in a spot where it gets no natural light from windows. I'm looking to redo the top of the tank with the right combination of hood and lighting. I have a canister filter, so need appropriate openings for the hoses, etch (probably a stupid comment, but still). Should I just get a new light and put it where the other one is now (and if so, which one?) Or should I try to get a whole new hood or lid (and if so, how do I figure out which is the right one for this particular tank with the right lights?)

All recommendations are appreciated!

PS We tried a few ways to get the picture of the light and what I posted was the best I could get.... Apologies.

 

[Darkomot]

I understand your struggles...I recommend making a lid out of corrugated polycarbonate. It is used in making roofing for greenhouses so it is clear and super cheap. You can cut it in any shape that you want. You can also find it at your local hardware store. I'll include two pics that both work well. The best one that I have found is the thinner flat one. Also as for lights, you can find some on Amazon for cheap that work well. If you want, I can send you a few adjustable lights that have good reviews. Good luck!

 

[jonatheber]

I understand your struggles...I recommend making a lid out of corrugated polycarbonate. It is used in making roofing for greenhouses so it is clear and super cheap. You can cut it in any shape that you want. You can also find it at your local hardware store. I'll include two pics that both work well. The best one that I have found is the thinner flat one. Also as for lights, you can find some on Amazon for cheap that work well. If you want, I can send you a few adjustable lights that have good reviews. Good luck!

So basically get a light and lay it down on top of the sheet of polycarbonate? What do you do when you feed it? Lift the entire lid up?

Happy to look at your suggested lights!

 

[Darkomot]

So basically get a light and lay it down on top of the sheet of polycarbonate? What do you do when you feed it? Lift the entire lid up?

Happy to look at your suggested lights!

The sheet is actually flexible, and I cut two sheets so the the front one can kind of "hinge" when you feed them. I will say that it doesn't look quite as good as a glass lid, but it does the job. Here's a link to the light that I have (it's fantastic!!), Plus a few others with good reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V8GPZ3D/?tag=ff0d01-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ID3OK3S/?tag=ff0d01-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X9TDN27/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[Essjay]

The lights should not be in contact with the polycarbonate; they should be a couple of inches above it. The ones in Darkomot's links have legs on the ends which fit on the sides of the tank. The lights can then be pushed to the back of the tank out of the way.