[Jase]

Yesterday, I upgraded my tank from a 55 with four 96 watt pcs, to a 120 with 2 400w halides, and 2 96 watt pcs.

I really screwed my canopy up, I wanted to suspend it over the tank, but it was too heavy for my wall. I made the canopy 3 feet long, (tank is 4), so I could focus more light into the tank, and not the room.

Anyhoo, it is now resting on a couple of 2x4s on the tank.

Problem #1...the bulbs are now about 4-5 inches from the water surface. I installed fans in the canopy, so I'm not too concerned about heat, though I am worried about splash...should I be?

The bulbs are Hamilton German 10,000k. Are these the Usio bulb? Do they take a while to burn in?...seem a tad yellow now. (are these the mogul based bulbs that people are comparing to HQI?)

Any suggestions on how to suspend this hood without using my wall or ceiling? Should I even bother?

For the first week halides will go on every evening for four hours, then 6 hours the following week, etc. Seem ok?

Also, presumably it is ok to plugthe ballast into a regular HD timer?

Phew!