muddyfox

Hi,

I just bought an 55W Interpet T5 compact starter unit and lamp for my new tank and was quite worried to find that the instructions inside the box say that it must be kept in a dry place and not splashed. I had naively thought that all dedicated aquarium lighting would be splashproof. (Previously I've always bought all-in-one aquarium kits, but because I wanted more light for plants I've had to try to put it all together myself.) What can I do - I wanted the light right over the water maybe three inches from the waterline?


Is there any way to make it watertight or to to stop it getting splashed? The instructions kind of imply that I would have to use a condensation tray below it, but my hood won't allow one of those without sealing up the tank from the air. The only thing I can think of here is to cut a piece of glass and mount it under the light and seal the edges with silicon sealant to make a kind of splash guard. I could make the glass just cover the tank below the light so it wouldn't seal it off. It wouldn't completely splash proof it but it would be pretty good. Would this work? It also says that it needs to be well ventilated - there are two big holes in the back of the hood about 1 1/2" across would they be enough, or do I need to get some vents or something?


I really don't know how to solve this one. Has anyone got any experience with this kind of thing?


Thanks in advance,


Muddy