A "Mostly" Eggcrate Aquarium Cover...will it work?

[WhiteCloud]

Most everyone agrees that there are some benefits to open top marine tank, or a cover of platic "eggcrate" material for oxygen and gas exchanged, pH stability, etc...right?

Well...I have been on of those "glass cover" guys...due to cats, kids, and light protection..but I have been hating myself for it. I came up with an idea and I was wondering if this would benefit things.

I have a 40 Breeder tank with an All Glass Versa Top...WHICH I HATE! The 2 panes of glass are the same size......making the 1 inch hinge in the middle causing an awful shadow...and I need to do several manipulations to get the tank cover off (open it a little...pull it forward past the light...open it...replace the knob part as it always falls off...etc).

Anyway...would this work:

I will take off the cover... I will disassemble my cover...and take 1 piece of the glass (about 8 inches wide), and place that in the middle of the tank. Then cut the eggcrate to fit over the glass and to the edge of tank... the 1 pane of glass under light will be for support and light protection.

I see signs that my cat jumps on the aquarium when I am not home...and I don't want her jumping into an open tank...or putting too much weight on the eggcrate without the glass support.

This would open up another 9 inches of essentially open area over the tank. Yet..will protect the light from getting wet...and give the eggcrate support if the cat were to jump on it...and I have a feeling once she jumps on the eggcrate...she will not jump up there again.

Does this sounds logical?

Thanks,

WC

 

[PatM]

Sounds reasonable, though egg crate will flex to some degree. It may not support the cat. The glass may also flex too once it is just hanging on by the sides and not catching the lip in the front or back. You could consider making some kind of support brace to run from front to back in the middle of the tank just in case. You could make it out of plexi glass or acrylic and it wouldn't create those shade areas. Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not sure if that 40 breeder has a center brace or not?My solution was to get a squirt gun and squirt my cat everytime she even thought about jumping on the tank or tank stand. She did learn eventually and the benefits to having the open air system are great. Highly recommended imo.

 

[fishfreek]

Eggcrate is alot sturdier than you would expect. If you cut it to sit inside the top tank grove it wont slide off and the cat will have to be a fairly big bruit to bust thru it.