Cover over aquarium? Yes / No

[kingman8610]

Ok cool so DW is cheap lol

What is LFS and RO???- Sorry Im a bit new

 

[SAAVE853]

Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - FAQ: Acronyms and Abbreviations

There is a list of all the acronyms you'll see around here.

 

[kingman8610]

Thanks... also, how much Distilled water is too much? my tank is prolly lacking about 2g give or take and its a 10g tank. is it ok to just fill the difference with distilled?

 

[SAAVE853]

You need to test for salinity.

 

[libbyb]

I absolutely cover my aquarium. I always have. I'll adjust the water and clean the hood as necessary. To have the bubbles popping and the little droplets flying out are not what I want shooting into the room. It's bad enough that I actually have to wear goggles when opening my tank! I recently have been getting eye infections b/c the top of my tank is right at my eye level. I have a bubble wand thingy and try to make sure the filter goes out on the surface. But I want to keep my babies happy. But it is definitely not sealed. It has openings in the back for my equipment. Otherwise, I never thought about it being sealed.

 

[kingman8610]

What is salinity and how do i test for it? sorry im REALLY new apparently

 

[ccCapt]

Salinity or Specific Gravity tells you how much salt is in the water. If you have a saltwater tank you MUST check the salinity or S.G. The best instrument to use is a refractometer. They can be found on Ebay or any of the online retailers.

 

[kingman8610]

Oh wow, well when water evaporates there is DEF a lot of salt residue, And all over the top of my lamp that I have as lighting & heater lol, and all over the filter and sides of the glass... is all that an indication of too much Salinity???

 

[ccCapt]

Since the water has salt in it, where ever it splashes it will leave a salt deposit. That does not indicate you have too little or too much salt in the water. You MUST test the salinity. When water evaporates from the tank, only the water evaporates and that makes the salt concentration higher in the tank. Too high is no good just like too low is no good.

 

[kingman8610]

Oh ok well then I'm gonna take an educated guess and say that right now, the salinity IS too high b/c I've had the tank for just over a month now and only SW has gon into it, for the initial fill and also for refills, and its gone through A LOT of evaporation, I've gone through 2 5g Containers of SW since I'v had it, so I'm just gonna fill the diff. with DW unless my mom finds SW at this Fish store she found... Ok well thanks for the advice (Lol we totally took over this persons thread haha next time I'll just make my own)

 

[thincat]

Read ccCapts post again. You do not fill evaporated water with "SALTWATER"!!!!

 

[Greenmaster]

I would go to your LFS (Local Fish Store) and get a refractometer or at minimum I would get a hydrometer. Then slowly bring the salt content to where it needs to be.

Also Welcome to Aquarium advice

 

[mr_X]

make sure that if you intend to cover your tank with any screen, the holes are not large enough for your jumper to fit through. they don't jump blindly, they aim at the holes. they can see them. i once witnessed a pearly jawfish jump through a hole in the cover the size of a dime.

 

[kbkathri]

I have a 75g FOWLR tank that came with glass covers. The back 2" of the covers are plastic so that you can cut it around the equipment. At the moment I don't have a skimmer, and am running a canister filter with no sump. I also have a 750 gph powerhead pointed toward the water surface. After reading this thread I am concerned about having my tank sealed off from air.

So the question is, how much air is enough air? If I were to drill holes in the back 2" of plastic in the cover, would that allow enough "fresh" air to be benificial? With this method I estimate that I have about 1/4 of that area open, or 24 sq. in. The total surface area of the top of the tank would be about 960 sq. in. So I really have about 2 1/2% open. Would this be enough, or do I need a lot more? My wife really likes the idea of having it covered, but I know with it totally sealed I am already seeing a drop in PH.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[pat8you]

I would probably make your self some new covers as described in this thread out of mesh and a frame. That will help your PH problem and then you won't have to worry about the air exchange. Tank would still be covered and wife would still be happy. It isn't often you get a everybody wins situation. : )

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...but I know with it totally sealed I am already seeing a drop in PH.
.

What is your pH in the morning? What is it in the evening?

 

[thincat]

Yes, Kurt is correct. do that and if your PH keeps droping that you don't have enough gas exchange and need to vent more. Testing your PH would be the only way unless you have excess to an Orp (Oxidation reduction potential), monitor.

 

[David S]

I know this is slightly off topic but can i cover one of my sumps with a top to cut down moisture in my dt stand as it is causing mould on the inside of the stand,as the sump is small will this effect the ph?

 

[thincat]

First, what is causing all of that splash in your sump?

 

[julmaro]

I am thinking of buying two pieces of glass 17x27 inches to cover the sides that are not covered by the other piece of glass that came glued to the inside of the aquarium. The reason is because I suspect a lot of dirt and dust is falling into the water and causing excess nutrients since the aquarium is in a covered porch but outside the house. The 50 micron filters get dirty and clogged too fast. But I'll leave like 2 inches at each side for air circulation.