glass lid questions

[daneek155]

i have a planted 55g tank. i just got a good light and now i can not open the glass lids... does it affect anything if i take them out completly. what helps the plants more?????glass lid or no lid. thanks

 

[ixoyewarrior]

i have a planted 55g tank. i just got a good light and now i can not open the glass lids... does it affect anything if i take them out completly. what helps the plants more?????glass lid or no lid. thanks

My saltwater tank got too hot with glass so I took mine off.

 

[Aspencer]

Here in the high desert of Oregon, my tanks had no lids and they lost up to a gallon a day so I put lids on all of them.

 

[daneek155]

i dont mind the water evaperating so i just have to top off the water once a week.
does it make a difference for the plants.

 

[blert]

No, it won't matter to your plants one way or the other. Lids serve four purposes that I know of... They keep evaporation down. They keep heat in. They keep fish in. They keep stuff out.

Watch for too much splash onto you light fixture and don't drop your light fixture in the tank.

 

[aqua_chem]

They will also decrease the light by a little bit, but usually its a nonissue.

 

[John-K]

You could try twin-tube glass lids. The front part is narrower, so it can open with wider light fixtures:
Aquarium Hoods & Canopies: All-Glass Twin-Tube Versa-Tops

Or you can just replace the glass on your existing lids, making the front piece narrower. You can get pieces cut at a glass shop or maybe a hardware store.