Glass Top...Keep or not?

[JDogg]

This related Directly to the growth of plants in my tank...if i was not trying to give my plants as much light as possible it would not even be an issue

FYI i have my 4 32 watt T8 Bulbs DIYed up into my Wooden Canopy (2 on the back and 2 on the door...

i currently have glass tops on the tank (75 gallon so one on each side of the divider) they are dirty and need to be cleaned (i blame there dirtiness for some current algae/slowing of plant growth (bulbs are only ~5 months old)

i am debating with just removing the glass tops all together, no barrier between top of water and bulbs... i should not have a lot of splashing, but occasionally if my angel get spooked he will splash...so i am worried about that...

what do you all think?

 

[rich311k]

I do not use tops. I like it that way. Think the tanks look better. Just be sure you dont have any jumpers.

 

[JDogg]

I do not use tops. I like it that way. Think the tanks look better. Just be sure you dont have any jumpers.

never had any jumpers... and it is not like there would be no top, the canopy is all covering just worried about the occasional fish splash causing electrical/bulb troubles... especialy since the lighting is DIY (there are not exposed wires i jused a shop light kit...but the bulbs are fully exposed

 

[rich311k]

My light are on legs. 5-6 inches above the water. I never have seen water on the acrylic covers. I do think the tank gets more light that way, and the bacopa likes to grow out of the water, looks kind of cool.

 

[JDogg]

My light are on legs. 5-6 inches above the water. I never have seen water on the acrylic covers. I do think the tank gets more light that way, and the bacopa likes to grow out of the water, looks kind of cool.

i supose my bulbs are ~3 inches above the surface of the water...

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Do you have any covers over the lights? I would be concerned about a fish splashing water (ours do it all the time) into the electrical.

 

[JDogg]

the shop lights look like this one, without the "side flaps"

there is a cover over the electrical above the bulbs, but there would be nothing between the bulbs and the water but air if i remove the glass tops

 

[rich311k]

That would worry me. I have a lens over the bulbs. 3 inches is pretty close.

 

[JDogg]

That would worry me. I have a lens over the bulbs. 3 inches is pretty close.

any ideas on how to make it safer or should i just clean the glass tops (mostly hardwater, nothing a little vingare and a razor should not be able to handle) but the fact that there is hard water stains tells me that occasionaly there must be water on the glass tops :?

 

[JRagg]

I would be worried about the increased condensation in the wooden hood as well.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I'd just clean the glass.

 

[Zezmo]

Angels will jump, so will most tetras.
Removing a lid is fine, as long as your fish stay in. All but one of my tanks I use glass covers.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I'm the only one who's voted Other, lol. Here's my reasoning....

If your fish are Jumpers, Keep the glass tops.
If your fish don't have a jumping problem, you do not need them. lol.

The only tank I have that have the tops on now is my 55G, and that's because I lost a fire eel who escaped. I found him over at the sliding glass door, 15 feet from the tank. I guess he wanted to go outside, lol. He was all dried up. So, glass tops from now on with that tank. All my other tanks do not have glass tops, have had no problems with jumpers.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I think it depends on your lighting also. If you have bare bulbs, I wouldn't do it. But if you have acrylic covering the bulbs, go for it (as long as you don't have jumpers).

 

[docrak]

Ok this topic us useless unless known jumpers are identified and fish that never jump are identified.

I've have live breeders, hatchet fish, red tail sharks, a flying fox, and a ghost shrimp jump from my tank.

I've never seen a tetra or an angelfish jump or even try.

I wouldn't trust my peacock cichlids, my corries or my pleco not to jump.

I'm not sure what other fish there are. These are the ones I've kept.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

My Africans jump (quite a bit), my corys I have seen get a little air action, definitely hatchets, african butterflyfish, that's all I can think of at the moment that I have kept.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

None of my tetras or rams have even tried to jump, and neither has my plecos. My cherry barbs have tried, but it's been a while since seeing a jumper. My rainbowfish have never tried jumping either. Tiger barbs have tried as well, but they are in the covered tank with the Fire Eel. And none of the loaches ever surface, they are always scooting around the shipwreck and all the driftwood and fake sewer pipes. The Red Tail Shark has never tried either, but the Albino Rainbow Shark has slapped me in the face, lol.

 

[kaz]

I have glass covers do to the dust that collects on the surface and i also have those shop lights about 4 inches over the glass covers is this wrong of my doing?

 

[Burks]

the shop lights look like this one, without the "side flaps"

Just curious as to how you are directing the light into the tank? Those shop lights throw light all over the place.

3" from the water without a glass top is not a good idea with shoplights. They are not made to resist water or even be near it.

 

[maxwell1295]

Just make sure you don't have any jumpers. I removed my top on my old 30G until I lost a neon tetra. I forgot to put them back on my 55G after doing a PWC and lost a Socolofi.....she was probably cheased to her death by the overzealous male. For those reasons, I keep the tops on all of my tanks...