canopy or no canopy?

[ZivioRR]

hi all. i was just wondering do most of us have a canopy over the fishtank?
coz all the tanks that i see in my lfs doesnt have any... whats the pros and cons about that? thankz.

 

[BillyZ]

I do not.

Pros:
Keeps fish in and kids/pets/random-flying-objects out

Cons:
Inhibits efficient gas exchange at the surface of your tank, affecting your Ph levels (if you don't also have a sump/fuge)

IMO, thats a pretty big con. If you're concerned about the fish/kids/pets/flying-objects i would recomend picking up some Egg-crate from the lighting section of your local hardware store. gives a "guard" while still allowing light and air through.

 

[DragonForce]

I run a canopy with an open back.

They look better IMO with a nice canopy vs an open back. My tank gets plenty of gas exchange and soon I will be adding a nice HOB fuge.

 

[jasno999]

If I had somehting bigger than a 10gallon tank I would do a closed canopy and an open fuge/sump. That way you get the gas exchange but you save a littl on evaporation and the need for cleaning onf the lights.

 

[BeGiNeR_7]

I like the look of the canopies and was going to get one. I bought everything else and just haven't decided to spend the money to get the canopy. I think it looks okay without it and I have decided to spend that money on things that actually go it the tank. I figured the option is always there if I change my mind.

 

[Quil]

How big of an issue is evaporation if you don't use a canopy?

 

[zuzecawi]

I have a canopy with open back being made for the 135. Since I plan on using halides, this is a must. Halide lighting is a KNOWN and PROVEN cause of cataracts and glaucoma. (Hope I'm spelling that right/have the right word in mind) Any children, dogs, short people, etc who stare up at the lights are at risk for severe and permanent damage to their eyes and eyesight. Being as I have all of the above in my household, canopy it is. My current tank doesn't have a canopy, and it definitely bothers my eyes. I don't think your evaporation rate would be any lower with an open backed canopy. I lose about 1-2 gallons per day off the open topped 58 and the open topped 20 gal sump.

 

[melosu58]

I do not have a canopy and I like it better. Too bulky and tank stays much cooler without one. Temps stay more steady also.

 

[pkremer]

I just removed the original hood to put my new Orbit CF lighting system above the tank, and now have an open top. I just did it today, so I'll have to see how it affects evaporation; however, I am not concerned about things falling in, nor am I terrified of fish jumping out. These new lights rule!

And zuzecawi, you spelled both cataracts and glaucoma correctly (I am a medical transcriptionist), but I haven't done any research on that, so I don't know for sure if you have the right words in mind...hehe!

Paul

 

[ZivioRR]

but if u have MH light, wont a close canopy cause the temp to raise too high??

 

[afilter]

Are we confusing canopy with glass top? I have a matching wood canopy (pure astetics), but do not have glass tops on the tank itself. My lighting sits directly over the tank and the canopy conceals it.

A for gas excahnge no affect as it is open in the back and has open slots in top. I aslo run a sump.

 

[zuzecawi]

This is kinda funny but not funny, my Mom (yes I'm adult and I still capitalize Mom) is a botanist. Several of her friends and people who've worked at nurseries who supply the Dept have developed glaucoma (eyeball cancer is roughly how I understand it, but I'm out of the water on that one) and they all got it from repeated exposure to high pressure sodium lighting and metal halide lighting. And no, they didn't stand around staring at the light (Not THAT kind of botanical experimentation!!!), this was purely from just routine exposure. So Mom is a serious advocate on the whole canopy thing. It actually was her who jumped my case for exposing the baby to the halide pendant over my 58. So it took a plant freak to tell an ocean freak what should have been obvious... reefs are under constant and brutal radiation, and just like fishermen who get cataracts in age, anybody who exposes themself to the same intensity of light, or even a close approximation, is risking their eyes. I know it's a pretty benal thing to worry about, but after sitting at the dining room table, I have spots in my vision for hours. And that's just from what I catch on the peripheal. My partner is tall, so it doesn't bother him any, but I see the dog and they baby both wince from the aquarium area. Yet another reason to be anxious to get the project tank going (Getting good at justifying this, aren't I?)

 

[ferretttt]

my 44 corner hex has a canopy and I like it, cause it keeps my Hawkfish from flying away (grin) Also looks nicer to me.

My 75 GAL has a canopy to hold the lights, but it stands off about 4 inches from the tank, so it is kinda open... I have wondered about evaporation and all that. Also, does it keep in the gases if it has a canopy? I would guess it would.

 

[ZivioRR]

if the canopy have a open back then it should be fine, right??

 

[melosu58]

Open back is fine just be careful of the glass tops. Really any canopy is fine but open back is better for heat escape.

 

[cmor1701d]

reefs are under constant and brutal radiation, and just like fishermen who get cataracts in age, anybody who exposes themself to the same intensity of light, or even a close approximation, is risking their eyes

Is it the intensity of the light or the UV radiation that causes the problem? Most MH lighting for our tanks have a UV glass shield which should minimize if not eliminate this risk.

I have a couple of corals that bleached white after going in my tank. They normally grow under intense sun so, after photo acclimating them, I placed them directly below my 150w MH lights, high in the tank. I asked Anthony Calfo about this at a demo he did last month. He speculated that I do not have enough light in the UV spectrum light for these corals.

 

[zuzecawi]

It is both the intensity and the UV. Even with the glass shield, that doesn't cut out all the UV, it just reduces it. Actinic light isn't the hottest to stare at either, but it won't hurt you as long as you're not reading under it or glaring at it wondering why only one ballast in the stupid thing works... grr... oh, where was I again?