Do you have a lid?

[h8z2luze]

If you dont have a canopy do you guys run a lid on your reef tank?

[Zer0]

Yeah. If you need a good lid, look into Innovators profile, and in his signature. You will find there a very extensive and a very well written way to make a proper screen lid. HN1 helped me, but Innovators is still very good.

[CaptainAhab]

Yup, glass lids on all my tanks (present and future). Keeps the heat in, the fish in and the evap in. Articles will tell you that it can cause PH and dissolved oxygen problems. Never had any with my tanks, at least that I know of or that manifested itself into issues with the tank or its inhabitants.

Just real world experience. No google, no books, no cut-n-paste.

[roka64]

Can't argue with that!
I don't have any lids.

[JPKeenan]

Yeppers. Have them on all my tanks.... Easier for keeping my lights and less evap going on.

[h8z2luze]

Cool well I have a lid that was made for my tank but the overflow tube is in its way. Maybe I will have it cut to fit.

[Zer0]

I think it kindof depends right.. ?? If you have fish that like to jump out of the water like some blennies or gobies.. then not having a lid is just dancing with death IMO. But if you have boring slow fish.. then a lid would be pretty pointless. Other than the glass or acryclic lids like Captain mentioned, that keep heat in and evap in. Personally, i would like to not have a lid lol.. but the netting is just as good for me. I use it because i want a goby and a blenny, both of which are suicidal jumpers. :p

[thincat]

Originally Posted by roka64

Can't argue with that!
I don't have any lids.

I went with a netting screen top. No more dead fish to carpet surfing...

[JustOneMore20]

I have a screen top with 1/4" netting. Found the screen kit at Lowe's as well as the netting (though I had to buy alot of it). You can get it at Home Depot as well. Here is a link that I used to make mine, with pics: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...highlight=mesh

[HappyHooligan]

I'd like to go with out a lids but water and dried salt accumulates on my bulb from the skimmer bubbles. That can't be good.
Maybe look at raising the light.

[match55]

Originally Posted by JustOneMore20

I have a screen top with 1/4" netting. Found the screen kit at Lowe's as well as the netting (though I had to buy alot of it). You can get it at Home Depot as well. Here is a link that I used to make mine, with pics: Reef Central Online Community - **Clear** Mesh Top

looks good, I might make something like that as well. haha

[JPKeenan]

what's the advantage of with the netting/screen? and the run of the mill glass/plastic hood?

[thominil]

Netting screen allows proper oxygen exchange at the surface, glass top may not. In sw, it is VERY important that you get proper oxygen exchange at the surface so you can keep a stable ph. Both keep fish from jumping out and carpet surfing.

[JPKeenan]

heheh cool cause I was wondering. I have a screen top for a 30g tank I acquired but ran out and got a glass top.

Needless to say (seems like common sense) I would need a better than just run of the mill florescent shop lights since I would have to have them up higher above the screen top than resting on the plastic of the plastic/glass hood.

[Generalx5]

Interesting topic. I dont use a lid at all on my nano 10 gallon, the one with fish in it.... have a puffer that gets frightened easily when its dark. So I put him into an accrylic breeding cage before I turn off the lights. He has actually jumped out of the tank once...


About fish jumping. I have an idea where the outer edges of the tank are lined with plastic strips, say maybe an inch to two inches wide 90 degrees from the glass wall. This way the surface is still exposed to air while outer walls are protected. Why would this be effective? Ive seen fishes swim against the glass and jump against it. I've yet to see a fish jump in the middle of the tank in open waters.

...just a thought

[CaptainAhab]

Originally Posted by thominil

Netting screen allows proper oxygen exchange at the surface, glass top may not. In sw, it is VERY important that you get proper oxygen exchange at the surface so you can keep a stable ph. Both keep fish from jumping out and carpet surfing.

If you have an open top sump the exchange happens there. Possibly much more so due do the draining activity.

[CaptainAhab]

Originally Posted by JPKeenan

Needless to say (seems like common sense) I would need a better than just run of the mill florescent shop lights since I would have to have them up higher above the screen top than resting on the plastic of the plastic/glass hood.

Depends on what you want to keep. There are no minimum lighting requirements for most (if not all) saltwater fish. Move into invertabrates and corals and that all changes.

To keep saltwater fish, for the most part, you need only saltwater, heat (if needed) and a filtering mechanism (apart from the fish and food). No sand, no rock, no nothing else