Top or no top

[blizowman1]

Just set up my 90g tank and the tank came with a really old glass top it's two pieces. But that's just the front half which is 48" long and the back half that's 48" long. I bought a new plastic strip for the back but the older glass is too thick for the new strip to fit on and the hinge is just old and didn't think to buy one but am thinking it would probably be the same as the backstrip. My real question is how many people here even use a top at all, and how many just leaves the top open with no cover.... I've also noticed this older glass top kinda has a green color to it. I'm thinking about just leaving it off because it such a pain to take off and put on when I need to dose ferts or feed my fish

 

[JoeyGeeze]

I had a glass top on my tank originally, but I did away with it after I bought my new lighting system. I like the look of an open top tank so that was another reason i got rid of it. Most importantly though, it depends on the fish you have. Some are more prone to jumping than others. Although, I'm sure any fish could jump at any given time!

 

[blizowman1]

Well what are know jumpers lol... And how much water should I change in my 90g a week. I used to change 10-15g a week in the 29g... Would that be enough in the 90g

 

[Shoei]

Just set up my 90g tank and the tank came with a really old glass top it's two pieces. But that's just the front half which is 48" long and the back half that's 48" long. I bought a new plastic strip for the back but the older glass is too thick for the new strip to fit on and the hinge is just old and didn't think to buy one but am thinking it would probably be the same as the backstrip. My real question is how many people here even use a top at all, and how many just leaves the top open with no cover.... I've also noticed this older glass top kinda has a green color to it. I'm thinking about just leaving it off because it such a pain to take off and put on when I need to dose ferts or feed my fish

I personally love the open top look but beware of jumpers and water evaporation will be much greater in this case. Alot harder to hide things like wires or equipment and etc I have had both types of tops and open always wins with me

 

[blizowman1]

Ok well all I have is 4 otos, 4 Cory's, I dwarf grouami , 6 cardinals, and 8 pristellas. I do have another concern in wondering if I should be worried about. When I set my tank up I put a piece of foam between the tank and stand. Now I think there is more substrate on the left side than the right and the foam has compressed on te left more than the right making my tank uneven.

Should I be worried about it I was thinking about going home tonight taking some water out , and pulling th driftwood and some of the plants out and raking some over to the right to see if it helps....I'm wondering if I even should have used the foam:/ I'm worried now lol

 

[blizowman1]

I think I may try the no top way for a week or two. About the foam thing I was talking to a older guy at work that used to own his own wood working business and seems to know a lot about stuff like that cause he started talking about hydraulic weights and pressures and how the weight is gonna be pushing down not out the sides so I dunno if I'm gonna worry about it or not i still may try to even the substrate out though

 

[JoeyGeeze]

I think I've heard hatchet fish will jump.. Eels will escape too. And like Shoei said, evaporation occurs much faster. I have to top my tank off basically daily to keep the water line up. Right now it's helping a lot with the heat my state is getting. If you wanna prevent jumping, some people use mesh or the reflector pieces you would see in an office building that cover the lighting, I think it's called egg crate but don't quote me on that.

 

[FishontheRock]

Killifish are know jumpers too.

 

[foster53]

If your lights set directly on top of the tank you should have a piece of glass between them. The moisture is not good for the light components.

 

[Convict2161]

Topless it just looks better and less maintenance the glass tips just get dirty, get the moisture build up on them and hold back the light.

Also just curious what did you put styrofoam under the tank? The tank is designed as to now have anything under it. The weight is distributed on the 4 corners. If you have something underneath it and it's not resting on the corners you may damage the tank. It will push the pressure outwards instead of letting the corners do what they were designed to do.

If you look at tank stands for the most part the centers are empty.













Some tanks stands have a top so to speak but you don't wanna put anything between the tank and the stand. You can cause undo stress to the tank.

 

[blizowman1]

The foam forms to the bottom of the tank and the top of the stand. Why wouldn't the tank be sitting on all four corners. If anything the forming to both makes sure the whole bottom of the tank is resting on something

 

[blizowman1]

Oh and my lights have legs which sit directly on top of the tank

 

[Convict2161]

The foam forms to the bottom of the tank and the top of the stand. Why wouldn't the tank be sitting on all four corners. If anything the forming to both makes sure the whole bottom of the tank is resting on something

I must have misunderstood your post, forgive me. I thought you foam down covering the entire bottom then put your tank down. Anyway, if you have a open stand with a center brace or a flat surface stand you shouldn't be putting anything between the tank and stand. There both designed to work in a certain fashion by altering that you alter the way the tank will balance and hold water and where the stress points are. Maybe I just read it wrong.

Good luck either way your tank shouldn't uneven.

 

[Convict2161]

Oh and my lights have legs which sit directly on top of the tank

I the lights are right ontop then I wouldn't advise on no tops. My light fixture sits about 4-5 inches from the surface so I can run no tops.

If your that close you may get splashing and compromise the electric and also the safety of yourself as well as your finned friends.

 

[blizowman1]

Well it's a had built stand and I'm no master carpenters so everything up tip doesn't line up exactly so I put the foam under the tank so it'll absorb all the deformitys in the top of the stand