Psychlist1972

I've come to the conclusion that I hate the solid glass tops. They move around on me when I open them, they crust up daily and really limit light, they hold heat in my tanks (the 55 and 20g tropical tanks are currently 80 degrees, ugh), they have to be removed for any maintenance, and they usually can't be opened all the way and propped up due to the lights.

I like the look of a full-to-the-rim tank. I want to do something about the top, but I'm afraid of losing fish and inverts. (I keep some apple snails, bunch of danios, a gourami and am considering some Kuhli loaches and red cherry shrimp - both escape artists.

Has anyone built a better solution? A hood appears to have as many problems if not more.

I'm wondering if I can't create a lip about 1.5" wide out of plexi and put that around the rim (think of laying a flat sheet of plexi down on the tank sections and routing out the openings)

Thoughts?

Pete

Tony G.

Hello pete
ive heard that plexiglass bends with time...

mathas

You're essentially describing an open-top tank with a lip. Given your thread in the lighting forum and what you have on order, you may want to contact Catalina and see if their fixtures are designed to be used over open-top tanks... many lighting fixtures are not.

I noticed that the page for the fixture you've ordered says "does not come with a splashguard," which makes me think it would not be compatible with your plexiglass lip idea unless you also purchased the splashguard.

Psychlist1972

Thanks all

I would have ordered the splash guard, but it was $75! The fixture was 189 but the splash guard was 75. I'm sure it works out that it actually costs that much between the hangers they use and the plexi, but still there's no way I was going to do that, especially when it hangs low enough to run into all the same issues regular tops do.

I'll find out if it can be used over open top. However, thinking about it, I suspect the answer is "no". I don't recall it using waterproof end caps. I'll have it up on legs (or maybe even hanging - haven't decided) but I assume the legs don't provide enough space to get away with it.

Pete

Glass sags with time too. It's a matter of how large a piece and how much reinforcement. Since this would not be glued in place, it would probably sag or curl a bit over time unless I used something pretty thick.

Pete

So, given that, what are folks you all doing with your tanks?

Maybe your water doesn't leave deposits? Or are you including a vinegar scrub with every water change?

Pete

mathas

Every water change would be excessive in my situation, but I do clean my glass lids every 2-3 months.

Tony G.

i swear this is like deja vu! Just yesterday my 10g broke while i was cleaning the build up with vinigar! grrr...
What ive noticed is that if you keep the surface of the water moving its less build up...

Red1313

Lol my glass lid is coming up for a cleaning soon but it doesn't bother me much. However I just have a piece of solid glass no flap so in some ways it can be a pain at times.
However I don't know if your "lip" idea would work so well if you keep your tank full to the top. If you want to do an open top or the lip idea I'd maybe build a "cage" out of plexiglass.
Build 4 sides to sit on the tank grove about 2-3" tall then have the lip built on them.
Just an idea.

pepetj

Personally I dislike most tops. I've been experimenting with "DIY tank height extension" made of glass that goes around the frontal and lateral walls of the tank and leave the rear wall open. Yes I have lost a few fish that happen to jump out of the tank. So I placed a barrier made of garden net in the back side, glued with silicon to a narrow horizontal glass placed on the rear end of the glass assembly for stability. This way I place the lights some 8 inches from the water surface but without a barrier between them and the water surface. I remove the whole thing easily and reach into my tank whenever I have to.

That said, this "solution" adds more glass that needs to be cleaned regularly.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

Psychlist1972

@pepetj

lol. I was reading along with your solution thinking "that's a great idea!" until I too came to the conclusion that you just added a bunch more glass to clean

But, at least that glass isn't affecting the light getting into the tank.

The spray from the filter and any aeration deposits enough cloudiness on the glass tops, that it makes a small but (to me) obvious difference in light level vs. no top.

But, I've also been reading up on a few things I'd like to stock, and it looks like a tight-fitting lid is something I'll have to live with ... at leat until I come up with something better

Oh, and whatever I do eventually do has to be livingroom-acceptable. IOW, wife has veto powers over any chicken wire, panty hose, and rebar solutions

Pete

Red1313

so then baler twine, ducktape, and #9 wire is probably out to?
... there goes my idea rolf