carlos413

I was thinking of making my own lid to keep fish from jumping out of the tank. the reason for this is that id like to get a purple fire fish and I hear that they are know for jumping out of tanks. I was thinking of something that was not completely covered. To keep it from over heating. If anyone has any ideas preferably pictures that they can post would be appreciated.

harpua2002

Hi Carlos, here is a link to the DIY plans that we used to make a cover for our 50 gallon. If you don't want to do it this way, you can also use eggcrate to make a cover, but the bird netting doesn't block light at all IME.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forum...t=bird+netting

MizRamzi

What about a piece of plexi glass with little holes drilled in it?

carlos413

anyone got any pics of there tank with a plaxi glass as a cover or eggcrate? ID just like to see what it looks like so i can better plan. also where can i get the materials?

cerianthus

Plexi will warp/sag as cover/lid. Depending on the lentgh of the tank it can warp enough to fall into tank with time if long enough..

What lighting and what size tank? What brand tank? Any pic of tank top (Top View, want to see lip of the rim/frame)?

carlos413

Its a 55 gallon all glass tank. its got the devider in the middle. My lighting is 240w pc. What do you recomend?

cerianthus

I reently reformatted the comp and cant find my scanner install CD so I cant not scan the dwg. I'll do my best to describe.

OK
Using strips of plexi (1/4" thick) and let's called them panels, 1 front, 1 back and 2 side panels, . make a rectangular sleeve . Height (4"-?) of the sleeve is up to you but the sleeve should be slightly (1/8") larger than the frame of the tank so when put over the tank, it should barely slide thru the top frame.

Now using other thinner strip (1/2" or so), glue that inside the sleeve so it can be used as lip to sit on top of the tank frame. When glueing, do so evenly so the sleeve will sit levelled.
If the light strip will be hung fron the ceiling, can adjust the distance from the tank with chain.
If you want to rest the PC on top of the sleeve then need to add strips on both end and center to stucturrally stablize the sleeve.

As far as heat build up inside the sleeve. Well, look at some of light strip with built in fan and duplicate using comp fans or equivalents. You may have them on the PC.

Make sure not to drill small holes all over then such will diminish ability to suck our all the heat which may built up under PC.

Must drill holes on the side panels of the sleeve for fresh air intake and exhaust fan before glueing them together. For home made Sleeve, exhaust fan should be mounted on the outside of sleeve to prevent corrosion/damages to fan from condensation..

I dont know if you got this. If not, wait few days for me find nstallation CD so I can scan dwg

LMK


It does not have to be exactly as I describe. YOu can even make it better to suit your needs.

Remember! the main reason for building this is to prevent any CARPET DIVNG so it should be pretty high.

MizRamzi

You can alway reinforce the plexi and since it's a 55 it most likely has the center divider. Therefor you would be using 2 smaller pieces. It also comes in several thicknesses Plexi is thermo treated to withstand high heat. You can also get it in many colors, clear or smokey.
Plexi is inexpensive. They make tanks out of Plexiglas, why not hoods?

cerianthus

There are difference in their properties (physical and chemical, not that I am chemical engineer. I am not)) between plexi and acrylicand in their application. One should recommend based upon experiences not guess work cause some one can, not just waste their money, but have disater on their hand as I know few fellow hobbyists who built with their tanks with lack of such understanding. . I've made many lids with left over Plexi/acrylic (built many thing including filters, lobster tank, Protein Skimmers, Hoods) but even so called thicker plexi warped with time and when long enough. Acrylic is the one being used as to build acrylictank, at leas as far as I know.
Check out the cost of 1/8, 1/2, 3/8 and 1/2" Thick Plexi, diffrence in price isinsane, imo. It will be too expensive to use thick thick plexi to use as cover. Glass would be lot cheaper as lid. Such expense will defeat the whole purpose.

MizRamzi

carlos413

I do have the devider in the middle

cerianthus

I didnt mean to offend you in any way, MizRamzi!

If I sounded like I did, my sincereapology. Trying to assist others, if I may, so they dont have a difficulties, especially with fish.

MizRamzi

No offense taken my FL friend. If I'm always right I'll never learn anything I am a humble woman, sometimes

carlos413

Check out my Tank cover I made from egg crate from my local DIY store. It cost me $12.30 to make it.
Thanks for the advice!!!

Lucy

Congrats! How about posting a pic here?

carlos413

Pic's comeing soon