Aquarium Hoods

So much has changed in fishkeeping since the "olden days" of the '70s & '80s. Other than for light and to keep fish from jumping out, what is the purpose of the aquarium hood? I've noticed that I now see only full hoods, whereas one used to have the option of screen. (Some people even used none - hatchet fish jump!) As one who lives with open windows whenever possible, I would think that having at least part of the hood screened instead of solid would be better for ventilation, allowing more fresh air to get to the water surface. Screen will also allow evaporation out, as opposed to condensation that will accumulate like it does in the shower or drip back in, which may not be wanted if it contains bad nasty substances.

 

Hi, welcome to FishLore
Good question, my first thought would be to keep dust out. This is beneficial to such fish as bettas who need to come up for air.

 

We have full hoods(2) on the 55 gallon and also a wooden canopy over the whole thing. I have 4 curious cats ( I see your name includes cats - lol) and was worried they would jump up. I would think they also help with evaporation.

We never saw a problem.....guess what happened one night when I couldn't sleep and went out to read. I heard a noise...looked up, and this is what I saw...

I took the pics with the flash on, the room was dark . Neat how the red eye tetras eyes reflect - lights were off in the tank.

 

Great pictures Lucy & voiceless_kat! I failed to think of cat-proofing, although I automatically cat-proof almost everything in my world. Yes, I have always had cats, sometimes dogs (currently one part-time elderly Rottweiler), and assorted other visitors with or without invitation. Wild baby possums should stay outside; had to evict the same one twice last spring! I did put the aquarium on a heavy, solid wood table, wider than it is to allow work surface and safety from passers-by of all species (although I find humans to be clumsier than any on four feet). Thank you.

 

LOL.. Love the pics.

 

Not every tank has hoods. I have seen some beautiful open-topped reef tanks.
But yeah, keeping fish, moisture, and heat in, and keeping cats and dust out are all reasons to have hoods. My cats think that I put the hoods on the tanks so they have an easier place to hunt from.

 

My cats think that I put the hoods on the tanks so they have an easier place to hunt from.

Lady at LFS today told me her cat knows how to get the lid off ( not the canopy, but the plastic one) and yesterday flipped a fish out and her dog ate it!!! I would cry.....but it is kinda funny.

 

my cat went fishing from time to time when I had a plastic hood. took me a while to figure out where they were disappearing to, til one day I saw her doing it.

 

What a partnership!

Lady at LFS today told me her cat knows how to get the lid off ( not the canopy, but the plastic one) and yesterday flipped a fish out and her dog ate it!!! I would cry.....but it is kinda funny.

 

My cats love to sit on top of my 40 gallon tank and look down at the fishies through the glass hood. One time, my kitten didn't realize that the lid was off (I was feeding the fish) and he jumped up........and landed in the water! I grabbed him out and dried him off, but he ALWAYS uses caution when climbing up there now

 

I think he probably scared himself out of a couple lives!

 

I definitely use a glass canopy to cut down on evaporation on my 55 - otherwise my bedroom would become a musty swamp!

 

Lady at LFS today told me her cat knows how to get the lid off ( not the canopy, but the plastic one) and yesterday flipped a fish out and her dog ate it!!! I would cry.....but it is kinda funny.

On the one hand, it's kind of sad, on the other, it's pretty funny, and on the third hand, that's a pretty impressive hunting task (opening the hood then scooping a fish out). I'd bet that, if that happens enough, the fish will only eat the flakes while they're sinking.

 

I think he probably scared himself out of a couple lives!

Yeah, I think so too. He is a young kitten, so I guess that experience qualified as his first bath too!

 

I have and Aqueon 20 gal. tank. The hood has a plastic cover over the light fixture. This cover keeps getting covered with algae and a white "soap-scum" like substance. Are there any tips or tricks for avoiding or cleaning this stuff, or is it just something to deal with?

 

The white film is most likly hard water stains from condensation. My glass tops get this. I am not sure of the best way to clean it off plastic though... sorry. For any algae I get on my tank hoods I just wipe them off with a paper towel soaked in hot water.

 

A mild solution of white vinegar and warm/hot water should remove the hard water stains

 

I think I will steal this cleaning recipe as I have the same problem lol. does the vinegar have negative effect on the fish?

 

I think I will steal this cleaning recipe as I have the same problem lol. does the vinegar have negative effect on the fish?

If you tip it in the tank, it's probably not going to be helpful to the fish

But as a cleaning solution, no WHITE vinegar is fine. Vinegar is organic, and trace amounts will pose no 'threat' to your livestock.

That said, after cleaning, I always wipe off the area with clean warm water.

 

excellent. thank you very much!

 

I just cleaned it and with a little bit of scrubbing, it came off fairly easy! Awesome! I will be cleaning mine with the white vinegar/warm water trick from now on. THANK YOU ryanr!

 

Glad it worked for you.

 

I have also found that if you lay a wet paper towel over the area you want to clean for 15 or so minutes, it scrapes off really easily with a blade or something similar.

 

this may be silly, but I have the same problem, and I just scrape it off with a putty knife. You know the kind you use to put plaster on the wall. Works like a charm for me.

 

Hi
I want to diy a lid for my aquarium.......good looking.....not expensive....ideas please.

Thanx
Hannes

 

Yep. I went to a hardware store and had a lid cut to fit. I have a center brace on the tank, so I bought two pieces (one for each side of the brace), had those two pieces cut in half length wise, bought two Aqueon handles on ebay, and attached. Now each side of the tank has two pieces of glass. The one in back always stays there and the two in front lift off as lids. It cost me about $40 for the glass and the cuts. If you go that route, just be sure to leave space in the back for filters, heaters, and air exchange.

 

+1 for Adams idea. I did the something similar. I have an oddly shaped tank, so I opted for just 2 pieces total. As for where the glass sits, you can buy this stuff at Home Depot called "PVC tile board outside corner" and put the back glass in the bottom groove, and the front glass just sits on top so it can slide back and fourth.

Here's a link to what I basically followed:

It's really simple, cheap, and looks great!

 

Thanx Adam....I have 2 problems.....tried it once and had a massive lime buildup on the glass and secondly, I would like to put my florescent light in it

 

stephanI 19, I really like your lid. What kind of paint did you use for PVC rim? (I have some PVC tunnels, it would be fun to paint them) how long did it take to dry?

My Home Depo did not cut glass the day I bought it, so my glass is resting on the aquarium rI'm sticking out about 2 inches on three sides.

My Finnex Fuge Ray light is resting comfortably on top. The lid like yours would look neater.

 

Jomolager, that wasn't me in the video but to paint the plastic rims, I used Krylon Fusion paint. It's made specifically for plastic and doesn't require any sanding/primer. I read a lot of reviews and it seems like a lot of people recommend it. I have heard of people painting their PVC caves with the krylon fusion, plus you can get a lot of different colors. Goodluck!

 

Thanks. And you got the paint at the hardware store or art supplies?

 

I bought it at Walmart actually. I think it was $5.50 (Canadian).

 

Has anyone here ever had the Aqueon Versatop hinged aquarium hood? If so, does it have enough space on the vinyl strip for a hole for a HOB on it. AND would ther be space for a DIY light fixture? Thank you in advance.

 

I have them on several tanks. There is enough to space for my Fluval C 4 filters and canisters

I have one glass lid over my smallest tank, 5g, and the glass is about 1/8 of longer. It works, but it is not a perfect fit good luck.

 

I have them on all my tanks. You can either use the plastic strip it comes with and cut it to fit around your hob's, or remove the plastic strip altogether. I always remove it and my hob's fit great (I have aqueon's) with probably an inch to spare. If its tight you can just slide the glass over the front a tiny bit. I have used the marineland fixtures that go over the top but do not sit on it. Depending on your diy light should be fine.

 

Could you check how wide the glass behind the hinge is?

 

They're exactly the same as the front. What size is your tank? I have a top for a 20L, a 10 and a 30 and 40breeder that I could measure.

 

I have a 10 gal and a 20 gal standard. I need to know if my light fixture will be narrow enough to not block the hinge on the hood.

 

Here is a link to all the measurements of the tops for all the sizes. They are evenly split glass with the seam and the back plastic piece (approx 2 in) is optional to put on or take off.

 

Yes I use the glass top on my 72 gallon bowfront. The plastic pieces in the back make it nice to cut openings to your liking.