I've heard conflicting views what covers you should use on a reef tank. Some people say that glass adversely affects the spectrum of the lights you are using, whereas acrylic doesn't.
Then again, some people say you shouldn't have -any- lids on a reef tank to boost evaporation and keep the tank cool (I'm at 27 degrees South so it gets pretty balmy here in the Summer).
I think most people over here use eggcrate to cover their tanks. I have glass lids on my 72gal and eggcrate on the nano. Small fish can jump through eggcrate so that's why I haven't switched my 72gal over to eggcrate and my wrasse has a mad desire to go carpet surfing. I run a fan over my skimmer to make sure I get adaquate oxygen exchange. Because glass/acrylic lids deplete oxygen levels, this in turn can cause lower PH readings.
My glass lids do affect the amount of light going through my tank. When I take the lids off, the tank is much brighter. I do clean my glass lids btw. I am curious about the light spectrum when using acrylic.
I'm up in the air about this on how to cover the tank- don't like the look of the eggcrate or the fact that fish can jump through it, however I realize that glass lids aren't good at all. Because the nano doesn't have a sump, I must use eggcrate. Other alternatives need to be invented.
__________________ Gwen - 2008 Atlanta Reef Club Board MACNA XX Committee 125g RR AGA "The Simple Reef Tank"
i did ansswer this in a show
see this show for the details.
but yes gwen is right here.
tank lids glass or acrylic are not usually recommended.
they trap heat, block needed color spectrum and impead surface gas exchange.
now depending on what type of glass or acrylic you are usingthe spectrum depletion could be minimal. In this show listed abouve i also discuss the type (UG-4) acrylix/plexiglass that is thought to have the lowest spectrum reduction while still providing some UV protection.
as far as fish jumping, if you get the eggcreate with the smaller holes, it shouldnt be a big deal... unless your small fish have incredible aim..
the biggest concern here is the surface gas exchange. now if you have an overflow that helps greatly, but otherwise all of the gas exchange comes from surface water movement. without direct the gass exchange will become inefficient and cause problms as gwen stated.
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so here's my question. My tank is in my bedroom and this room is the smallest in the house(12'X8'). The door is always closed and rarely opened due to the fact that i am down at college. The only time anyone goes in my room is when my brother feeds the fish. I have glass tops presently but i just bought my T-5 fixture and am going to hang it from the ceiling. So if i take the glass lids off, will i need to put a dehumidifer in my room? Next, how high above the water should i have the light so that no salt gets on it?? Thanks.
~Josh
P.S. I have an overflow box so the gas exchange is there, but is it enough?
Glass tops aren't recommended but I keep them on my 72gal bow- I don't want any fish to jump out- i slightly vent my glass tops and already lost a fish by it jumping through the very small crack. I have a sump so I can get away with having the tops on. I am not sure if your overflow is providing enough oxygen exchange.
If you do take them off, you do not want a dehumidifer. That would work against you and suck all the water out of the tank. Tank evaporation is actually good for a house- better to have a little moisture than to have a really dry house. Moisture preserves things a little better. If your windows are steamy then you may wanna consider it, otherwise not needed imo, especially in the winter with the heater running.
gwen is right on here....
the dehumidifier is going to cause greater evap.. so dont worry about that.
the overflow box will take care of a lot of your gas exchange, and if you are running a skimmer, you will be all set there...
as you see in my post the other big issue is the way that the glass lids affect the amount of light, and skew the spectrum.. you want to look for UG-4 plexigass if you are going to use anything
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I always say it's best to put NOTHING on top of your tank. However, if you do have 'carpet surfer' type of fish, eggcrate is best. I've found eggcrate at Home Depot that was clear! You do want to have some way of cooling down your system. Evaporation is my friend.
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i called Lowes and Home Depot about the plexiglass and neither had a clue. I tried to call a glass place but they were all closed on saturday. I'm going to try again on monday and i'll find out more then.
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