Leaving a tank uncovered?

cornerblitz45 · 10/02/2006, 01:51 PM

I was told by a few people that running a tank with no top on it good aside from having increased evaporation ??? any thoughts?

Andrew · 10/02/2006, 01:56 PM

I don't have a cover on 75 and have a gallon or two a day evaporate. Only downside if you may have jumpers. I want to add a canopy soon in order to hide my lights and hopefully cut back on the evaporation by adding some cooling fans.

papagimp · 10/02/2006, 01:59 PM

I've never put a top on my tank, It helps mostly keeping jumpers from, well, jumping out. Other than that, a glass top over you're tank will decrease lighting, add another thing to clean regularly, and a decrease in gaseous exchange. Don't think of increased evaporation as a bad thing all the time. Anyways, just my thoughts.

sir_dudeguy · 10/02/2006, 02:04 PM

well imo, evap isnt even bad...its good actually, like if you're having heat trouble...just evap water a little faster and it'll cool the tank.

the only thing to worry about is fish jumping, but there's ways around that (i personally dont agree that egg-crate is good, but thats just from my experience w/the stuff...if it works for you...good job i guess

)

But without a hood/glass top, you're gonna get more/better gas exchange, which is needed if you got low pH...i dont ever add buffers to mine and my tap starts at like 7.5 or something like that.

fmuakkassa · 10/02/2006, 02:14 PM

I used to have glass covers. Salt will dry on them and I have to keep cleaning them constantly. I then did remove them. I had two fish jump out to their death so far ( a six line wrasse and a Mandarin). Despite that, I'll keep it uncovered. Yes evaporation is more but more light will penetrate the tank (unless you keep the glass cover crystal clear)

sir_dudeguy · 10/02/2006, 02:18 PM

even if the glass is very clean and clear, its still gonna block some of the spectrum. And when light spectrum isnt up to what it should be, it can be more suiting to algae, which will then take off. Thats why when you get a tank near a window that gets natural sunlight, you often get a ton of algae...the sunlight is having to go thru the the window first, and then thru the tank glass, which blocks the full spectrum, and thus supporting algael growth.

Shagsbeard · 10/02/2006, 02:19 PM

I have eggcrate on mine and the light over that. 1/2 inch eggcrate might not keep in the most determined of jumpers, but it's a start.

Radioheed · 10/02/2006, 04:22 PM

i want to keep my tank without a cover...but when i bought my light strip (current pc) the instructions said all over the place not to use over an open tank...this true even with the little mounting things???

(sry not trying to hijack thread, just didn't want to post new thread)

MrsDorothy · 10/02/2006, 08:02 PM

I have the current orbit 4x96 watt on my 65g tank and it is uncovered. At first I had the glass cover on it, but had to clean it everyday. My tank has been uncovered with this fixture for months with no problem.

10/02/2006, 01:51 PM	#1
cornerblitz45 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Nashua,NH Posts: 49	Leaving a tank uncovered? I was told by a few people that running a tank with no top on it good aside from having increased evaporation ??? any thoughts? __________________ "Winning isn't everything,it is the only thing" Current Tank Info: 54 gallon bow front corner tank

10/02/2006, 01:59 PM	#3
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	I've never put a top on my tank, It helps mostly keeping jumpers from, well, jumping out. Other than that, a glass top over you're tank will decrease lighting, add another thing to clean regularly, and a decrease in gaseous exchange. Don't think of increased evaporation as a bad thing all the time. Anyways, just my thoughts. __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

10/02/2006, 02:04 PM	#4
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	well imo, evap isnt even bad...its good actually, like if you're having heat trouble...just evap water a little faster and it'll cool the tank. the only thing to worry about is fish jumping, but there's ways around that (i personally dont agree that egg-crate is good, but thats just from my experience w/the stuff...if it works for you...good job i guess ) But without a hood/glass top, you're gonna get more/better gas exchange, which is needed if you got low pH...i dont ever add buffers to mine and my tap starts at like 7.5 or something like that. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

10/02/2006, 02:18 PM	#6
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	even if the glass is very clean and clear, its still gonna block some of the spectrum. And when light spectrum isnt up to what it should be, it can be more suiting to algae, which will then take off. Thats why when you get a tank near a window that gets natural sunlight, you often get a ton of algae...the sunlight is having to go thru the the window first, and then thru the tank glass, which blocks the full spectrum, and thus supporting algael growth. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

10/02/2006, 04:22 PM	#8
Radioheed Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, Fl Posts: 275	i want to keep my tank without a cover...but when i bought my light strip (current pc) the instructions said all over the place not to use over an open tank...this true even with the little mounting things??? (sry not trying to hijack thread, just didn't want to post new thread) __________________ 26g AGA Bow, Current Orbit LED, Tunze 9002, Tunze Nano Osmolator, 200gph HOB, Koralia 425, MJ400, 25 lbs Real Reef LR, 10 lbs base.

10/02/2006, 01:56 PM	#2
Andrew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 13,640	I don't have a cover on 75 and have a gallon or two a day evaporate. Only downside if you may have jumpers. I want to add a canopy soon in order to hide my lights and hopefully cut back on the evaporation by adding some cooling fans.

10/02/2006, 02:14 PM	#5
fmuakkassa Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 404	I used to have glass covers. Salt will dry on them and I have to keep cleaning them constantly. I then did remove them. I had two fish jump out to their death so far ( a six line wrasse and a Mandarin). Despite that, I'll keep it uncovered. Yes evaporation is more but more light will penetrate the tank (unless you keep the glass cover crystal clear)

10/02/2006, 02:19 PM	#7
Shagsbeard Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Morro Bay, CA Posts: 2,143	I have eggcrate on mine and the light over that. 1/2 inch eggcrate might not keep in the most determined of jumpers, but it's a start.

10/02/2006, 08:02 PM	#9
MrsDorothy Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Byhalia, MS Posts: 171	I have the current orbit 4x96 watt on my 65g tank and it is uncovered. At first I had the glass cover on it, but had to clean it everyday. My tank has been uncovered with this fixture for months with no problem.