Covering Tank

RyanMcLaughlin · 07/14/2008, 02:00 PM

How do you cover a tank w/o making it look like crap. I am going to have an open top tank w/ no canopy and dont want to use eggcrate cuz it looks bad. Any ideas.

ahullsb · 07/14/2008, 02:10 PM

Here you go. This has worked great for me and it is easy enough for anyone to do it!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ostid=12606665

snorvich · 07/14/2008, 03:14 PM

Yes, that is one used by Bradleyj and it works very well. Egg crate does NOT work even though that is an easy solution even if it is not very effective. Highly recommend that thread above.

Aquarist007 · 07/14/2008, 05:08 PM

Why do you want to cover the tank--I prefer to have mine open with the water really churing on the surface. A great deal of gas and heat exchange occurs at the surface

RyanMcLaughlin · 07/14/2008, 05:28 PM

Yea but I am going to have fish that are know to jump on occasion so I want to prevent that.

nikon187 · 07/14/2008, 05:31 PM

jumping fish...i was going to string up a frame with high grade fishing line like a tennis racket for a top but this may be way easier

calli · 07/14/2008, 05:33 PM

well I just used a piece of plexiglass.. and drilled 2 3/4 in holes to use as handles to get it out...

I went with plexiglass.. I have a Heat issue keeping the water temp up. I may try the Screen when I get lights installed... I am just cycling the tank... it also keeps the amount of evaporated water down.

Aquarist007 · 07/14/2008, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by calli
well I just used a piece of plexiglass.. and drilled 2 3/4 in holes to use as handles to get it out...

I went with plexiglass.. I have a Heat issue keeping the water temp up. I may try the Screen when I get lights installed... I am just cycling the tank... it also keeps the amount of evaporated water down.

that's a real recipe for problems with gas exchange, pH and heat--using that plexiglass

calli · 07/14/2008, 05:47 PM

can you explain capn_hylinur? I don't want problems if that is the case?

Aquarist007 · 07/14/2008, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by snorvich
Yes, that is one used by Bradleyj and it works very well. Egg crate does NOT work even though that is an easy solution even if it is not very effective. Highly recommend that thread above.

I was standing right beside my buddies tank with egg crate and his christmas wrasse jumped through the egg crate and landed on the floor.

I have had good luck keeping the top 2-3 inches of the surface churning with high flow--the fish don't bother to go up into that area==its not something you are going to see printed in a reef magazine but it has worked for me

calli · 07/14/2008, 05:58 PM

ok nevermind capn_hylinur.. I got an answer.. rasies CO2 and therefore drops your pH... argh

Gawd I wish I had of seen this thread.. I just got the damb thing yesterday :-(

Aquarist007 · 07/14/2008, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by calli
ok nevermind capn_hylinur.. I got an answer.. rasies CO2 and therefore drops your pH... argh

Gawd I wish I had of seen this thread.. I just got the damb thing yesterday :-(

don't be concerned---I spent the last year replacing junk that I was convinced to buy by the LFS until I joined this site

calli · 07/14/2008, 06:03 PM

lol good thing this is only 40 bucks to have cut.. lol.. oh well I hope that this screen Idea works.. lol you know that is what I have on my tank now...

I will have to just figure out my heat issue..

07/14/2008, 02:00 PM	#1
RyanMcLaughlin Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Anaheim Posts: 982	Covering Tank How do you cover a tank w/o making it look like crap. I am going to have an open top tank w/ no canopy and dont want to use eggcrate cuz it looks bad. Any ideas.

07/14/2008, 02:10 PM	#2
ahullsb Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: sacramento, ca Posts: 2,729	Here you go. This has worked great for me and it is easy enough for anyone to do it! http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ostid=12606665 __________________ Andy Sacramento, CA Current Tank Info: 55 gallon reef w/20 gallon sump/ER135/ 75 pounds of live rock, 4 in sandbed, 2 b&w ocellaris clowns, yellow watchman/pistol, rosy scaled wrasse, Mystery wrasse, Copperbanded Butterfly, Lighting 48" outer orbit 2 150 mh/ 4 t5 actinics

07/14/2008, 03:14 PM	#3
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	Yes, that is one used by Bradleyj and it works very well. Egg crate does NOT work even though that is an easy solution even if it is not very effective. Highly recommend that thread above. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

07/14/2008, 05:08 PM	#4
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	Why do you want to cover the tank--I prefer to have mine open with the water really churing on the surface. A great deal of gas and heat exchange occurs at the surface __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

07/14/2008, 05:31 PM	#6
nikon187 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 4,717	jumping fish...i was going to string up a frame with high grade fishing line like a tennis racket for a top but this may be way easier __________________ ----------------- Current Tanks: New 210 custom 84 x 24 x 24, 60g sump, SWC 250 extreme with bubble blaster 5000, 2 vortech mp40, 2 vortech mp10, 12 T5, Water blaster 5000, warner marine bio pellets, 60g clownfish cube, red carpet anemone with a 25g sump,SRO octopus 1000sss, 250w radium, lumenarc large.

07/14/2008, 05:28 PM	#5
RyanMcLaughlin Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Anaheim Posts: 982	Yea but I am going to have fish that are know to jump on occasion so I want to prevent that.

07/14/2008, 05:33 PM	#7
calli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: London, Ontario Posts: 512	well I just used a piece of plexiglass.. and drilled 2 3/4 in holes to use as handles to get it out... I went with plexiglass.. I have a Heat issue keeping the water temp up. I may try the Screen when I get lights installed... I am just cycling the tank... it also keeps the amount of evaporated water down.

07/14/2008, 05:47 PM	#9
calli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: London, Ontario Posts: 512	can you explain capn_hylinur? I don't want problems if that is the case?

07/14/2008, 05:58 PM	#11
calli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: London, Ontario Posts: 512	ok nevermind capn_hylinur.. I got an answer.. rasies CO2 and therefore drops your pH... argh Gawd I wish I had of seen this thread.. I just got the damb thing yesterday :-(

07/14/2008, 06:03 PM	#13
calli Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: London, Ontario Posts: 512	lol good thing this is only 40 bucks to have cut.. lol.. oh well I hope that this screen Idea works.. lol you know that is what I have on my tank now... I will have to just figure out my heat issue..