[sleepswithdafishez]

How many of you use glass lids and why?

 

[roadmaster]

Well ,I have glass top's on a couple tank's and not on other's.
Glass top's mean less water evaporation,less chance of fish jumping out.

 

[lksdrinker]

I've always been a fan of having lids on my tanks. However, I recently set up my first true planted tank and am now contemplating removing the lids. I cant seem to keep the glass perfectly clean and am starting to think it is really cutting down on the amount of light that makes it into the tank.

I too would like to hear what others think about this. Has anyone been able to figure out exactly how much light a glass lid blocks? Will a PAR meter be able to determine that?

Any advice on how to clean up some of the white stains from a glass lid that never seem to go away no matter what I try using?!

 

[Aplomado]

Yes, to stop critters from jumping out and slow evaporation. They are the most practical choice for aquariums.

The only drawbacks are that they are ugly and make it hard to grow emerged plants.

 

[xmas_one]

Cuts down on jumpers and evaporation. That being said, tanks without lids typically run much cooler than those with lids.

 

[Blackheart]

I hate using glass canopies. Whenever I take mine off, there's always condensation all over it and water leaks all over the floor. so I'd say thats a big time con. that and it seems like the light shines through the the tank much nicer without it.

 

[Steve002]

I have added to the partial top on my acrylic tank to essentially cover in in total. I can control the CO2 and O2 levels much easier that way by controlling the level of the gas in the air at the water's surface. I use an air pump to flush the CO2 at the end of the light period. I can achieve a much higher level of dissolved CO2 with a lot less waste in a much shorter period of time that way.

 

[AquaAurora]

I've used diy made poly carbonate lids on my tank until recently when I added floaters. Floaters don't get enough air flow with the lids, now my problem is trying to keep the floaters corralled with the water level going down from evaporation. Need to find a way to rig a floating corral rather than use stationary suction cups and fishing line which won't adjust as water level changes on their own.

 

[sleepswithdafishez]

I've always been a fan of having lids on my tanks. However, I recently set up my first true planted tank and am now contemplating removing the lids. I cant seem to keep the glass perfectly clean and am starting to think it is really cutting down on the amount of light that makes it into the tank.

I too would like to hear what others think about this. Has anyone been able to figure out exactly how much light a glass lid blocks? Will a PAR meter be able to determine that?

Any advice on how to clean up some of the white stains from a glass lid that never seem to go away no matter what I try using?!

Light penetration interests me in particular ,my tank is shallow(10'') and I want to cut back some more on light intensity ,despite being at 1.8wpg of T8.

 

[roadmaster]

I have heard maybe 25% reduction but it's just what I have heard.
Some also say that in low tech,,that going topless help's with CO2 for it help's CO2 in tank be closer to that in atmosphere assuming a good rippling effect at water's surface where CO2/oxygen exchange takes place.

 

[sleepswithdafishez]

I have heard maybe 25% reduction but it's just what I have heard.
Some also say that in low tech,,that going topless help's with CO2 for it help's CO2 in tank be closer to that in atmosphere assuming a good rippling effect at water's surface where CO2/oxygen exchange takes place.

I don't know if my judgement is right ,but I read fish can suffocate in some situations ,if a lid is covering the tank(not enough gas exchange ,build-up of Co2)
As my tank is shallow ,most of the Vals leaves are riding along the surface.I believe ,maybe they will grow better if the tank has a lid(covering 90% of its surface) ,as Co2 would build up faster and the surface leaves would have plenty?So by taking away the trapped Co2 ,they would actually release more oxygen in the water?
Fish would live ,and Vals would act like floating plants by sucking up excess nutrients faster?
Just an experiment ,though ,I don't think I risk a lot.

 

[lamiskool]

I don't know if my judgement is right ,but I read fish can suffocate in some situations ,if a lid is covering the tank(not enough gas exchange ,build-up of Co2)
As my tank is shallow ,most of the Vals leaves are riding along the surface.I believe ,maybe they will grow better if the tank has a lid(covering 90% of its surface) ,as Co2 would build up faster and the surface leaves would have plenty?So by taking away the trapped Co2 ,they would actually release more oxygen in the water?
Fish would live ,and Vals would act like floating plants by sucking up excess nutrients faster?
Just an experiment ,though ,I don't think I risk a lot.

The only way you would suffocate your fish with a lid is if it completely covered the top of the tank which most dont as you need holes to put in filter, heater...etc The only fish that might suffocate with this being said are labyrinth fish which breath from the surface of the water. I have lids on all of my tank and even with using pressurized co2, I have never had any death related to suffocation.

 

[sleepswithdafishez]

The only way you would suffocate your fish with a lid is if it completely covered the top of the tank which most dont as you need holes to put in filter, heater...etc The only fish that might suffocate with this being said are labyrinth fish which breath from the surface of the water. I have lids on all of my tank and even with using pressurized co2, I have never had any death related to suffocation.

Deaths aren't my main concern ,I know of many who use glass lids and no deaths ,I was more thinking that a lid would trap CO2 better so it would serve my Vals surface leaves more ,in the same time reducing light intensity. Don't know If I'm judging it right though.

 

[lamiskool]

Deaths aren't my main concern ,I know of many who use glass lids and no deaths ,I was more thinking that a lid would trap CO2 better so it would serve my Vals surface leaves more ,in the same time reducing light intensity. Don't know If I'm judging it right though.

I would think that the slower diffusion of air would lead to a higher co2 concentration that would help the vals at the surface, and yes using a glass lid will lower the light intensity, by how much I dont know, I have heard figures from as high as 50% to 10% so not possitive. Ill test it out when I go home with my par meter!

 

[Italionstallion888]

I ran lids for awhile, but I got tired of taking blades to them to clean off the water spots. I've never had any fish jump out of my larger tank until recently a betta took a jump out, never to be seen again.

I have a 8.7 bowfront, i've had a few tetra jump out of it. I built a lid out of craft mesh and bamboo skewers. Not light loss and the fish can't jump out anymore.

 

[82nd_Airborne]

Need to find a way to rig a floating corral rather than use stationary suction cups and fishing line which won't adjust as water level changes on their own.

Just super glue or hot glue together the end of some airline tubing, making a ring, and voila, floating corral.

 

[Italionstallion888]

I just used a T valve to make a ring out of airline tubing, keeps my frogbite in one section.

 

[Lab_Man]

I go topless whenever I can.........

 

[thebuddha]

I've always been a fan of having lids on my tanks. However, I recently set up my first true planted tank and am now contemplating removing the lids. I cant seem to keep the glass perfectly clean and am starting to think it is really cutting down on the amount of light that makes it into the tank.

I too would like to hear what others think about this. Has anyone been able to figure out exactly how much light a glass lid blocks? Will a PAR meter be able to determine that?

Any advice on how to clean up some of the white stains from a glass lid that never seem to go away no matter what I try using?!

I will test the difference in par between using a dirty (water stains) lid and using no lid. I will try to report back here with the findings.

And to clean the water stains from the lid, I was told to use vinegar, and it worked pretty well with some elbow grease




I used to keep a glass lid on my low tech 29g. I finally took it off when i got tired of cleaning the lid. I have noticed some more evaporation obviously, but the tank seems much more lively without the lid. Thats a personal opinion, but I like it so much better without the lid.

 

[lamiskool]

I will test the difference in par between using a dirty (water stains) lid and using no lid. I will try to report back here with the findings.

And to clean the water stains from the lid, I was told to use vinegar, and it worked pretty well with some elbow grease

If you let the vinegar soak on top of the buildup for 10-15 minutes it will make it reall easy to clean, you might just have to wipe it down depending on how much buildup their is!