A couple general questions

1. Should I remove the glass lids to my tank? I ask this because with the lighting I've got (4x65w CF) my tank temp tops at 81deg. and am wondering if i should remove them and use a small fan to keep tank temp lower? What do I know, but the temp doesnt seem to affect anything in tank as is...(?)

2. I've been using tap water for some time for water changes, but just read that adds nitrates? If so, what's the easiest/cheapest way to get appropriate water?

thank you!

 

I am of the school of thought that leaving the lids off is a good idea for a few reasons (1) it allows heat to dissapate (2) it allows a better gas exchange to take place at the surface of the water (3) with no lids to get salty or crusty you are going to get better light from your fixture into the tank as far as the water I myself used tap for quite a while with ok results but since I have made the switch to RODI water I am having far less trouble. and I think my tank is doing better.

 

a RO/DI unit will be the cheapest way to get great water. There are disposable filters or refillable filters, but they will very soon become much more expensive to run. I got my ro unit form air water ice for only $100, it's called the mity mite. I wouldn't use lids unless you have some fish that may jump, just my own opinion

 

Amen on that!

 

I really appreciate ya'll's posts. I'm not sure how I'm going to get my light system up off the glass. I figured I can remove the smaller part of the lid, but with the tank at 5ft in length and the light bar at 48", I'm not sure what I'm going to do to be able to remove the larger part of the glass.

As far as the RO/DI system, I checked out Marinedepot.com and man, they seem really high. I googled the Might Mite mentioned and found it on Amazon for 108. Does it plug into your garden hose? Is that something I'd have to have a plumber install? And how long will it take to fill a 5gal. bucket??? I actually have a RO drinking thing from Culligan set up for my kitchen sink, but the fill rate would take who knows how long to fill a 5g. bucket...

 

We took the glass lid off our tank and got some legs for the light fixture. What kind of fixture do you have? It made the temp much easier to stabilize and the airflow is a LOT better.

As for water, we buy pre-mixed saltwater and RO/DI from our LFS for about $1 a gallon.

 

i just buy my kent maxima 50 for $260 cash. i get 5g in about 1,5-2 hour. for lid definitely remove it. if you don't have chiller.

 

I like the canopy being on my tank. I don't have an enclosed lighting cabinet and it helps keep my fish from becoming little potato chips. If you're only concerned with temp then maybe a chiller. I'v heard only good things about RO but I also hear that it costs 3-5 times as much for a gallon of water. RO from the LFS is just as pricey, but triple distilled, ozonated, carbon treated, copper treated, micro filtered, uv treated water from K-mart costs $1 a gallon.

 

I left the glass of the top for two weeks before I realized that it would degrade the canopy in no time flat if I continued. There was moisture everywhere. Now it is dry, dry, dry.

As for the legs....I am in the same boat. I want to suspend one of my fixtures. I am going to Home Depot tomorrow just for that purpose. I think I will try my hand at acrylic, cut a few pieces, use a little weld-on and see what happens.

 

AHH, you could make an acrylic shelf for lack of a better word and attach it to the sides of the tank with some of the usual legs for light fixtures with some weld-on (most LFS have them right). Then you can place the light fixture on top of the shelf which will a)protect it from splash and b) get it up above the tank.

Just an idea, I'm of course no expert.