Open top or Closed Lid?

Should this be in the bucket?

My tank just has the kit light 'fixture' still. Until I can afford the light for my tank, I'll be using this one. It is one T8 bulb over a FOWLR tank.

Anyways..I like the look of open-top tanks.

Here's what I have now. I don't like the look of it & salt collects on both sides of the glass(for the lid). :-/


I'd like to make it this...with the light hanging above, of course.


How can I suspend my light from the ceiling?

 

Sorry for the fuzzy picture & the reflections.

 

I too like the open top look. But you run the risk of fish jumping and they will. Evaporation will also increase, so it boils down to if you have fish that are at a high risk for jumping and are willing to do extra top offs. How is your coral beauty ? What lighting are you looking into ? You can always put mesh over the tank to prevent jumping as well.;D

 

Patricia is doing well. She seems to be more active now. Still in the corner a bit, but moving around a lot more like she normally does.

She's my only fish. I don't know if they jump or not, sense I have always had the lid on.

I was looking into a retrofit light because I wanted to have a canopy, which would match the stand(bead-board with white trim).

doing extra top-of will be alright. I'm OK with that.

...Not certain if I want to keep the open-top9once he tank is a reef) or if I want to do the canopy route.

 

I use my glass lids and use a Current T-5 fixture
I usually keep the front part of the glass lids opened and the back is set back a bit due to the overflow tube.

Maybe you can see in the pic...just took it with my BB

 

I started with an open top ... and then I switched to canopy.

I am much happier now with the canopy then I was with the open top, for several reasons.

1. I had fish jump out of the tank ... its pretty much inevitable to have some losses with a completely open top.

2. Noise - I could hear the water overflowing into the overflow quite clearly

3. Lighting - I couldn't put up T-5's ... I couldn't put in LED's ... so if you think you'll ever want to do the sunrise/sunset sequence with halides ... you'll need a combo fixture which is rather pricy.

I am happy with the switch. I won't go open top ever again. It looked great, but there were a lot of cons to that option IMO

 

Good info everyone.

Fish jumping will always be a hit or miss. yeah there will be some noise. I hadn't really thought about that, as the lid I have now is one of those plastic ones(as you can see) which doesn't muffle noise very well.

Why couldn't you hang a T5 fixture?

 

I have used open tops on all my tanks. Fresh and salt. In 8 years I have only had a handful of fish jump out of the tank. I love the look of an open top. You can look top down and you get better gas exchange.

As for the noise that was previously mentioned. You can easily control this by choosing the correct return pump. You could also install a ball valve to control flow. Certain flow rates will be quieter or noisier than others. Also, you have to remember noise is subjective. What may be loud to some can be quiet to others.

 

Why not eggcrate? It's an open top but with small enough openings that most fish can't jump out. And your light fixture can sit right on top of it if you cut it right (make it sit inside the lip on the top of the tank) and if the fixture has a splash guard. That's how I have mine.

 

You an also use the clear 1/4 inch mesh from BRS. I use that on my tank. You just have to go to HD to get the screen frame and corners. My total project cost was around 10-15 dollars. Yours shouldn't even come close to that much. Maybe a 1/3 of that cost.

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