Open top or enclosed canopy??? Help me decide.

[Anonymous]

So I'm setting up a CUSTOM 30 gallon SPS tank. It's going to be a 2 foot by 2 foot square that's 1 foot deep, with a little overflow section in the back. It will be viewable from 3 sides.

My options:

1) Open topped tank, pendant MH, with returns that go underneath the sandbed/rockwork and point up towards the center. Pros: Corals/clams easily viewable from above. Cons: Requires a deeper sand bed.

2) Enclosed canopy, MH with a fan, with returns that are plumbed above the tank and point down towards the center. Pros: Easy to maintain the plumbing, can go bare bottom if necessary. Cons: Tough to see the corals in the center, heat issues.

What would you choose?

I'll attach a drawing in a sec if it works...

 

[Anonymous]

Here goes. Hope this is clear enough.

 

[Anonymous]

OOPS! There shouldn't be sand in the top right drawing.

 

[ricky1414]

What about doing a skirt-like canopy with option #2? That way your plumbing is still hidden from view?

 

[Anonymous]

wow. great coraline coverage on those rocks! they're COMPLETELY purple! They don't look too easy to aquascape though. . .

How are you going to deal with eaporation in both secnerios? You'll probably lose more water with a suspeded canopy. If you've got a peristalic pump, no prob. If you've got to add water everyday by hand it could become a pain.

Also, will you be hanging your pendant that close to teh water? will the lamp be the same height above teh water it would be in a canopy? If it's going to be higher, (easier top-down viewing) you'll need a stronger light. Something to consider long-term.

I have cats or I'd go with the pendant. I really like the look of a suspended canopy.

B

 

[Anonymous]

I'm confused, Ricky, what do you mean by a skirt like canopy?

Heh, yeah, these are coralline covered beauties aren't they?

Topoff is going to be with a dosing pump, so no worries there. I was thinking 6" or so from the water surface for the MH. It'll be an DE 250W bulb, and with a 12" deep tank that should be enough light for colorful SPS.

 

[ricky1414]

I'm confused, Ricky, what do you mean by a skirt like canopy?

Sorry Matt, what I meant was to have a pseudo-canopy; you have the walls, but no top. Blocks the MH fro lighting up your entire room, but lets heat travel upwards and escape.
Here's a pic, something is up with my camera, the colors are not balancing correctly.

 

[hillbilly]

I always prefer open top tanks with hanging pendants, I don't like stuff sitting on top of the tank making heat! I vote for #1.

 

[ricky1414]

BTW, thanks for taking my custom idea for a 24" cube. I was atepting to deal with local glass shops to have it constructed. I do not do DIY tanks. 8O But, you did steal my dimensions inch for inch.

 

[Anonymous]

Well I'm guessing it's been done before...it fits one MH bulb perfectly. So it won't be 24" X 24" EXACTLY..the addition of the overflow chamber in back will make it 24" x 30". It's going to be acrylic as well, but now I'm rethinking that if I can get it cheaper in glass.

 

[paats]

Threw my canopy out and went open top.Love it.

 

[M_Phobos]

Apparently I'm in the minority here, in that I like the look of an enclosed canopy. With the enclosed canopy you can "hide" everything....any cords, plumbing, miscellaneous junk hanging in the tank..I like the look of only being able to see "from the waterline down". Also, no matter how well you "skirt" a hanging fixture, you're still going to get some backwash of light from it. The only way to get the nice "clean" (no/extremely minimal light seapage) look is to have a canopy. But again..this is all opinion and aesthetics..do what you think (or your wife tells you..lol) looks best!

Cheers,
Fred

 

[Anonymous]

That's what I think too, but it's very possible to do the plumbing underneath the rockwork/sand or in the sump. All that will be visible above the tank is the pendant and it's cord; all the rest will be hidden in the overflow or in the rockwork.

What's more is that the returns can be completely hidden from view as well by a couple pieces of strategically placed rock. Same can't be said if it's plumbed up top. I always want to make tanks look like a piece of the ocean, and oceans don't have PVC elbows in them

 

[Anonymous]

I like open tanks. Heat is easier to deal with, and the pendant fixtures that are out there nowdays are attractive enough.

Jim

 

[M_Phobos]

One other thing....you're setting up a divided tank, correct? If someone walks up to your tank, they'll be able to see into your sump area and all the associated cords coming out of it, etc etc if you don't canopy the entire tank. I'm currently setting up a new 15H plumbed to a 10gal sump....and drilling two returns (return pump is going to be a Mag 9.5 split by a SCWD [yes, I AM in fact crazy like that..lol]) through the back of the tank. Why not just run a bulkhead through that sump dividing wall and not worry about hiding all that pipe in the first place? Just some thoughts...

Cheers,
Fred

 

[Mouse]

ive just set up my first open top tank, its a freshie, but the view has increased by 50%, so in the basis of more reef for your money, id go with the open top, also youll get those cool water reflections on the celing.


Not too convinced about bulkheads below the waterline, id go with the closed loop option two.