Question Should I get a glass, acrylic or mesh screen top for my reef tank prevent a fish from jumping

[seldin]

I just got a nano 10 gallon reef tank. I need to get a tank cover for it. I am not a DIY, so rather pay to get one. So I need recommendations from maybe a fellow reefer to make a few bucks, or send out.

The dimensions I need for a tank cover for my nano tank is 17 inches by 8 3/4 inch. My question concerns that this tank is for SPS and lps and I want my lights to pass thru to my corals.

Would you suggest the cover to be made of glass, acrylic or screen mesh. Also, the thickness if it is glass or acylic. I would need a handle on both sides so I can remove it for feeding, etc. Also, will not be affected by heat and bend when light is above it.

Should be light weight. I already have acrylic fish tank cover clips that I can set the cover on inside the tank.

Thank you,

 

[Spartanwarrior]

If you can splurge for one of nice acrylic tops with the "mesh" look and a feed door, I'd go with that. Less condensation buildup from full glass sheet. Less light blockage/shadowing from true mesh.
You'll pay for it but its worth it to go custom acrylic if you plan on housing carpet surfers

 

[Spartanwarrior]

OctoAquatics makes top notch products. I bought an acclimation and shroom box

 

[seldin]

Thank you for your feedback. I have sent an email to the vendor you suggest.

Much appreciated.

 

[IBernE]

If you can splurge for one of nice acrylic tops with the "mesh" look and a feed door, I'd go with that. Less condensation buildup from full glass sheet. Less light blockage/shadowing from true mesh.
You'll pay for it but its worth it to go custom acrylic if you plan on housing carpet surfers

I was gonna say glass because thats what I use and helps with evaporation but this sounds nicer lol

 

[wysoczak]

I was gonna say glass because thats what I use and helps with evaporation but this sounds nicer lol

What kind of glass do you use or recomend.. I have a shallow tank and was thinkng of putting a top on it as well to prevent jumping and evap. loss

 

[IBernE]

I have a Cobalt cvue 45 tank that came with the glass top. I use that one. As mentioned before it gets dirty and you'll need to clean it but I've never seen issues like corals suffering or closing up etc. I've left it pretty dirty many times since you cant actually tell that it is dirty unless you get close up to it lol. When I have the glass top on I can go a little over two weeks without refilling ato. A week with it off. My last ato fill was 12/8. 5 gallon container.

 

[seldin]

I have a Cobalt cvue 45 tank that came with the glass top. I use that one. As mentioned before it gets dirty and you'll need to clean it but I've never seen issues like corals suffering or closing up etc. I've left it pretty dirty many times since you cant actually tell that it is dirty unless you get close up to it lol. When I have the glass top on I can go a little over two weeks without refilling ato. A week with it off. My last ato fill was 12/8. 5 gallon container.

I am trying OptoAquatics as suggested here. Owner responded very fast. Says will be ready in 4 weeks.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[homegrowncichlid]

Over heating would be a problem so I'd go with an open top, even if you run AC in the summer, you need to keep the water cool. That means go with a mesh top, to allow evaporative cooling. Personally, I DIY an acrylic wall, that's 4 inches higher than the tank, which is built into my canopy. If a fish jumps out, it hits the wall, instead of a ceiling.

 

[Spartanwarrior]

Closed tops are terrible for reef tanks. You want as much air circulation as possible to rid your tank of Co2 and keep pH stable.

 

[STRIPERVIPER]

Artfully acrylic tops are great. Pricey but worth it IMO. I have had two already. They make them custom for most aquariums. Plus they will make them to meet your needs as far as feeding doors or cutouts for lighting mounts.

 

[seldin]

As an update, I had wanted to use a recommended vendor here, "OctoAquatics".

What a terrible experience. Especially, that I have been a long time reefer getting back into the hobby.

I can say through out my life for reefing, really never had a bad experience. Fellow reefers are awesome. I had used vendors before, but this experience left a bad taste in my mouth.

Here is what happened.

I logged on to the vendor site. Filled out a form and waited for a price quote to make a screen. The vendor wanted full payment up front, I was skeptical, but since this was recommended from a reefer, I said to myself "okay".

Anyway, I read somewhere on his site, that all work, requires an approval, and no work is done with out it.

So I filled out paperwork, already paid.

After several weeks, I get back a drawing that did match what I had asked for. I contacted the vendor and asked for his phone number to straighten this out. He told me he does give out a phone number. So I told him, "what I asked for is completely different than what I requested". Let's talk by phone. First he refused, so I asked for my money back, since nothing but a "wrong drawing" was given. He then told me, that I was telling him, "how to run his business", because I asked for his phone number.

I told him since the drawing he made was not matching my sketch of what I wanted, could he send me a "mock up" so I know that he understands what I want. A simple cardboard cutout, would suffice, since the drawing was totally inacurate. I had asked for a rectangle screen and he sent me an oval.

He refused and was difficult to talk to by email. Not even letting me contact him by phone. Again, I asked for a refund, since no work was produced and he would not discuss this by phone, etc.

Amazingly, he tried to bill me for the full screen, even though he never even made a diagram that matched what I asked for. Luckily I disputed this with my credit card company.

I told him, look, we don't have a meeting of the minds, you don't even want to talk on the phone. Amazingly bad customer relations.

 

[tsouth]

Sorry to hear that. Here's another company that also provides acrylic lids: https://www.clearviewlids.com
I do not have any experience with them and I hope this works out better for ya

 

[seldin]

What I decided to do, was buy egg crate and make a simple cutout to match my rectangle. I then cut out a square in the middle to let more light in. Very simple and inexpensive. Not as good a coverage as a screen since the middle is open, but it works.

Thanks for your input.