# No Lids On Tank?



## T-wag (May 21, 2009)

well many of u may know i picked up a 50 breeder to house my elong for a while...well it came with a hood and light but they are about a half inch to big and dont sit right....it also isnt deep enough (tank is 18" hood only 12") so i run the risk of the hood and light being knocked into the water if it slids off...i was thinking about hanging the light above the tank...but i wouldnt have anything covering the tank...what are the disadvantages of this...if its even possible.


----------



## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

T-wag said:


> well many of u may know i picked up a 50 breeder to house my elong for a while...well it came with a hood and light but they are about a half inch to big and dont sit right....it also isnt deep enough (tank is 18" hood only 12") so i run the risk of the hood and light being knocked into the water if it slids off...i was thinking about hanging the light above the tank...but i wouldnt have anything covering the tank...what are the disadvantages of this...if its even possible.


What about an egg crate or glass hood? I wouldn't want the elong to jump out.

If you suspend the light well it wont fall. A lot of reef keepers do this, but it has to be suspended well. My main concern is the elong getting spooked and jumping


----------



## T-wag (May 21, 2009)

ok yeah good idea...what are some ways i could go about suspending it?...also i was thinking...like the glass hoods are pretty pricey and i just dropped alot more money than i wanted to on this tank...of course down the road ill prolly be gettin them but not now....any ways back to what i was saying, im thinking going up to lowes and just getting a 3' piece of like plexi glass? or fiber glass or somthing cheap that i can just cut out to fit it...think it should work?


----------



## T-wag (May 21, 2009)

yeah i think thats wat imma do just looked online can get enough *Acrylic* sheeting to do it for $20....so u guys have any expeirence with acrylic? like does it cut easy? can i place hinges on it?


----------



## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

I kept one of my elongs in a tank with no lid but it was a eighty gallon with lots of current. If you just need a cheap alternative then go to home depot or a home hardware and get a piece of thin plexi. You can probably pick one up that would cover your whole tank for around 15 bucks.


----------



## CanadianBacon (Feb 14, 2010)

all i did for my 150 was call up a local glass shop and get them to cut me a 4.5'x2' 5mm thick piece of glass and dull the edges for $28.00. looks fine and i just sit the light on top of it.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

All of my tanks are "topless"... I like the open top look. Check out my 75 gallon thread, that's a pretty common way to suspend a light.


----------



## CanadianBacon (Feb 14, 2010)

i found i lost too much water from evaporation with no lid,which made my ac110's sound like niagra falls


----------



## T-wag (May 21, 2009)

ya bacon thats wat i was thinkin too...im running a HOB filter so imma just get a sheet of acrylic and work somthin out with it lol..o and hang my light mayb...or should u just set the light right on top of the acrylic?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

The water definitely evaporates faster without a top on the tank... I top off every other day with RO water so it's not a big deal, but I could see how some wouldn't want to do that.


----------



## CanadianBacon (Feb 14, 2010)

more light will get into the tank if its sitting on the top. if you hang it you will lose allot of light, depending on how high above the tank it hangs.


----------



## T-wag (May 21, 2009)

not to sound like a nooob but...whats RO mean


----------



## CanadianBacon (Feb 14, 2010)

Reverse Osmosis Water . bottled water


----------



## Doktordet (Sep 22, 2006)

CanadianBacon said:


> i found i lost too much water from evaporation with no lid,which made my ac110's sound like niagra falls


+1. Thats why my tanks never go topless.


----------



## T-wag (May 21, 2009)

the acrylic wont melt from the light will it?


----------



## shiver905 (May 27, 2009)

1 word bro.

EGGCRATE.

Go to home depo. You find it. for less then 10$.
EASY to cut with anything.

It will hold your light and prevent anything from jumping out.


----------



## Ghost. (Apr 28, 2010)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> The water definitely evaporates faster without a top on the tank... I top off every other day with RO water so it's not a big deal, but I could see how some wouldn't want to do that.


So with RO you do not need to de-chlorinator because there is no chlorine in it? And the already established bacteria in the tank suffice without adding any bacteria to the tank? Also, does that cut down on water changes?

Just a noob here, curious as ever.


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

Ghost. said:


> The water definitely evaporates faster without a top on the tank... I top off every other day with RO water so it's not a big deal, but I could see how some wouldn't want to do that.


So with RO you do not need to de-chlorinator because there is no chlorine in it? And the already established bacteria in the tank suffice without adding any bacteria to the tank? Also, does that cut down on water changes?

Just a noob here, curious as ever.








[/quote]

No need for dechlorinator, it's pure water. I use a mix of RO and tap for water changes and straight RO for top offs because as your tank water evaporates, the dissolved minerals become more concentrated, so when you add tap water for top offs, it can raise your GH and PH over time. Using RO for top offs helps to keep things stable over time.


----------



## Ghost. (Apr 28, 2010)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> The water definitely evaporates faster without a top on the tank... I top off every other day with RO water so it's not a big deal, but I could see how some wouldn't want to do that.


So with RO you do not need to de-chlorinator because there is no chlorine in it? And the already established bacteria in the tank suffice without adding any bacteria to the tank? Also, does that cut down on water changes?

Just a noob here, curious as ever.








[/quote]

No need for dechlorinator, it's pure water. I use a mix of RO and tap for water changes and straight RO for top offs because as your tank water evaporates, the dissolved minerals become more concentrated, so when you add tap water for top offs, it can raise your GH and PH over time. Using RO for top offs helps to keep things stable over time.
[/quote]
Was wondering that also, the minerals aren't evaporated just the water. One last question, did it take some time for your fish to get used to the tap water for water changes; will I have to acclimate them with the water by easing it in?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

I try to add the tap water at a bit slower pace, with the RO, I just dump it in.


----------



## Ghost. (Apr 28, 2010)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> I try to add the tap water at a bit slower pace, with the RO, I just dump it in.


When adding tap water could a small dose of de-chlorinator help make sure it will not have any detrimental effects?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

You could if you want to. I don't use dechlorinator when I perform small volume water changes with tap, I just let it run into the tank at a slower pace, I did use dechlor when doing large volume water changes with tap tho.


----------



## Ghost. (Apr 28, 2010)

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> You could if you want to. I don't use dechlorinator when I perform small volume water changes with tap, I just let it run into the tank at a slower pace, I did use dechlor when doing large volume water changes with tap tho.


Makes sense, What would you consider large volume changes compared to smaller ones?


----------



## JoeDizzleMPLS (Nov 5, 2007)

Smaller changes are probably anything under 30%


----------



## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

T-wag said:


> the acrylic wont melt from the light will it?


I never had a problem with the acrylic actually melting. What I did have a problem with is the acrylic actually sagging in the middle, so much that it not only make contact with the surface of the water, but literally submerge making a good sized mess. I believe that the moisture and humidity was the culprit. Don't go with the thinnest plexiglass they carry...get as thick as possible. If your able to get your hands on polycarbonate go with that...even though its overkill, its much stronger and won't sag.


----------



## FishermanCanada (Feb 12, 2007)

T-wag said:


> well many of u may know i picked up a 50 breeder to house my elong for a while...well it came with a hood and light but they are about a half inch to big and dont sit right....it also isnt deep enough (tank is 18" hood only 12") so i run the risk of the hood and light being knocked into the water if it slids off...i was thinking about hanging the light above the tank...but i wouldnt have anything covering the tank...what are the disadvantages of this...if its even possible.


try using the plastic extenders that came with your glass lids to lengthen it or widen it.. I did it and it works wonders.
good luck


----------



## maknwar (Jul 16, 2007)

My gold spilo jumped out of my 75 gallon. Now its got glass tops and sealed tightly.


----------



## Ibanez247 (Nov 9, 2006)

I ahve acrylic over my 75 gallon tank. If yo uget it from home depot or other hardware store make sure its not UV coated. Acrylic is easy to work with you can score it like tile and just snap it. If the span is large the acrylic may sag but Ive never had it touch the water unless I fill the tank to the very top. You can fill it and use hinges or just get soem plastic hinges that slide over the edges and glue them on. Easy and cheap.


----------

