Easy Mushroom for beginners

[hagfish]

Those are avoidable issues. Splashing and bubble popping causes salt spray. Eliminate both and you will have no salt spray. I have two tanks with mostly open tops and I don't have salt creep everywhere. There's really none that I am aware of.
There shouldn't really be any noise either. Do you have something that causes noise now? Most of it can be reduced or dampened in some way.
It really is best to avoid an enclosed top on a reef tank. It traps heat and prevents oxygen from getting in the tank. This lowers PH, which can be very problematic, even in a fish only tank.
I have two tanks totalling almost 200 gallons in my living room. There is very little noise and no salt build up on the walls or floor.

 

[a&a2]

even with the top on mine, my radiator cover behind is starting to rust. With the powerheads and the filter return near the top of the water, I can hear water rippling if the lids are left open.
What about fish that may jump?

 

[anonome]

I have a 125 reef that is completely open with the VHO lights that sit on the edge of the tank. If You keep your water level high enough, you won't have any salt creep. Mine has been up over a year, no creep. Weekly maintainence will take care of any salt creep. As far as the noise, you should investigate this more, I honestly don't have any. Just a calming fountain type noise. It really sounds like you need to raise your water level some, this will also eliminate the splashing. You also may have to lower your powerheads.
As far as the jumping fish, I have only lost one fish to this, it was a heniochus, and they are not prone to jumping. My firefish, and gobies have never jumped. Maybe luck. :notsure:

 

[hagfish]

I agree you may have to raise the water level.
If you are concerned about fish jumping you can use eggcrate. If you don't know what that is, it's the plastic cover used under many overhead flourescent lights. It has small squares cut out to make a grid. It still lets plenty of light through.

 

[thirty6]

cool post. how do you introduce these corals into the tank?
pick them up and drop them on bottom, attach to rock (if so how), other?

 

[a&a2]

Anyone have any pics of power compacts? Thinking I may want to go this way.

 

[a&a2]

bump

 

[swlover]

Yup thats what I use, first pic is the top, second I tried to show the glass under the one light. I do use half glass because of some salt will get on the light plexi-glass covering from my filter no matter how high my water level is. Two different lights, Jebo and Odyssea.

 

[a&a2]

do you only have glass under the front half of the tank?