eggcrate

[newfishguy]

I plan on getting some eggcrate when I purchase some new lights. However, won't the eggcrate cut down on light penetration?

 

[tinmanny]

What are you using it for

 

[newfishguy]

To cover the tank incase some fish try to jump out.
Originally Posted by tinmanny
What are you using it for

 

[rev]

why not go to homedepot and get some thin lexan.Then drill a bunch of small holes in it.

 

[tinmanny]

I agree with Rev it wont be much more for the lexan and evaporation is slowed down a little also.
Plus if you get salt creep it will be tough to clean egg-crate.
Good luck

Manny

 

[wax32]

Eggcrate doesn't cut down on your lights much. It is easy to clean. I had it on top of my 29 gallon. I just took it outside and hosed it off. My 70 gallon has no cover at all and my fish have never jumped out.

70 gallon before Katrina killed it.

 

[newfishguy]

Sorry about your lose due to Katrina. How do you know how high to hang your lights?
Originally Posted by wax32
Eggcrate doesn't cut down on your lights much. It is easy to clean. I had it on top of my 29 gallon. I just took it outside and hosed it off. My 70 gallon has no cover at all and my fish have never jumped out.

70 gallon before Katrina killed it.

 

[wax32]

"They" say MH should be 8" to 12" above the water depending on who you listen to. I put my pinky tip at the water surface and then extend my thumb upward. That's where I like my light! (Picture the surfer "hang loose" gesture.)

 

[drea]

thin lexan, sick, i'll do that w/ my smaller tank..

 

[rev]

Originally Posted by drea
thin lexan, sick, i'll do that w/ my smaller tank..
that's why I get the big bucks

 

[chipmaker]

I would go eggcrate over lexan with drilled holes. In another forum there was a much debated issue on what side of the egg crate issupposed to be up, and why.....supposedly someone did a light transmission study and found that if the narrow edges are up, it diffuses over 25% of light outwards (through the sides of the tank and not downwards into the tank......and if it was placed with the wider surfaces up it blcoked upwards of 20% of light, but it concentrated more of it in the tank.......There is supposedly some sort of ideal height above the eggcrate to place a light to elimiante a lot of these so called spread or reduced light problems, but I seriously doubt if its going to matter much with 99.99% of any aquariums out there.....Only thing they pretty well all agreed on was not to use the chrome plated eggcrate as it soon flakes off and winds up in the water.......They also have black egg crate in some stores as well......and it does not alter the so called light tests they did one bit a far as light transmission is concerned.....

 

[rev]

that's the reason I suggested lexan.Nothing to worry about,does'nt matter which side is up.But anyway,it's all good.

 

[sonicboom1]

I was going to use egg crate for my tank or make a custom lexan cover but my firefish have never tried to escape and they are jumping fish...however in my 55 gallon it loses around 1/2-3/4 gallon a day which is no fun!