reeflooker
Member
I heard that i should not use a glass cover on a reef tank because of gas exchange. Ive also heard that light looses intensity through glass. Are these true???
glass cover
- Thread starter reeflooker
- Start date
galina
Member
I was going to order lighting with the hood from AHsupply.com ... and it mentioned something about needing a glass top.. is there any way I could get around this? Replacing the endcaps with waterproof ones? I'm pretty clueless.. so don't mind me if I just said something completely stupid.
Galina
Galina
rockster
Member
If you have a sump, I don't think gas exchange will be much different. Glass cover is too thin to have significant effect on light penetration, the water layer between the light and the coral has much more effect. The heat will not be a problem if there is a fan that can dissipate this. The problem with glass cover is the salt creeps that form and keeping it clean and if left alone will eventually affect the light penetration onto corals. But why would you want a glass cover to begin with? Fish jumpin'? scared of water splashing on your lights?
von_rahvin
Member
i do not have glass on my reef tank, but on my aggressive setups i do, one to keep the stupid fish from jumping out. but on the reef tank it is advise that unless you have no other way of holding up your bulbs that you do not have a glass cover.
1 it traps heat
2 reflects light
3 limits the oxygen exchange
4 is a pain to move all the time
1 it traps heat
2 reflects light
3 limits the oxygen exchange
4 is a pain to move all the time
reeferx
Member
Galina that's not stupid at all.
You can get waterproof endcaps by themselves for a lot of bulbs out there. Or you can cut a balloon and stretch it over the gaps for a cheap alternative. You have to replace the balloons every now and then. Coralife also sells 'e-z ballasts' which come with waterproof endcaps.
You can have normal flor. bulbs or pc's pretty close to the water without worry. For vho's (i think, not 100% sure) and metal halides (100% sure), you need to keep them higher off the water so they don't explode from the water getting on them when they are hot.
And reeflooker, glass does cut the light down, esp. when the glass top gets dirty. You can use one if you want, just keep it clean, and remove or bend the plastic back strip to help with gas exchange.
I like open tops myself, esp. when the lights are raised so you can get a good top view. One of the best views in my opinion. That is what I had going.
hth
You can get waterproof endcaps by themselves for a lot of bulbs out there. Or you can cut a balloon and stretch it over the gaps for a cheap alternative. You have to replace the balloons every now and then. Coralife also sells 'e-z ballasts' which come with waterproof endcaps.
You can have normal flor. bulbs or pc's pretty close to the water without worry. For vho's (i think, not 100% sure) and metal halides (100% sure), you need to keep them higher off the water so they don't explode from the water getting on them when they are hot.
And reeflooker, glass does cut the light down, esp. when the glass top gets dirty. You can use one if you want, just keep it clean, and remove or bend the plastic back strip to help with gas exchange.
I like open tops myself, esp. when the lights are raised so you can get a good top view. One of the best views in my opinion. That is what I had going.
hth
puff(er) daddy
Member
I have a glass top on a 125 fowlr. It seems everyday I read a post and find different areas where I waste my money.
Silly me!
Silly me!
h2o
Member
I took my cover off for a week to see if it benefit my reef tank. Instead I had extreme high evaopration rate, 3/4 gal a day. i was heading lfs to get more water, and had to frequently clean the residues off my retro lights.
So to get more light intensity, and "better" gas exchange (although i already have a sump) and to avoid my fish from jumping out, i drilled about 50-60 tiny holes on the cover. Does it really help? I guess, and now not as much evaporation. If it doesn't do me good, in the future i will just replace with a new cover. Just to share experience.
So to get more light intensity, and "better" gas exchange (although i already have a sump) and to avoid my fish from jumping out, i drilled about 50-60 tiny holes on the cover. Does it really help? I guess, and now not as much evaporation. If it doesn't do me good, in the future i will just replace with a new cover. Just to share experience.
josh
Active Member
Hi,
I took my glass top off my tank about a month ago, and yes there is a lot more evap. , about a gallon a day in a 29 gallon. However, the lights seem to be much brighter without the glass, and my corals have responded well. I even had initiall die off of low light coraline on the tops of my rocks, so I am sure there was an increase in intensity. The lower light coraline is being replaces by the higher light pink-ish coraline. IMO take the top off if you can.
Josh
I took my glass top off my tank about a month ago, and yes there is a lot more evap. , about a gallon a day in a 29 gallon. However, the lights seem to be much brighter without the glass, and my corals have responded well. I even had initiall die off of low light coraline on the tops of my rocks, so I am sure there was an increase in intensity. The lower light coraline is being replaces by the higher light pink-ish coraline. IMO take the top off if you can.
Josh
lionpicasso
Member
Well on my glass covers half is a diffuser
and the other half glass. I took off the glass
part and left the diffuser on it. The only problem I have is on my hood the wood is starting
to get real damp. But it is evaporating a heap more than when I had my glass on it.
and the other half glass. I took off the glass
part and left the diffuser on it. The only problem I have is on my hood the wood is starting
to get real damp. But it is evaporating a heap more than when I had my glass on it.
reeferx
Member
Wolffvet,
I bought the reservoir and switch out of FAMA mag for about $50-60. The switch was a all plastic mechanical deal. It clipped on the side of your sump. You put a velcro strip on the sump and adjusted the switch height by moving it up and down on the velcro.
Some people get spooked by mechanical float switches, but I never had a problem with mine even with kalk and I used it for years. I did use common sense and clean it periodically so it didn't jam. The reservoir container was placed higher than the sump on a side table so the gravitity kicked in for the siphon.
hth
I bought the reservoir and switch out of FAMA mag for about $50-60. The switch was a all plastic mechanical deal. It clipped on the side of your sump. You put a velcro strip on the sump and adjusted the switch height by moving it up and down on the velcro.
Some people get spooked by mechanical float switches, but I never had a problem with mine even with kalk and I used it for years. I did use common sense and clean it periodically so it didn't jam. The reservoir container was placed higher than the sump on a side table so the gravitity kicked in for the siphon.
hth
reeflooker
Member
I'm a little confused about this switch. If the switch kicks on when the water level gets too low, how does the resevoir flow stop from getting too high in the sump? Is this swithc electric?? Does it plug into a regular outlet. What is the switch conected too, an electronic valve???
uncle fester
Member
Glass cover also alters spectrum of light reaching corals. Just my 2 cents
catherine
Member
I feel very dumb about this topic, and there is no one in this area who can seem to help me. I have lights, flourescent, 65 watts each, one blue, one white, with a little fan in the setup. This is only a 20 gallon tank. Yes, I have a glass top, because this is what the lights are sitting on. If I didn't have the glass they would fall in the tank. So what should they be sitting on instead? It is very inconvenient, because every time I want to do something with the tank I have to take the lights off it to get in, so then of course, I can't see very well. I know this sounds dumnb, but if you have never seen a properly set up tank it is very hard to visualize.
javajoe
Member
I do not have a glass top, and the primary reason i dont was to make sure there WAS evaporatoin. We live in Buffalo, NY, and we started the tank in November, but summer is coming! We dont have central air, and do not really want to spend $600 on a chiller for our 55 gallon tank, so we are counting on evaporation being our friend. We lose about 1/2 gallon day, but that is replaced with RO water.
As for what to put your lights on-- I have my lights mounted inside a vinyl gutter- cheapest hood you can build aside from laying them right on the tank.....
here is a pic (not that great of lighting but you get the idea)
As for what to put your lights on-- I have my lights mounted inside a vinyl gutter- cheapest hood you can build aside from laying them right on the tank.....
here is a pic (not that great of lighting but you get the idea)