GLASS COVERS OR NOT

[thelion]

I have all compacts on my 100 gal reef with a canopy.My lights are constantly getting salt creek on them and it's taking away from the lighting. If I use the glass covers over my talk to protect my lights, will it take away a lot of light and will it take a lot away from my corals.My only hard corals are a large plate coral and a few large bubbles along with a tongue coral.I also have many soft corals but, I know that they don't require as much lights as the hard corals do.So, should I use the glass covers or not?
Thank You, Leo

 

[volitan]

I have a 75 gallon reef with a light canopy. Three months ago,I took my glass canopies off. I diid this for three reasons. One, my lfs told me that the more gas exchange, the better. Two, tthe salt deposits on the glass kept light away from my corals. Three, it is alot more convenient without them. The only drawback is you will have a lot more evaporation, so you will have to top off your tank about twice as often as you do now.

 

[alianated]

There is another advantage. (Dont know if this is a problem with your area.. it is for mine.)
Heat escapes better. I live in Sacramento and it gets hot here. With the glass hood, it seemed the lights heated the tank well enough but hot water couldnt escape (like a greenhouse effect)
I would imagine the opposite would apply. It might also cool off a tank a lot more in a colder area if you dont have the glass. (Just a hypothesis)
The only time you REALLY must have a glass top is if you are ever gonna try an eel. Other than that have at it.
hope this helps...
alianated

 

[fshhub]

i like all glass hoods, my firefish, love to jump, and high
when we work in the tank, we have to keep a close eye out, so we have everything covered, no gaps
and the glass stilll has to be cleaned regularly, but not as often as you think, and all we do is put them in the bath tub and rinse with warm water and wipe, the light shines through well
and with the glass type that fits inside of the rim, we have very little evaporaion
HTH

 

[hillbilly]

Originally posted by fshhub:
<STRONG>i like all glass hoods, my firefish, love to jump, and high
when we work in the tank, we have to keep a close eye out, so we have everything covered, no gaps
</STRONG>
Wow I assume You mean a Firefish Goby. I have had one for a couple of months and it seems to like the mid to low levels of the tank. Never even ventures close to the top when I feed flake food. It just waits till it sinks.
I am in the planing stages of makeing a do it yourself canopy. Intend to use no glass and have an open back because of gas exchange and heat disipation. (small tank and MH lighting)
Don't think it will be a problem with my Firefish but as with all fish they can have their own personalities!
Hillbilly

 

[fshhub]

you're right, all fish do have their own personalities, and you must have got a funny one,LOL,
this is waht we were told, and i didn't believe it myself,(considering the size), but the little su..ers can jump @ 10 inches outta the water, inever would have believed these little guys could jump so high, but many do, especially if stressed(ie big hands in the tank)
but normally they do stay mid to low level in the tank, almost all gobies are like this, not just ff
how long you had yours? they are sooo coool aren't they?ours are about 10 months old, we had em @9 +iguess, and beautiful color too

 

[mlm]

I took my glass off a few months ago. It was a pain to clean and a pain to work in the tank.

 

[chevron tang]

Predator and I don't have a top on our 75 tank. Yes salt creep does get on the lights but if you put a glass top on the tank then its just going to build up on the top. We love not having a top on our tank. Its easier access. The only thing is water evaporates quicker without a top.