Glass?

[twowheelsonly97]

Is it frowned upon to have a glass/versa top on a reef tank. I,m thinking more in the sense of lights rather then evaporation. Thinking about starting a new tank and just curious. Is it more of an opinion thing? Thanks for any replies.

 

[gemmy]

The primary reason is that a glass top can inhibit the oxygen exchange from occurring. This can lead to CO2 building up in the tank and causing Ph fluctuations.

 

[novahobbies]

Gemmy's got one of the most important points there. Glass tops inhibit O2 exchange. They also cause heat buildup in the tank. This may not be such a big deal with freshwater aquariums or saltwater FOWLR setups that have normal output fluorescents, but it quickly becomes an issue when you graduate to HO lights of one kind or another. Open top or netted top is really more desireable in most saltwater setups.....