Making a top for my tank...will it be ok?

[gio28]

I have an open top tank but I have been looking into getting firefish and maybe a few others that will surely jump at some point. I have tried netting and that just dosent work with my tank...i've tried doing it many different ways and theres always a problem. I know i need good oxygen exchange and also the heat from my MH will heat up the tank if i use a glass top so thats out of the question. The problem is that I have to make a top that will go around my overflow and return on the back of my tank. Anyways...i thought of just doing acrylic (the MH is like 9-10 inches away and it dosent get hot from that far). I could probably just drill a bunch of holes in the top (as many as possible) and it can be custom cut to fit around my tank perfectly. Would this be ok?

 

[gill again68]

An acrylic top? The first thing that comes to mind is HEAT. I am no expert here on acrylic but I would think that the heat over time would be an issue not so much on the joints, if you use weld on, but the surface itself. Not sure but I would suggest asking the professionals.

 

[aquaman]

I got some light covers from Lowes for about $11 each and made some covers. It is real easy and allows good gas exchange.
Attachment 239637
My tank is a work in progress, but I have used this before. It is nice because 1. it is cheap. 2. you can do it yourslef, not matter how little skill you have. 3. you can cut out small sections for it to fit around items stiking out of your tank.

 

[scsinet]

Do you have a canopy on the tank or is it open?

 

[gio28]

It is like an open canopy...here is a really old picture...my tank looks like crap in it lol.

and aquaman-did you use eggcrate? that was my #1 choice for sure...but i was concerned that it would diffuse too much of my MH.
also, i might as well ask...as you can see i have a nasty shadow over my tank due to the brace...how can i fix this besides moving the MH over to one side...getting another would be too much light on my tank.

 

[meowzer]

I dont see the pic, I have eggcrate, and a firefish can still get out

 

[gio28]

let me try editing the post to see if i can get it to come up
and thats what im scared of...i figured acrylic will also do a better job of keeping them in since i've heard they can get out through anything almost. Did you lose yours?

 

[meowzer]

Yeah...it was crispy.....I still have one in the 54G tank though. Never tried to jump

 

[gio28]

I would hate to find it like that...crispy lol. But seriously...thats good that you still have one

 

[spanko]

There is also a corner connector made from vinyl that I cannot find a picture of but look like these metal ones.

And of course the 3/8" pond netting.

I used 3/8 inch and double layered it. I had it single layered but my first yellow Head Jawfish jumped right through it. So now instead of one layer of a 3/8 inch square opening in the net i have the two layers crossed so that the square is a box with a X in it. You can see what I mean in the picture.

You can order 1/4" pond netting on line, however I did not only because I did not know if the fish would still be able to launch itself through the square hole. I was really surprised one day when my wife had my 2 year old granddaughter call me at work and tell me that the new jawfish was all dried up on the carpet!
all the supplies were from Lowe's except the pond net. They may even have that.
Don't have a full pic of mine but here is one another reefer made from the plans I gave him.

If you have a square tank it will be much easier because we had to trim for the bow front of the 29 biocube.

 

[tim514]

The pond netting looks like a really good Idea. I feel like the eggcrate restricts some lighting to the tank. But the Pond netting looks like a better solution.

 

[novahobbies]

Spanko's pond netting is a great option. If you hunt for it, I think you can also find "clear" pond netting as well. I think the double-layering at 45degree angles is fantastic.

 

[gio28]

ok...well i gave the bird netting and screen door frame thing a shot finally...epic fail. First off, i can't build a sturdy frame around my overflow and return pipe...just wont work lol. Second, the netting was too large and one of my two new firefish jumped through it today

so now i only have one left. (i doubled up on the netting for now to keep the other safer). anyways...eggcrate is too large of holes and the netting is as well...despite doubling up. My only idea left is to get a piece of acrylic custom cut (at a professional plastic shop) and then drilled with 3/16" holes. my questions are: 1) will acrylic warp? my MH is like almost an entire foot away though and the black center brace isnt even hot...so i think that should be ok. 2) will it block that much light from my MH? all i care is that there will be enough light for SPS and LPS mainly...also clams. My tank is 36 gallons...and i have a 150watt MH bulb...so if the acrylic top and that lights strength can sustain them (IYO) let me know.
thanks!!

 

[gio28]

bump...

 

[al&burke]

I think eventually over time the plexi will warp from the heat of your lights. I made my son a cover for his guppy tank out of white acrylic - it only has a small T5 light in it and the lid warpped. You could put some verticle stiffeners on the top it might help out, 1/4" x 1" high, I would put them around the perimiter and a few running the length of your cover.