Egg crate or glass to cover aquarium?

[damnsnowak]

I have one of the BRS screen kits on my shopping list as well. Can anybody tell me how it would be used with a rimless tank? Maybe with some sort of clips? How do other rimless owners keep jumpers in?

 

[sleepydoc]

Question: How did you form fit the molding in the front since there's a slight bow to it? I have a JBJ 28gallon and would like to do the same thing.

Thanks in advance.

Two choices I can think of for bow front tanks:

1. Have a standard, rectangular screen and have a 'sliver' of acrylic cut to fit the bow
2. I've heard of some people successfully bending the screen frame to fit the bow. You'd have to be careful so you don't kink it, but it's not that expensive, so if you mess up, it's not that big a deal.

 

[geezers11]

Two choices I can think of for bow front tanks:

1. Have a standard, rectangular screen and have a 'sliver' of acrylic cut to fit the bow
2. I've heard of some people successfully bending the screen frame to fit the bow. You'd have to be careful so you don't kink it, but it's not that expensive, so if you mess up, it's not that big a deal.

Thanks much. Sounds like a good idea. Not happy with the JBJ LEDs so if I can get this to work, then I can find a nice dimmable light fixture.

 

[jdnidle]

So are you guys pushing this netting in the screen using a wheel tool just like as if it was regular screen for a window?

This is a great idea.

My LFS made me acrylic tops for mine.
Acrylic is supposedly clearer than glass or plexiglass, so that is why I went that way.

But I never gave netting a thought.
I may be redoing my tops to this.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

So are you guys pushing this netting in the screen using a wheel tool just like as if it was regular screen for a window?

yep. Spline tool.

I got my window frame at Home Depot and my netting from Country Max (farm supply store). It's called garden netting and it's sold to keep birds and other critters from eating plants, fruits, vegetables etc.
Of course, BRS has netting too- along with a lot of other great reef aquarium supplies.

Just do it.

 

[gotwins86]

Saw a tank photo where they had netting for most of the top, but eggcrate in the very back as a strip for HOB stuff. Looked pretty darn slick.

I was wondering how one could to the netting if they have HOB stuff. That sounds like a good solution. Anyone else have any other suggestions?

 

[Wolverine]

I was wondering how one could to the netting if they have HOB stuff. That sounds like a good solution. Anyone else have any other suggestions?

If you build your own frame with PVC, you can make gaps wherever you want them.

 

[sleepydoc]

I have a corner notched out of the frame on my DT using standard screen fame material.

What I did for my QT was to have the frame small enough so the HOB filter will fit, but instead of cutting the netting flush with the back edge of the frame, I let it extend beyond the edge of the screen frame and over the back edge of the tank. Very easy to do, but I think the egg crate might do a better job of stopping 'jumpers.'

One could also have a long piece of acrylic notched as necessary.

 

[jahmic]

I have one of the BRS screen kits on my shopping list as well. Can anybody tell me how it would be used with a rimless tank? Maybe with some sort of clips? How do other rimless owners keep jumpers in?

I ordered a set of these and they work great.

http://www.finnex.net/index.php?pag...n=com_virtuemart&Itemid=61&vmcchk=1&Itemid=61

Definitely not as obtrusive as they appear in the photo, since that is on a 4g pico. You can also snap the ends of the corners...just be aware that if you want to use those pieces midway down the tank, they don't really have much stability without having the corner of the tank to hold them up. I glued the short pieces to the rim to get that stability back.

Just 2 corner clips and 4 short clips are enough to hold the 1/4" glass lid on my 20 long...glass is cut short to allow for an HOB on the far end.

 

[thegrun]

I cut a piece of 1/4 acrylic to make a notched out section and then inserted it into the standard window screen frame. Hot glue the netting to the acrylic.

 

[curiouser]

Glass will let more through but won't allow air to circulate for oxygenation and cooling. A better option is clear 1/4" netting. You can make a custom top pretty easily and cheaply, it won't block much light, will allow air to circulate, and will keep the jumpers in.

Bulk Reef Supply sells it (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/catalog/product/view/id/1768/) I'm sure other places do to, just don't know any others off the top of my head.

Another advantage of letting air circulate is to let CO2 gas off the tank water. CO2 in the water lowers pH by forming carbonic acid.