Should I put a glass top on my aquarium?

[rt67ghy]

I have glass covering my tank and I prefer it because it keeps dust out and the heat from my lights from reaching the water. I have to use a chiller to keep my tank at the right temp. I don't get any salt creep because the glass is quite high above the water surface. I have great surface area in my sump for air exchange so that's not an issue for me.

 

[champion6sigma]

glass pics?

glass pics?

I have glass covering my tank and I prefer it because it keeps dust out and the heat from my lights from reaching the water. I have to use a chiller to keep my tank at the right temp. I don't get any salt creep because the glass is quite high above the water surface. I have great surface area in my sump for air exchange so that's not an issue for me.

Any pics? I'd like to see how you mounted....or setup you have. Thanks.

 

[champion6sigma]

When you all say open top sump...do you mean its not enclosed underneath the tank....or are there actual people out there who put "lids" across sump...maybe thats a stupid question because of plumbing unless someone has some sort of closed loop system which is complexly designed with plumbing along sides of the containers...

I'm kind of assuming 99 percent of people have sumps...that are "open" but within their stand cabinetry?

 

[mvallee_ma]

I've run glass for two years but find in the hotter months of summer I need to take it off for heat and be ready to clean it often.
I would say an open sump under a cabinet is what most run and is sufficient for gas exchange.

 

[champion6sigma]

I've run glass for two years but find in the hotter months of summer I need to take it off for heat and be ready to clean it often.
I would say an open sump under a cabinet is what most run and is sufficient for gas exchange.

Ya, that and in feeding u have to take off and set someplace while it's dirty or condensation on it...cleaning and summer months may pose issue.

Deep blue sells lids with clear handles...need to find a pic might be a better product then what I have

 

[A.Astore]

The glass lids we had folded back so they didn't need taken off to feed or do most things in the tank. Oddly, the 55 gallon never had salt creep but my nano does. I might blame that though on how close the glass is to the water surface in the nano because the larger tank had probably 2 inches. I rarely had to clean the larger tank glass and also rarely had to top that system off. My current system that has a canopy with and opening as well as an open sump I am topping off about 2 gallons a day and still fight heat. I think it is you need to decide what battle you want to fight... evaporation or heat.

 

[champion6sigma]

The glass lids we had folded back so they didn't need taken off to feed or do most things in the tank. Oddly, the 55 gallon never had salt creep but my nano does. I might blame that though on how close the glass is to the water surface in the nano because the larger tank had probably 2 inches. I rarely had to clean the larger tank glass and also rarely had to top that system off. My current system that has a canopy with and opening as well as an open sump I am topping off about 2 gallons a day and still fight heat. I think it is you need to decide what battle you want to fight... evaporation or heat.

2 gallons a day! wow. What is normal??? What size is your tank ?

My current tank is a recessed lidded one piece two piece glass without any lifting tool (have to use hands). There is a gap all around perimeter and down center. Its held on by plastic clips/brackets along rim. The water level is a few inches from rim(where overflow opening starts). I've had rim off for a week now....I'm thinking I"m getting more evaporation than before...more water loss. It may be because house is cooler than tank and so I'm heating tank then its expose to much to "cool air" from house?

I have a cadlights tank.

I bought a rubber or plastic hard strip which is a piece that goes between the glass, from my LFS. It does cover the center opening...but its an eye sore and makes it harder to remove glass since I used to pick up from center. I need a clear one with a handle built in. Luckily I have an xr30 pro with two led pucks so a center strip of anything doesn't cast shadows ....but for a different light setup...it might....

 

[Reef Frog]

It's great to hear from several actual glass top owners who run successful tanks with them.

I have always suspected that these breathless warnings of oxygen starvation, heat emergencies and corals keeling over for the want of more PAR were way overblown, bordering on myth.

Even salt creep can be controlled. Love it. It's nice to have options.

 

[zachtos]

Anyone else do glass covers?

I'm building a 300G right now, and my old 240G SPS had acrylic covers that warped badly, but they kept humidity in the house under control. I really want to just keep humidity down as low as possible. It's going to be in wall, in a finished basement (sump underneath stand. I don't have to make it air tight of course, just cut humidity/evaporation down by 70-90% would be good.