Aquarium 'Top'/Enclosure

[Forty-Two]

Hi - Im working with a vendor for a quote and the discussion of a valence came up (mostly because it looks cool in the pic - I admit).

How do most of you deal with closing off the top of a 200+ gallon aquarium? Back in the day I just had one of those ugly looking plastic lids. The pro was that it kept the fish in, the evaporation down and had a spot to put some lights (I recall having to clean the glass on a regular bases that housed the lights)

Is there an advantage of a valence over a 'Glass lid'? I wonder about keeping the 'Glass lid' clean - I would guess condensation builds up on it which reduces the light that can penetrate the water no?

Thanks
42

 

[srobertb]

We don’t use glass lids on reef tanks as it can cause issues with gas exchange. I suppose if you had a giant sump it would be less of an issue. Yes, I remember the old days with the glass tops and the fluorescent fixture sat right on top of it!

I use a mesh top. It’s basically a black frame with a very thin plastic fishnet. I prefer completely open top but had a pair of clowns that committed suicide so now I use tops. You can buy DIY kits and clips online. You can even make custom shapes to fit around odd overflows. I have a little jog in mine for the auto feeder. It’s just window screen framing with some spline. I recommend DIY if you’re the least bit handy because every year or so you’ll need to replace the netting and it’s a cheap thing to do yourself with a $10 spline tool.

I do prefer open top tanks as our house is modern and a heavy piece of furniture with upper cabinetry would look odd I think. On the flip side you have lots of mounting options, T5 retrofits, and even powerbrick storage that can be worked into the hood and make for a clean look.

But ultimately Valance/hood vs open top is a personal choice. If my tanks were not rimless, I’d probably have a hood to hide the bracing.

Some people will put tops on the hood so light doesn’t spill out the top. Cooling fans and vents are sometimes installed too. Cooler guys/Amazon sells super clean kits that I have used in AV cabinets and the look is super clean (and they have a variable speed programmable thermostat).

 

[Forty-Two]

We don’t use glass lids on reef tanks as it can cause issues with gas exchange. I suppose if you had a giant sump it would be less of an issue. Yes, I remember the old days with the glass tops and the fluorescent fixture sat right on top of it!

I use a mesh top. It’s basically a black frame with a very thin plastic fishnet. I prefer completely open top but had a pair of clowns that committed suicide so now I use tops. You can buy DIY kits and clips online. You can even make custom shapes to fit around odd overflows. I have a little jog in mine for the auto feeder. It’s just window screen framing with some spline. I recommend DIY if you’re the least bit handy because every year or so you’ll need to replace the netting and it’s a cheap thing to do yourself with a $10 spline tool.

I do prefer open top tanks as our house is modern and a heavy piece of furniture with upper cabinetry would look odd I think. On the flip side you have lots of mounting options, T5 retrofits, and even powerbrick storage that can be worked into the hood and make for a clean look.

But ultimately Valance/hood vs open top is a personal choice. If my tanks were not rimless, I’d probably have a hood to hide the bracing.

Some people will put tops on the hood so light doesn’t spill out the top. Cooling fans and vents are sometimes installed too. Cooler guys/Amazon sells super clean kits that I have used in AV cabinets and the look is super clean (and they have a variable speed programmable thermostat).

Thanks - I think you just saved me some pain - I was thinking of going the glass lid route b/c it’s cheaper.

Oh wait….now I’m probably going to spend more on a valance…sooo…. maybe not thank you? (J/k)


Actually maybe I ditch the rimless if I’m going valence anyways. Hmm more to think about now

 

[srobertb]

Rimless tanks scared me (knock on wood) but now that I’ve had a few I have more confidence in them. But I would definitely go braced in some fashion if I was getting a valance or hood (make it cheaper too).