Glass Top, Screen Top, Egg Crate or Open Top for SPS w/ Fish?

[Imback]

I have been thinking about removing my glass tops and have wonder what you guys are doing? I've struggled getting my PAR in range with my 6 Kessil A360x lights. The Kessil lights are really nice but I they just don't have what it takes to get the PAR above 200. I ordered 3 Radion XR30 G5 Blue LED. I believe these lights will correct my PAR issue with or without the glass tops but as I sit and wait for my delivery from BRS I wondered what everyone else was doing.

 

[MaxTremors]

I have been thinking about removing my glass tops and have wonder what you guys are doing? I've struggled getting my PAR in range with my 6 Kessil A360x lights. The Kessil lights are really nice but I they just don't have what it takes to get the PAR above 200. I ordered 3 Radion XR30 G5 Blue LED. I believe these lights will correct my PAR issue with or without the glass tops but as I sit and wait for my delivery from BRS I wondered what everyone else was doing.

Clean glass tops only reduce PAR by less than a percent. I don’t think that’s your issue.

 

[blaxsun]

I have an open top, but I'd probably recommend a mesh screen top.

 

[Imback]

Clean glass tops only reduce PAR by less than a percent. I don’t think that your issue.

I have watched all the BRS videos on setup and measuring the Par. I bought a par meter and have found the 5 Kessil A360x Tuna Blue cant produce the par above 200, with or with out my glass tops. My tank is 18" deep, 26" tall and 6' long. Here is a picture. The tank is 2yrs old and I am ready to start adding some SPS.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I have been thinking about removing my glass tops and have wonder what you guys are doing? I've struggled getting my PAR in range with my 6 Kessil A360x lights. The Kessil lights are really nice but I they just don't have what it takes to get the PAR above 200. I ordered 3 Radion XR30 G5 Blue LED. I believe these lights will correct my PAR issue with or without the glass tops but as I sit and wait for my delivery from BRS I wondered what everyone else was doing.

Screen top. Lost too many jumper fish.

I'm more concerned with gas exchange, rather than light reduction

 

[ScottB]

Maybe @MaxTremors has some better data than my anecdote, but I saw nearly a 100 point difference when removing (tempered) glass tops on a client tank. IDK if tempered makes a difference -- and I can't say the glass was super clean either.

 

[MaxTremors]

Maybe @MaxTremors has some better data than my anecdote, but I saw nearly a 100 point difference when removing (tempered) glass tops on a client tank. IDK if tempered makes a difference -- and I can't say the glass was super clean either.

I don’t have any studies, but in my own tank, par at 1” deep in the center was around 330, and with the lid it was roughly 325 (I rounded, you never get exact numbers, lol). And deeper in the tank I didn’t notice too much of a difference in the difference (if that makes sense). The glass was not tempered though, so that might be why there’s discrepancy.

 

[Imback]

Basically I just wanted to know what others were using for their top. Looks like screen top from the 8 votes we got.

 

[tharbin]

I use screen tops exclusively. Mainly for gas exchange. Also the higher evaporation works better in a warm environment although that is much less of an issue with LEDs vs when I ran MHs.