Large tank lid issues

[Mariette]

I see the various diy kits available for sale. And I’ve looked for supplies at hardware stores. I’ve got a 5 foot by 2 foot tank and my issue is this: I want to be able to open a good portion of the lid for feedings and cleanings but all I’m finding are little feed doors. I’d like to be able to open say the front 1/4 or 1/3 of the entire length of the lid. Anyone know if kits exist that allow for this?

 

[Peace River]

I see the various diy kits available for sale. And I’ve looked for supplies at hardware stores. I’ve got a 5 foot by 2 foot tank and my issue is this: I want to be able to open a good portion of the lid for feedings and cleanings but all I’m finding are little feed doors. I’d like to be able to open say the front 1/4 or 1/3 of the entire length of the lid. Anyone know if kits exist that allow for this?

I'm not sure if your tank has a center brace of if it has a top rim. One thing that I have done in the past for tanks is to buy a hinge for the glass and use glass from a glass shop that is cut to size. So based on the size of your tank (5'x2') then you could have two pieces of glass that are 2'x2.5' and connected with the hinge in the middle running front to back (or two sets that are 2'x1.25' each).

Another option would be to get a more traditional glass top from glasscages.com. Good luck!

 

[Westside Guy]

I'm not sure if your tank has a center brace of if it has a top rim. One thing that I have done in the past for tanks is to buy a hinge for the glass and use glass from a glass shop that is cut to size. So based on the size of your tank (5'x2') then you could have two pieces of glass that are 2'x2.5' and connected with the hinge in the middle running front to back (or two sets that are 2'x1.25' each).

Another option would be to get a more traditional glass top from glasscages.com. Good luck!

My understanding is that the traditional glass tops will increase the temperature of the water.

 

[Mariette]

I'm not sure if your tank has a center brace of if it has a top rim. One thing that I have done in the past for tanks is to buy a hinge for the glass and use glass from a glass shop that is cut to size. So based on the size of your tank (5'x2') then you could have two pieces of glass that are 2'x2.5' and connected with the hinge in the middle running front to back (or two sets that are 2'x1.25' each).

Another option would be to get a more traditional glass top from glasscages.com. Good luck!

Great suggestions peaceriver. Thank you. I forgot to mention that I was looking for a mesh lid. Sorry. That would have been helpful info lol

 

[Peace River]

Great suggestions peaceriver. Thank you. I forgot to mention that I was looking for a mesh lid. Sorry. That would have been helpful info lol

Have you looked at the custom mesh tops from BRS? You could use a 2'x2' and a 2'x3' lid to cover your tank. Not particularly inexpensive, but they are very nice.

 

[Stege_saurus]

You can make a DIY top. I used window screen frames and reef safe screen. It takes a bit of effort but it looks great in my opinion. My tank (I bought it used) came with glass for the top but it was a puzzle to figure it out. I added a couple stainless steel handles and super glued them to the frames. Now all I have to do is lift the frames and I can have as much room as I want.

 

[Mariette]

Have you looked at the custom mesh tops from BRS? You could use a 2'x2' and a 2'x3' lid to cover your tank. Not particularly inexpensive, but they are very nice.

I considered that. They have a single one that’s large enough to cover my tank. But it’s one big piece and that’s not what I’m looking for. Issue with getting 2 is that there’s nothing to support the inside edges. No centre brace.

 

[Peace River]

I considered that. They have a single one that’s large enough to cover my tank. But it’s one big piece and that’s not what I’m looking for. Issue with getting 2 is that there’s nothing to support the inside edges. No centre brace.

Does it need a center brace and is there a way to add a non-structural brace/support? The edges are essentially window screen frames which have a decent amount of rigidity so a brace may not be necessary. My bigger concern would be the part of the frame that blocks a strip of light.

 

[Mariette]

Does it need a center brace and is there a way to add a non-structural brace/support? The edges are essentially window screen frames which have a decent amount of rigidity so a brace may not be necessary. My bigger concern would be the part of the frame that blocks a strip of light.

I can add A non-structural brace. I bought the screen frame kit from a hardware store but realized it’s aluminum. No specific coating or anything. Just painted. I have 3 of the Current USA LOOP Orbit IC LEDs. The 48 inch ones. I tested a central brace to see how it impacts the lights and there was no shadowing. My guess is because the lights are coming from 3 separate strips there’s some overlap. Do you know of any plastic frame kits? Or reef safe aluminum coated ones?