egg crate Light diffuser or similar for lids

mark freshwater · Jul 14, 2018

hi,
i was watching a vid the other day and this person had what looked like eggcrate light diffuser where the lids on a tank would go , i have a few questions.
Does this spread the light more efficiently? How much would it dim by if any?
and any other general info on why these are used .
I like the idea aswell because i could use them as lids as im not using glass lids, and also stops fish jumping out etc.
And also could i use normal egg crate grid https://www.pacwestcorp.com.au/black-egg-crate-now-stock/? or would that not be good for light quality?
edit: also does color of the crate matter i have a choice of black or white

i have just ordered 2 x marsaqua 165w leds for my 4 x 20 x 20 tank , the same as in the video.
heres the vid if interested

BestMomEver · Jul 14, 2018

I don’t know but one of the LFS in my area use them as lids. I thought it was a great idea. I have a rimless tank though so it would be hard to do.

Breadman03 · Jul 14, 2018

Eggcrate evens out light dispersion, but dramatically reduces light reaching the coral. Look up the Bulk Reef Supply screen kit for one of the most popular solutions out there.

andrewkw · Jul 14, 2018

Eggcrate is a poor lid. Many fish can make it through and will. BRS and other places sell clear mesh lids that have much smaller holes. The mesh is also clear so it does not block a lot of light, probably less than eggcrate.

jeffp1 · Jul 14, 2018

I have a Rimless Planet Aquarium tank and use eggcrate as my top. I use the support clips from BRS to support it. I haven't lost a fish in 2 years and the eggcrate sits level with top and isn't that noticeable. Corals are doing great.

Orm Embar · Jul 14, 2018

I use clear mesh; per Bulk Reef Supply's videos, the PAR loss is 5% or less if I recall correctly. My recollection is that eggcrate is significantly worse than that.