Glass vs Polycarbonate for a lid

[thall17]

Better material for a lid? Need to allow light to penetrate for coral....Glass? Polycarbonate? Eggcrate?

 

[Troylee]

Poly with mesh or egg crate will be better than glass.. glass will kill your o2 levels and lighting.

 

[Reef Jedi]

Check out the company TopLids. Amazing build quality and I’ll always use their lids. Amazing thought has gone into these with all the options.

 

[Savage Henry]

Polycarbonate - light weight and doesn’t warp.

If you go the full lid your skimmer will help with gas exchange

 

[Fish Fan]

I also like some kind of a screen or mesh lid. Glass and solid poly will build up salt creep, blocking light, and adding extra maintenance.

 

[thall17]

Anyone have a lid from Toplids? I have heard nothing but good things...a little pricey but I guess you pay for what ya get....

 

[petcellar]

Anyone have a lid from Toplids? I have heard nothing but good things...a little pricey but I guess you pay for what ya get....

I did for my Red Sea 900 xxl, and it fits like a glove. Got exactly what I ordered.

Only custom lid I ever ordered so I don’t have anything to compare too…. But I’ve been very satisfied.

I’ve a picture of it on my build thread.

 

[Savage Henry]

In my experience the lid itself doesn’t build up salt creep because the condensation underneath the lid self cleans it.

 

[Fish Fan]

In my experience the lid itself doesn’t build up salt creep because the condensation underneath the lid self cleans it.

Friend, could Please ask what kind of lid do you have?

 

[Savage Henry]

Secondary question, does anyone know how long polycarbonate lasts under LEDs?

 

[Savage Henry]

Friend, could Please ask what kind of lid do you have?

At the moment I am using a really thin piece of transparent plastic I found in the garbage. I think it’s polycarbonate but not sure. It hasn’t warped, but it has become a bit brittle.

I would like to buy a lid but we can’t really get them from America.

 

[Savage Henry]

Have to say, although my lid is just a thin piece of plastic, it makes the tank look good. It’s the most minimalistic lid possible.

 

[Fish Fan]

At the moment I am using a really thin piece of transparent plastic I found in the garbage. I think it’s polycarbonate but not sure. It hasn’t warped, but it has become a bit brittle.

I would like to buy a lid but we can’t really get them from America.

Thank you for your reply! In my experience, all solid lids will build up a film of salt creep over time, and limit light going into the tank. You have not experienced this?

I can't really speak to your other concern, except to say that acrylic specifically is known to warp. Polycarbonate is said to not warp, at least not nearly as fast.

 

[Savage Henry]

My lid might get a little cloudy over time, which just requires a wipe over. But really, I don’t get the salt build up because the lid has water drops underneath, from condensation.

Also, not sure what effect the amount of salt my lid might have simply because sodium chloride plates have high enough transparency. I used them when measuring infrared spectre (from memory) in the lab.

 

[penfold2]

Secondary question, does anyone know how long polycarbonate lasts under LEDs?

Polycarbonate will generally last for years in sunlight, and aquarium leds are much weaker than sunlight, so I would expect quite a few years before any yellowing is noticeable. I bought a piece of 3/8" (9mm) polycarbonate for my 24" long tank at the beginning of this year. The thickness may be a bit overkill, but it has zero sag. I use it in the winter when the humidity from my tank would be problematic for my home.

 

[edsbeaker]

Anyone have a lid from Toplids? I have heard nothing but good things...a little pricey but I guess you pay for what ya get....

I have used Top lids on two tanks, and was happy with both. Both lids fit like a glove!

My last one is on a large tank, and I was concerned about sagging and having to take a large lid off my tank every time I needed to do maintenance, so Tyler at Top Lids suggested doing it in 3 sections. I love this because I only need to slide over or remove the one small section that’s in the way.

Here are some photos showing what I’m talking about.

 

[Savage Henry]

Those lids look great!

I think I see the condensation droplets underneath the lids around the edges? This is what I get across the entire lid.

 

[johnnycamp5]

In my experience the lid itself doesn’t build up salt creep because the condensation underneath the lid self cleans it.

Mine too

 

[nycsteve]

saw this old thread so i thought i jump into it instead of starting my own. I have an odd size tank and wife insists it must have a top. planning on going the polycarbonate route but couple questions. I read somewhere to get poly specifically for greenhouse use so this doesnt stop the light is this true.? also i read that some poly is treated with uv blockers so i assume i need to stay away from that? any specific brands anyone has used to make a top?

 

[penfold2]

saw this old thread so i thought i jump into it instead of starting my own. I have an odd size tank and wife insists it must have a top. planning on going the polycarbonate route but couple questions. I read somewhere to get poly specifically for greenhouse use so this doesnt stop the light is this true.? also i read that some poly is treated with uv blockers so i assume i need to stay away from that? any specific brands anyone has used to make a top?

What is the purpose of the top? If it's just to prevent fish from jumping or keep cats out, then a mesh top would be better. If it's for humidity reasons, then polycarbonate is a good choice. Greenhouse PC is nice because it's cheap and very light, but it uses two walls separated by ribs, rather than a solid sheet. The ribs and spaces tend to look less "finished," or more DIY than solid PC if it's visible. I don't think UV is an issue since most aquarium lights don't put out any significant actual UV (<400nm) even if the diodes are labelled as such. The thickness is a concern with solid PC in order to prevent sagging, but that depends on the size of your covers.