Low iron glass lids on my 150g show.

[CayeCaulker]

Years ago I used to run a 105 tall system and I had a local glass company cut low iron tempered lids for my aquarium. It kept my snowflake in the tank and kept water spots and salt off my metal halides. The skimmer was aggressive and the tank was well oxygenated. The solution simply worked. I used one of those suction cup pumps to lift off the glass plates to work on my system. The hood was enclosed and I had it lined with reflective material so I would not waste light bouncing off the glass. I also used 120mm AC fans on a speed control to minimize heat and keep everything cool to the touch.

I am putting together a 150g show and after researching LED lights I ended up going with a metal halide solution once again. This will be a mostly SPS dominated system. I just don't like the shadows and love the shimmer of Metal Halide. I want the new features of LED and I like power efficiency but they are still not quite a Ushio HQI metal halide. I have a chiller solution almost figured out. I know I will need one. Always have in the past.


Has anyone else tried this? Am I a crazy reefer?
I would just like a reality check.

 

[Woodyman]

Well your a reefer so there's a certain level of crazy already involved.

If you like the look of the MH go for it, just know one day those bulbs won't be available anymore and you'll need to stock up and plan for eventual replacement at some point.

You sound like you've got it figured out. I'm not here to convince you MH is the right or wrong solution.

Plenty still use the MH and plenty use LED and plenty use hybrid setups. This probably isn't the straightforward answer you were hoping for, but use what you like. Ultimately they all work and they all grow coral.

Not here to debate growth rates with different light sources, you can read plenty about that on here already. Bottom line they all work.

 

[Woodyman]

Same for glass lids. Got side tracked by your lighting statement.

Plenty go topless, plenty use glass, and plenty use mesh.

Personally I'm with you and Iprefer the glass top, but I do that because of the cats. If I didn't have them it would be mesh for me.

 

[CayeCaulker]

I like how clean the system can be kept. No salt and calcium on the lights. Keeps critters in and contaminates out. Suck air in from outside for the skimmer and PH is golden.

 

[Woodyman]

I like how clean the system can be kept. No salt and calcium on the lights. Keeps critters in and contaminates out. Suck air in from outside for the skimmer and PH is golden.

I enjoy the lack of salt splash as well, and it's nice for minimizing evaporation as well. I blame the cats, but I'd probably at least still have glass on my 65 even without them. On the nano it would probably be topless just because of it's location in the house.

 

[GARRIGA]

Why not an acrylic top which can be custom made to have feed ports? Heat from MH too high? Been 25 plus years since I last saw a MH and recall how hot those were but never bothered to see the temp at where the lid would reside. Back then all I recall was either glass tops or open.

I'm also planning on keeping eels but sticking to LED so not going to be an issue for me to use acrylic. At least that's what I think but might find I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. Although had a fish room setup like that and had no issues with the acrylic tops and LED about four to six inches above.

 

[CayeCaulker]

Acrylic would
Block UV and my corals wouldn’t be happy.

low iron glass is much more efficient at passing spectrum.

 

[GARRIGA]

Acrylic would
Block UV and my corals wouldn’t be happy.

low iron glass is much more efficient at passing spectrum.

Twin wall Polycarbonate sheets are used in green houses and supposedly don’t block light. Might allow UV through. I know some keeping corals have been using it. Very manageable. I actually used it to keep freshwater plants and green water for some experiments I was conducting and had no issues with it.

 

[CayeCaulker]

Twin wall Polycarbonate sheets are used in green houses and supposedly don’t block light. Might allow UV through. I know some keeping corals have been using it. Very manageable. I actually used it to keep freshwater plants and green water for some experiments I was conducting and had no issues with it.

I have a polycarbonate roof on my deck and I have got a tan sitting on it. .

Where does one get sheets of polycarbonate.

Glass is a easy to clean and is a easy to get durable solution. I don't have to worry about heat. I purchased one of those vacuum suction cups for glass to lift them off.

 

[N.Sreefer]

I work in a greenhouse so I'd like to interject 2 things with the polycarbonate lids. They're designed to be replaced as they yellow from U.V exposure and are designed to be translucent not completely transparent so you may have some issues with par loss. Also twin wall polycarbonate is not cheap its a yearly expense at my work to replace part of the aging poly on the greenhouse each year. They also block a small amount of U.V this is a good thing in most greenhouses esp during the summer when we have hundreds of feet of shade cloth stretched across the top. I hate having a glass lid but its a much better option than polycarbonate.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Right now I’m trying to figure out how to add a double glass top to my 120 Gallon SC Aquarium. Got some odd stuff ordered. There are Cast Acrylics that won’t Yellow and are very good about passing UV.

 

[GARRIGA]

I have a polycarbonate roof on my deck and I have got a tan sitting on it. .

Where does one get sheets of polycarbonate.

Glass is a easy to clean and is a easy to get durable solution. I don't have to worry about heat. I purchased one of those vacuum suction cups for glass to lift them off.

Home Depot sells them. Easy to cut with a fine tooth blade. Might be called multiwall.

 

[GARRIGA]

I work in a greenhouse so I'd like to interject 2 things with the polycarbonate lids. They're designed to be replaced as they yellow from U.V exposure and are designed to be translucent not completely transparent so you may have some issues with par loss. Also twin wall polycarbonate is not cheap its a yearly expense at my work to replace part of the aging poly on the greenhouse each year. They also block a small amount of U.V this is a good thing in most greenhouses esp during the summer when we have hundreds of feet of shade cloth stretched across the top. I hate having a glass lid but its a much better option than polycarbonate.

The only other option than glass would be a polycarbonate screen top. I'm assuming those don't yellow and there's an option for reducing evaporation by adding another sheet and perhaps that could be glass thereby allowing full UV pass through yet the top can be made to conform to the tank and it's wiring needs as well as add feed doors. Very costly but what I'm going to do. Also likely more aesthetically pleasing than a sheet of glass. Did that in the 80s and besides being awkward to handle I did drop it and that was then end of that.

Something like this what I'm considering.