Why don't most aquarium setups have a canopy/lid?

[gfreeman]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this hobby and have been reading up heavily. I have a while to go before committing but I have one question: why don't most reef setups have a canopy or lid, with lights integrated? It seems like it would solve the evaporation issue especially in dry heated homes, and also prevent something from falling into the tank. For example, I'm leaning towards Cade Reef 1200 S2 as my first tank and surprised to find that outside of third party lids, there seem to be not many options.

 

[PeterC99]

Welcome to R2R!

Pros and cons to the different top solutions.

Depending on your setup, canopies can capture a tremendous amount of heat and can make it difficult to access your system.

Mesh tops provide protection from dropping things in your aquarium and allow for greater air exchange but that means more evaporation.

No right or wrong answer. Really matters what’s best for your situation. Here’s my mesh top.

 

[Koh23]

Evaporation is good thing.

Yes, you need to top off, but, small sacrifice, great benefit.

 

[His Coral Highness]

You get a lot of condensation with a hood/lid, too. It's not that the water isn't still evaporating, it's just that it's evaporating, getting the inside of the lid soaked, then falling back into the tank.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

Canopies are a nice and really make an aquarium set up look nice , I like the way they look and hide the lights. But then they also are hold in heat.
And open top allows for evaporation and helps with cooling.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

i would rather get rid of my tank than run a hood
its so much extra work to try to work on the tank with a hood in the way.
plus corals look good from above

 

[SPS2020]

Aesthetics...I love the "infinity pool" look of my 100g open top (no eurobrace).

 

[wzf106]

At least for me, I rather not have a canopy purely for aesthetics.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Welcome to Reef2Reef, and depends, for me it would be beneficial since I got cats running around and don't want them in the tank.

 

[Huey_Gnr]

Depending on the type of canopy, with the heat and moisture, it can start to grow microbial growth on the under side. I modified my canopy by removing the top but leaving the sides which was the best of both worlds IMO.

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to this hobby and have been reading up heavily. I have a while to go before committing but I have one question: why don't most reef setups have a canopy or lid, with lights integrated? It seems like it would solve the evaporation issue especially in dry heated homes, and also prevent something from falling into the tank. For example, I'm leaning towards Cade Reef 1200 S2 as my first tank and surprised to find that outside of third party lids, there seem to be not many options.

It's due to the modern LED lighting that has taken hold in the hobby over the last 10 years. Before LED lights were a thing most Reef systems did indeed have a canopy or lid. The hobby follows trends and the manufacturers have pushed led lights relentlessly even though older forms of lighting were generally better for your corals.

I too would much rather have a tank with a sealed lid but getting enough light for SPS corals was preventing me from going that route. But if your only want to grow soft corals and lps a freshwater tank with T5 fluorescents under the hood, converted to have a sump would work just fine. My next tank will likely be a converted Juwel rio 450, not sure if you can get those in the USA though.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

We offer fully ventilated, waterproof canopies. And lids. No big deal.

 

[melonheadorion]

i dont have a sealed lid simply because i prefer gas exchange. it doesnt mean that having a sealed lid is wrong, but it does not beneift me when it comes to what i prefer

 

[Koh23]

Welcome to Reef2Reef, and depends, for me it would be beneficial since I got cats running around and don't want them in the tank.

I have 5 of them, various ages, from kitens to 7yo cat....

I like to educate them monthly.

First, i take each of them in lap, and we watch "finding nemo, so that they can learn first lesson - fish are friends, not food.

Then i show them various pictures of empty cat bowls, empty food cans, and finish with plenty of pictures of street cats, sleeping in rain, snow, eating from garbage cans etc.....

And that is enough, i have open tank, open sump, even open stand, with so many temptations, but, lesson is learned, message received and they simply ignore my tank.

They know that alternative is much much worse.....

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I have 5 of them, various ages, from kitens to 7yo cat....

I like to educate them monthly.

First, i take each of them in lap, and we watch "finding nemo, so that they can learn first lesson - fish are friends, not food.

Then i show them various pictures of empty cat bowls, empty food cans, and finish with plenty of pictures of street cats, sleeping in rain, snow, eating from garbage cans etc.....

And that is enough, i have open tank, open sump, even open stand, with so many temptations, but, lesson is learned, message received and they simply ignore my tank.

They know that alternative is much much worse.....

That honestly does not seem like a bad idea for mine , I have a senior cat who doesn't do anything or bother anything. but my kitten maine coon cat? he's the one that wants to play with anything that moves

 

[Xenia]

I love my tank with lid, now with the LEDs like ai blade/grow you can have lots of light and i like the warmth staying inside, less heating needed and for the summer you just throw the lid off and have a open tank !

Not much evaporation like a open tank with big tanks you talk about gallons per day

 

[fish farmer]

It's due to the modern LED lighting that has taken hold in the hobby over the last 10 years. Before LED lights were a thing most Reef systems did indeed have a canopy or lid. The hobby follows trends and the manufacturers have pushed led lights relentlessly even though older forms of lighting were generally better for your corals.

I too would much rather have a tank with a sealed lid but getting enough light for SPS corals was preventing me from going that route. But if your only want to grow soft corals and lps a freshwater tank with T5 fluorescents under the hood, converted to have a sump would work just fine. My next tank will likely be a converted Juwel rio 450, not sure if you can get those in the USA though.

Yep, back 20 years ago you had a big matching wood hood to go with the stand. Mount a couple of halides in there with a fan and you're all set.

Some of those beasts were almost as big as the tank.

 

[vlangel]

3 tanks back I had a 90 gallon Aqueon with stand and matching canopy with the lights built in. It looked nice and complete as a piece of furniture, since it was in my living room. Fans kept the VHO bulbs cool enough but it just was not easy to maintenance the tank. Cleaning glass and moving rocks or coral was a bit of a Hassel so I have elected to give up some of the finished furniture look for easier function.

 

[HomebroodExotics]

I don't understand why people don't use lids or canopies. People would rather their tank look cool than to make sure their fish don't jump out and die. Tells a lot about someone's priorities imo.

 

[_sludgefactory]

If i had a rimmed tank, i might want a canopy. On a rimless tank though, no canopy for me. I prefer an acrylic mesh top. Still looks good and keeps carpet surfers inside.