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

ThaBeast

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 4, 2009
Messages
795
Reaction score
411
Location
Henderson KY
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
CustomAquariums makes canopies for their tanks, open top so they don’t retain heat/moisture. I am awaiting my tank stand canopy order from them. I wanted a canopy because my tank is in my office and the light spill/glare bothers me when I’m working
 

fishyjoes

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 10, 2022
Messages
264
Reaction score
316
Location
US
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Evaporation is good thing.

Yes, you need to top off, but, small sacrifice, great benefit.
I've been trying to limit evaporation so I don't have to top off as much (small tank with no auto top off).
What's the benefit of more evaporation?
 

MarineandReef Jaron

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2022
Messages
506
Reaction score
447
Location
Tempe Arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've been trying to limit evaporation so I don't have to top off as much (small tank with no auto top off).
What's the benefit of more evaporation?
Greater gas exchange, evaporative cooling, and if you are like me and use kalk it means you can dose more kalk.
 

Graemesreef

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 15, 2022
Messages
279
Reaction score
250
Location
Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Because my wife said stop bringing that dam ladder in the house. And she also noticed a slight rise when I ran a chiller. Whoops
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
90,859
Reaction score
200,132
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
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.
Its a matter of tank design and preference. Other than a dropoff tank I had and a 93g cube- Every tank ive had had a canopy including current one. Ive Never had problems with access or maintenance or adding and removing coral. Maintenance will be how hard You make it with a canopy.

1675901851227.png
 

capted

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 18, 2016
Messages
164
Reaction score
130
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Its a matter of tank design and preference. Other than a dropoff tank I had and a 93g cube- Every tank ive had had a canopy including current one. Ive Never had problems with access or maintenance or adding and removing coral. Maintenance will be how hard You make it with a canopy.

1675901851227.png
That is a beautiful set up!!!
 

David Groos

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2021
Messages
28
Reaction score
35
Location
Jacksonville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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.

juwel.jpg
Ten years ago there is no way I would have a canopy. MH, t-5’s or PC put out way too much heat, so unless you ran a chiller, evaporation was the main cooling method.
 

TalkinTangie

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 25, 2022
Messages
60
Reaction score
175
Location
Dekalb County
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I use light diffuser panels, no jumpers here.
Custom made or purchased somewhere? I have had too many losses to the magic carpet ride and have decided I need to add something. My issue is, my setup and what is hanging on the back is different than the next person's. That is why I am asking if you made it or bought it somewhere? Any info is appreciated
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Floating canopys look really clean and reduce light spill. I love them!

But I would never use something to decrease gas exchange like a glass lid or fully enclosed thing. Plus LED's need good air flow. However you can have a non floating one that still has good air flow and so on... and some people have those too. They are just more custom.

Most tanks that are packages (red sea, IM, CADE, waterbox, etc) are rimless hence they don't bother with canopy's.
 
OP
OP
gfreeman

gfreeman

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 7, 2023
Messages
2
Reaction score
5
Location
Seattle
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Evaporation is good thing.

Yes, you need to top off, but, small sacrifice, great benefit.
Curious, is that because it's a faster way to regulate the conditions in the water tank? If the home has low humidity (typical of northern locations during winter) the evaporative loss to the ambient has minimal effect on tank conditions, no?
Ten years ago there is no way I would have a canopy. MH, t-5’s or PC put out way too much heat, so unless you ran a chiller, evaporation was the main cooling method.
Yeah, especially now with high efficiency DC pumps and LED lighting heat input may primarily come from the ambient. I can do some calcs but a typical DC pumps barely raises the heat input (0.5F per hour of operation) which would be balanced out by the ambient room temperature.
 

Baldguy

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 19, 2013
Messages
941
Reaction score
719
Location
Fort Worth
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For me it's the Wife Approval Factor. A nice stand and canopy that matches the furniture in the living room was a great selling point. Stand and canopy contain almost all sound from the tank. A 9" canopy let's me reach the sandbed. Computer fans ventilate the canopy.
 

AstroMelly

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 10, 2021
Messages
181
Reaction score
162
Location
Hertfordshire, UK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a mesh top (DD diy kit wasn’t that hard to build) for one reason. Flying fish. We have 4xXR15 and I added the diffusers around a month ago - they reduce the light spill nicely. We did toy with the idea of an hood but decided against it. It’s a nice clean setup. The black mesh top is invisible from a seated position as it is recessed down slightly and the frame sits flat on the edge glass. It’s very low profile and does the job nicely. Not too pricy either.
 

TWYOUNG

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 15, 2022
Messages
914
Reaction score
376
Location
St. Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Purchased from Lowe’s, easy to cut with a fine blade jigsaw around any opening.

20230208_221750.jpg


20230208_221756.jpg
Unless there's some kind of screen I can't see it seem like light diffuser wouldn't work for small fish. Also being a "light diffuser it will block any light coming in at an angle.
 

TWYOUNG

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 15, 2022
Messages
914
Reaction score
376
Location
St. Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Years ago I had a hood with MH lights. Access was difficult. Had to buy an expensive and energy wasting chiller. Didn't get enough evaporation for my kalkwasser top off water to keep alkalinity up. I do like the look of many hoods but some just make it all look too massive for my taste. Don't really like the light fixtures exposed so I did mine as pictured.
 

Attachments

  • CEB6DE8D-6E1B-4E08-BAF8-CA84ACAB790A.jpeg
    CEB6DE8D-6E1B-4E08-BAF8-CA84ACAB790A.jpeg
    165.9 KB · Views: 43

Singspot

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 19, 2017
Messages
590
Reaction score
206
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
I want to put meshtop.

My tank's top is 8 ft by 2 ft in 3 equal parts (2 cross braces) but inner exact dimensions will be smaller ...

Any recommendations for buying (or DIY) mesh top? What vendors or places to buy ready made or DIY materials?
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 66 51.6%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 67 52.3%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 32 25.0%
  • None.

    Votes: 29 22.7%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 7.0%
Back
Top