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Tank without hood?
- Thread starter beatking
- Start date
I would never have a tank without a cover. There are several "cons." Dust, debris gets on the surface, and something is easily spilled into the water (even additives otherwise safe can be deadly if this happens). Fish jump, even substrate fish like loaches and cories will jump out at night. Of course, some fish are surface dwellers and are more likely, but the point is that in the darkness something may "spook" the fish, and it jumps. Water evaporates faster, leaving behind minerals, and the water gets into the building structure. Neither is good.
The only "pro" is if one has terrestrial plants with roots in the tank/filter water, or emergent aquatic plants. If this is the idea, it would bee best to lower the tank water level significantly so the above "cons" are less of an issue...though dust and debris is still there, and this can reduce the necessary gas exchange at the surface.
The only "pro" is if one has terrestrial plants with roots in the tank/filter water, or emergent aquatic plants. If this is the idea, it would bee best to lower the tank water level significantly so the above "cons" are less of an issue...though dust and debris is still there, and this can reduce the necessary gas exchange at the surface.
outofwater
Fish Addict
My main tank (29g) is topless. I don't have fish known to be "jumpers" and there's a layer of duckweed that basically covers the entire surface.
Even when the duckweed hadn't "taken over" though, it didn't seem to make a difference.
Yes, the risk of contamination exists, but there aren't any risk factors that realistically would affect me (no smoking, no spraying of any kind, no predators or pests that could "get in" just because of the open top).
Only reason I took off the top is because I changed lights and having the new LED setup just laying on top of the old glass top wasn't practical, every time I opened it to feed the fish I'd have to ensure the light wasn't going to slide into the tank.
Plus, I had decided to add bamboo shoots to the tank, and they poke out and there wasn't enough space on the regular openings (for cables or the HOB filter) to accommodate that, so i took the plunge, it's been about 4 months maybe? Tank is overall nearly 8 months.
My secondary tank (10g) still has its hood on, and I may or may not turn it topless too when I change the lights on it, but only because the dwarf gourami that lives in it is an idiot and with him the risk of actually jumping out one day is more real, because as i said he's an idiot who'll spaz out for no reason at all. But he's our idiot, so I have to take care of him.
Even when the duckweed hadn't "taken over" though, it didn't seem to make a difference.
Yes, the risk of contamination exists, but there aren't any risk factors that realistically would affect me (no smoking, no spraying of any kind, no predators or pests that could "get in" just because of the open top).
Only reason I took off the top is because I changed lights and having the new LED setup just laying on top of the old glass top wasn't practical, every time I opened it to feed the fish I'd have to ensure the light wasn't going to slide into the tank.
Plus, I had decided to add bamboo shoots to the tank, and they poke out and there wasn't enough space on the regular openings (for cables or the HOB filter) to accommodate that, so i took the plunge, it's been about 4 months maybe? Tank is overall nearly 8 months.
My secondary tank (10g) still has its hood on, and I may or may not turn it topless too when I change the lights on it, but only because the dwarf gourami that lives in it is an idiot and with him the risk of actually jumping out one day is more real, because as i said he's an idiot who'll spaz out for no reason at all. But he's our idiot, so I have to take care of him.
FranciscoB
Fish Crazy
Cons are too much evaporation, and fish jumping out.
i have no lid on my betta tank, his fins are too big and the water level is always sort of low because of evaporation...
My set up
Main con is evaporation, Pro you can look down into the tank and you can grow cool stuff on the top
Main con is evaporation, Pro you can look down into the tank and you can grow cool stuff on the top
DoubleDutch
Fish Gatherer
Jumpers, jumpers and jumpers. My tanks are mostly topless because I have wooden architecture poking above the rim. I've lost a good number of fish due to jumping so I'm considering having some lids made specially to fit with openings for the wood and wires/pipes etc.
Evaporation is a problem more because in an enclosed room it could result in black mould on the walls and ceilings. Fortunately I have a window and door leading to my ladning upstairs, but I do have to top up a hell of a lot; right now especially with the weather trying it's best to roast us all.
That aside, it really is much nicer to be able to view the inside of the tanks from top down.
Evaporation is a problem more because in an enclosed room it could result in black mould on the walls and ceilings. Fortunately I have a window and door leading to my ladning upstairs, but I do have to top up a hell of a lot; right now especially with the weather trying it's best to roast us all.
That aside, it really is much nicer to be able to view the inside of the tanks from top down.
CaptainBarnicles
Moderate Pleco Tolerator
Staff member
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I think it all depends on what you're prepared to deal with...I've had both and I prefer a hood. The evaporation was too crazy and the mineral deposits on the glass was an absolute pain in the butt. I also have less drama in a hooded tank, I don't have to worry too much about anything getting into it that shouldn't be there nor anything jumping out! I found a missing shrimp the other side of the house once, no idea how it got there!
Mine are both open top, one doesnt have fish yet so not an issue. The other I went open top and had a jumper so now have a D&D jump guard on, which is ok but does not look as good. I am wanting to get more and more into riparian plants so trying to work out how to do it better as a fixed lid gives me limited space at the moment.
Depending on the size of the tank I think I'd always try and find a lid solution be it, riparian plants, glass or mesh. The dust point that Byron mentioned is important but the way to resolve it in an open top riparian or mesh tank is to have a skimmer, there are a few available now with Oase and Ehiem making small ones for around £20 or you can get lily pipes (steel and glass) with a built in skimmer that just sends any surface dust to the filter. Floating plants help to.
Wills
Depending on the size of the tank I think I'd always try and find a lid solution be it, riparian plants, glass or mesh. The dust point that Byron mentioned is important but the way to resolve it in an open top riparian or mesh tank is to have a skimmer, there are a few available now with Oase and Ehiem making small ones for around £20 or you can get lily pipes (steel and glass) with a built in skimmer that just sends any surface dust to the filter. Floating plants help to.
Wills
I have a 40 gallon show tank with a low false back wall, 40% the height of the tank, filled with peat and sand and functioning as a bog. The front 80% of the tank is open, with regular aquatic plants. In the back section, there are a number of plants with leaves above the surface. The tank is only half filled, and that space at the top allows me to keep a small very prone to jumping killifish in with no top. They tend to hit the walls first, and I haven't had any "fish chips" on the floor by that tank. The leaves overhanging the water put them at ease, and they rarely leap anyway.
That said, it is not in my house, but in an outbuilding room dedicated to fishkeeping. I would not do this in my house. Humidity in winter when the windows are all closed tight, chances of airborne substances getting into the tank (though a cover doesn't always help there) - none of my open tops would be in the house.
A lot of aquarists hate the idea of a half filled tank. Open top, filled to the brim? It looks great in ads for products, but I don't consider it to be practical.
That said, it is not in my house, but in an outbuilding room dedicated to fishkeeping. I would not do this in my house. Humidity in winter when the windows are all closed tight, chances of airborne substances getting into the tank (though a cover doesn't always help there) - none of my open tops would be in the house.
A lot of aquarists hate the idea of a half filled tank. Open top, filled to the brim? It looks great in ads for products, but I don't consider it to be practical.
Beastije
Fish Addict
Biggest con is pet hair in the tank, if you dont have a lid. Tried it once or twice, was a disaster. Otherwise depends on how dusty your setting is, might consider a skimmer.
Also what everyone else said
Also what everyone else said
Most of my tanks are without a hood. And it goes well. But that doesn't mean that it will go well at somebody else's tank.
Oblio
Fish Herder
I'm thinking of replacing some of my cover panels with this, I believe you can cut with diagonal cutters.
You can use that as well. With some tanks, I've used those plastic grills that you use for paint. Easy and cheap.
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