Diy Tank Hood

[sjolliff]

My tank is open top and the water evaporates really quick about 2L a day.
Iv got a overhead light with 3 X 54W T5's
I was thinking of getting a sheet of white acrylic to go on top of the tank but below the lighting unit.

will it affect the power of the lights?
or any other probs?

 

[bae1994]

white acrilic will reflect most of the light

however clear will affect the light ever so slightly

 

[sjolliff]

White will just bounce the light back up?

What about having 2 white acrylic stripd either side of the light, but underneath the light is open still?

 

[bae1994]

well white is extrremely reflective and if just have two open strips under the lights you may find that the tank will have un even lighting like beams of light

 

[sjolliff]

True
Well im stumped lol

 

[bae1994]

is it a open top tank eg no lid at all

as you could get a condentration tray or some clear acrylic

 

[sjolliff]

Yeah fully open top, the tank was hand built.
What do you mean condensation tray?

 

[bae1994]

there available at most fish shops and are like 1mm thin clear plastic

and are like ridged heres one in its packaging

 

[sjolliff]

Do they just sit across the tank abd drip back into the tank?

 

[bae1994]

well most tanks have little glass ridges around the inside glass above the water line but yeah the wateer evaperates catches on the plastic then drips back in

you can cut them to size

also if you dont have the little glass edges then just glue som tiny hooks in the corners so it hangs off the edges

 

[sjolliff]

Yeah the bracing around the sides, ill have a look at them next time im at the LFS cheers you been great help

 

[bae1994]

glad to help

 

[rabbut]

Glass is better than acrylic. Acrylic scratches and starts reflecting loads of light when you clean or move the sheets over each other. Glass does not scratch as easily, isn't as difficult to clean and will probably cost about the same to buy...