Removed tank hood, new lights, now what?

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Scuba Diver Gal

1. These moonlights seem super bright. Will this be bad for the fish and corals?
2. Will we run into problems not having a hood or top on the tank? I don't want one of these snails or fish to crawl or jump out. And will we have troubles stabilizing the temperature without the hood on the tank?

Moon lights shouldn't pose any problems. Plenty of tanks don't have hoods as it aids in gas exchange and there's not another piece of glass or plastic to get dirty and obstruct the light. Snails are usually smart enough to stay in the water, fish not so much. People have cut out egg crate or used a plastic mesh on top of the tank to prevent fish from jumping. There will be more evaporation without the hood so an auto top off unit may be required or at least daily top offs with fresh water. If the heater is correctly sized for the tank it should have no trouble keeping the temperature stable, that being said further down the line a controller is much more accurate than the built in thermostats of heaters. Good luck!