Evaperation!!!

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

Originally Posted by mark

for me no lid as didn't want to to be cleaning the glass to let the light through. Wasn't even thinking about temp. Went with a vented canopy.

even for my new build I am trying to get away from cross bracing.

Welcome to the board

[Coasting]

I use an acrylic lid since I have tons of acrylic, otherwise I would have used glass. This was to help keep pet hair, dust and fishing cats out, and fish in. No algae on it.... And it doesn't get salt "creep". Since the water side stays humid and moist, its just usually wet. There are multiple holes drilled through for some ventilation and pipes/cords. The top is where I get dried salt from when I remove a section of acrylic and put it on top of another while I fish into my tank. I clean them... every few months.... maybe.... Their reasonably dusty and salty on top, light doesn't seem to have any issues going through it, and my corals grow just fine with lights at 30%. No issues with temperature, and our house gets scorching hot in the summer during the day, with a severe lack of AC (85+... 90ishh... then I stop looking). Tank is usually kept around 78, think the highest the tank went in the summer was 82 or so... I had more issues with it getting too hot when I used egg crate on my small tank in the summer.
So if you actually cleaned yours on a reasonable basis, I don't see a big issue.
Works peachy keen for me, doesn't mean anyone will agree with it or if itll work for your situation.

[fooman]

I was thinking of trying to seal the tank fairly tight . I never even thought about the salt creep or algy . Well go thing i work in a glass shop i can just have 2 sets of tops for it then i can clean them at my leisure. And i will be getting a hold of you Fiji rock in a few monthes to get so rock for my tank.

[Craigdillman]

Not having a top also allows for important gas exchange and like you said before proper evaporation

Have you thought about a dehumidifier in the room?

[fooman]

You say it allows for important gas exchange but would that not happen on the draining to the sump and the return back to the DT ?

[Reef Pilot]

I have acrylic lids on my upstairs tank, and lexan on my downstairs tank. I clean them, maybe every couple months or so. And no salt creep. No fish jumping out, or humidity in the house. Doesn't seem to affect lighting either, and corals growing great. I will say lexan is better though, as it does not warp or lose its shape, and you can get by with much thinner material.

[hillegom]

Where would you get lexan from?

[fooman]

You should be able to get it at any glass shop . It is really expensive though. But what isn't in this hobby !

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by hillegom

Where would you get lexan from?

Home Depot, etc... And yeah, not cheap.
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/poly...44-inch/924860
I bought 4 X 8 sheet at Industrial Plastics some time ago, and can't remember what I paid for it, but didn't think it was that expensive. I use the 1/16" thickness. You can bend a flange to gain rigidity where you need it. Also glues nicely with Weldon. And very good with light transmission, and used by commercial greenhouse.

What I like about it, too, is that it can be bent and shaped just like metal sheet, and does not break. Here is a 7" filter sock hanger I made from scraps for one of my sumps. Worked great.

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot