# Pros and cons on glass lids for planted tanks?



## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Well ,I have glass top's on a couple tank's and not on other's.
Glass top's mean less water evaporation,less chance of fish jumping out.


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## lksdrinker (Feb 12, 2014)

I've always been a fan of having lids on my tanks. However, I recently set up my first true planted tank and am now contemplating removing the lids. I cant seem to keep the glass perfectly clean and am starting to think it is really cutting down on the amount of light that makes it into the tank. 

I too would like to hear what others think about this. Has anyone been able to figure out exactly how much light a glass lid blocks? Will a PAR meter be able to determine that?

Any advice on how to clean up some of the white stains from a glass lid that never seem to go away no matter what I try using?!


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## Aplomado (Feb 20, 2013)

Yes, to stop critters from jumping out and slow evaporation. They are the most practical choice for aquariums.

The only drawbacks are that they are ugly and make it hard to grow emerged plants.


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Cuts down on jumpers and evaporation. That being said, tanks without lids typically run much cooler than those with lids.


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## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

I hate using glass canopies. Whenever I take mine off, there's always condensation all over it and water leaks all over the floor. so I'd say thats a big time con. that and it seems like the light shines through the the tank much nicer without it.


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## Steve002 (Feb 7, 2014)

I have added to the partial top on my acrylic tank to essentially cover in in total. I can control the CO2 and O2 levels much easier that way by controlling the level of the gas in the air at the water's surface. I use an air pump to flush the CO2 at the end of the light period. I can achieve a much higher level of dissolved CO2 with a lot less waste in a much shorter period of time that way.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I've used diy made poly carbonate lids on my tank until recently when I added floaters. Floaters don't get enough air flow with the lids, now my problem is trying to keep the floaters corralled with the water level going down from evaporation. Need to find a way to rig a floating corral rather than use stationary suction cups and fishing line which won't adjust as water level changes on their own.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

lksdrinker said:


> I've always been a fan of having lids on my tanks. However, I recently set up my first true planted tank and am now contemplating removing the lids. I cant seem to keep the glass perfectly clean and am starting to think it is really cutting down on the amount of light that makes it into the tank.
> 
> I too would like to hear what others think about this. Has anyone been able to figure out exactly how much light a glass lid blocks? Will a PAR meter be able to determine that?
> 
> Any advice on how to clean up some of the white stains from a glass lid that never seem to go away no matter what I try using?!


Light penetration interests me in particular ,my tank is shallow(10'') and I want to cut back some more on light intensity ,despite being at 1.8wpg of T8.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

I have heard maybe 25% reduction but it's just what I have heard.
Some also say that in low tech,,that going topless help's with CO2 for it help's CO2 in tank be closer to that in atmosphere assuming a good rippling effect at water's surface where CO2/oxygen exchange takes place.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

roadmaster said:


> I have heard maybe 25% reduction but it's just what I have heard.
> Some also say that in low tech,,that going topless help's with CO2 for it help's CO2 in tank be closer to that in atmosphere assuming a good rippling effect at water's surface where CO2/oxygen exchange takes place.


I don't know if my judgement is right ,but I read fish can suffocate in some situations ,if a lid is covering the tank(not enough gas exchange ,build-up of Co2)
As my tank is shallow ,most of the Vals leaves are riding along the surface.I believe ,maybe they will grow better if the tank has a lid(covering 90% of its surface) ,as Co2 would build up faster and the surface leaves would have plenty?So by taking away the trapped Co2 ,they would actually release more oxygen in the water?
Fish would live ,and Vals would act like floating plants by sucking up excess nutrients faster?
Just an experiment ,though ,I don't think I risk a lot.


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

sleepswithdafishez said:


> I don't know if my judgement is right ,but I read fish can suffocate in some situations ,if a lid is covering the tank(not enough gas exchange ,build-up of Co2)
> As my tank is shallow ,most of the Vals leaves are riding along the surface.I believe ,maybe they will grow better if the tank has a lid(covering 90% of its surface) ,as Co2 would build up faster and the surface leaves would have plenty?So by taking away the trapped Co2 ,they would actually release more oxygen in the water?
> Fish would live ,and Vals would act like floating plants by sucking up excess nutrients faster?
> Just an experiment ,though ,I don't think I risk a lot.


The only way you would suffocate your fish with a lid is if it completely covered the top of the tank which most dont as you need holes to put in filter, heater...etc The only fish that might suffocate with this being said are labyrinth fish which breath from the surface of the water. I have lids on all of my tank and even with using pressurized co2, I have never had any death related to suffocation.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

lamiskool said:


> The only way you would suffocate your fish with a lid is if it completely covered the top of the tank which most dont as you need holes to put in filter, heater...etc The only fish that might suffocate with this being said are labyrinth fish which breath from the surface of the water. I have lids on all of my tank and even with using pressurized co2, I have never had any death related to suffocation.


Deaths aren't my main concern ,I know of many who use glass lids and no deaths ,I was more thinking that a lid would trap CO2 better so it would serve my Vals surface leaves more ,in the same time reducing light intensity. Don't know If I'm judging it right though.


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

sleepswithdafishez said:


> Deaths aren't my main concern ,I know of many who use glass lids and no deaths ,I was more thinking that a lid would trap CO2 better so it would serve my Vals surface leaves more ,in the same time reducing light intensity. Don't know If I'm judging it right though.


 
I would think that the slower diffusion of air would lead to a higher co2 concentration that would help the vals at the surface, and yes using a glass lid will lower the light intensity, by how much I dont know, I have heard figures from as high as 50% to 10% so not possitive. Ill test it out when I go home with my par meter!


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## Italionstallion888 (Jun 29, 2013)

I ran lids for awhile, but I got tired of taking blades to them to clean off the water spots. I've never had any fish jump out of my larger tank until recently a betta took a jump out, never to be seen again. 

I have a 8.7 bowfront, i've had a few tetra jump out of it. I built a lid out of craft mesh and bamboo skewers. Not light loss and the fish can't jump out anymore.


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## 82nd_Airborne (Mar 28, 2012)

AquaAurora said:


> Need to find a way to rig a floating corral rather than use stationary suction cups and fishing line which won't adjust as water level changes on their own.


Just super glue or hot glue together the end of some airline tubing, making a ring, and voila, floating corral.


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## Italionstallion888 (Jun 29, 2013)

I just used a T valve to make a ring out of airline tubing, keeps my frogbite in one section.


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## Lab_Man (Dec 7, 2012)

I go topless whenever I can.........


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

lksdrinker said:


> I've always been a fan of having lids on my tanks. However, I recently set up my first true planted tank and am now contemplating removing the lids. I cant seem to keep the glass perfectly clean and am starting to think it is really cutting down on the amount of light that makes it into the tank.
> 
> I too would like to hear what others think about this. Has anyone been able to figure out exactly how much light a glass lid blocks? Will a PAR meter be able to determine that?
> 
> Any advice on how to clean up some of the white stains from a glass lid that never seem to go away no matter what I try using?!



I will test the difference in par between using a dirty (water stains) lid and using no lid. I will try to report back here with the findings.

And to clean the water stains from the lid, I was told to use vinegar, and it worked pretty well with some elbow grease




I used to keep a glass lid on my low tech 29g. I finally took it off when i got tired of cleaning the lid. I have noticed some more evaporation obviously, but the tank seems much more lively without the lid. Thats a personal opinion, but I like it so much better without the lid.


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

thebuddha said:


> I will test the difference in par between using a dirty (water stains) lid and using no lid. I will try to report back here with the findings.
> 
> And to clean the water stains from the lid, I was told to use vinegar, and it worked pretty well with some elbow grease


 
If you let the vinegar soak on top of the buildup for 10-15 minutes it will make it reall easy to clean, you might just have to wipe it down depending on how much buildup their is!


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## Mark Allred (May 3, 2013)

Run without glass tops on my 3 biggest tanks
I have canopies with egg crate to deter jumpers or Apple snails from escaping.
I have setup continuous water changes, so evaporation is not an issue.:smile:







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## Kat12 (Aug 11, 2013)

con - cat sits on it and breaks it


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## lksdrinker (Feb 12, 2014)

lamiskool said:


> If you let the vinegar soak on top of the buildup for 10-15 minutes it will make it reall easy to clean, you might just have to wipe it down depending on how much buildup their is!


I have used vinegar which makes the spots disappear!...but they magically re-appear within a few minutes. I'll have to try soaking with vinegar next time and maybe also add in some more elbow grease and a razor blade.




> I have canopies with egg crate to deter jumpers or Apple snails from escaping.


I've been thinking of replacing my glass lids with egg crates; but since they're also known as light diffuser I figured those would also cut down on the light making it into the tank?


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## Proteus55 (Feb 17, 2014)

I use a pair of glass lids on my 55 with the Sat+ LED fixture (1). I have a low-tech tank and some hornwort, java fern and a single sword. All are dong very well on about 6-7 hours of full-spectrum setting each day and the lowest setting of moonlight overnight. Only holes are for filter stem, heater, and intake. I wipe them down when I do water changes and have not had any build-up.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I usually use lids to cut down on evaporation and keep my livestock from committing suicide.


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## sleepswithdafishez (May 23, 2013)

Has anyone tested with the PAR meter yet?Not anxious ,just curious...


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## lamiskool (Jul 1, 2011)

sleepswithdafishez said:


> Has anyone tested with the PAR meter yet?Not anxious ,just curious...


 
hehe forgot to do it last week, hopefully ill remember to do it today


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## Jill (Mar 13, 2012)

lamiskool said:


> hehe forgot to do it last week, hopefully ill remember to do it today


I can't wait to hear your results. I've recently put the glass lid back onto the tank in the living room because my kitties kept knocking the lights into the water. A kitty even fell in once.  It didn't deter her from getting up there again though.


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## Kristian (Nov 27, 2013)

I use a glass lid on my 20 long. The reason is to cut back on evaporation and to keep my hatchets from jumping out haha, also to give some extra protection from the lights accidentally falling into the tank. I honestly see no reason not to use a glass top.


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## lksdrinker (Feb 12, 2014)

lamiskool said:


> hehe forgot to do it last week, hopefully ill remember to do it today


Any luck?


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## LuckyCharm (Jan 20, 2014)

More evaporation means less water to take out while doing water change


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## someoldguy (Feb 26, 2014)

Always use 'em , plus floaters . Most of the fish I keep are big time jumpers.


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## green18 (Jan 6, 2014)

I have 150 gallon cube and I used to run it with a glass top and wood canopy which looked nice but was a pain. I removed all of it and run an open top now and its almost like I added a new dimension to my tank. With the floating plants on top the view looking down is almost as cool as looking in from the sides. When I drop flakes in there you can see all of this water movement as the fish pull food from the top and it looks just like a river. I do put some of the glass back on the top in the winter just to better keep heat in but I hate doing it. 

A well done aquarium with an open top for viewing just has more viewing options, how can that ever be bad?


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## Grumble69 (Feb 13, 2014)

mark allred said:


> run without glass tops on my 3 biggest tanks
> i have canopies with egg crate to deter jumpers or apple snails from escaping.
> I have setup continuous water changes, so evaporation is not an issue.:smile:
> 
> ...


removed


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## thebuddha (Jul 16, 2012)

sleepswithdafishez said:


> Has anyone tested with the PAR meter yet?Not anxious ,just curious...


Just remembered this thread today when i opened my closet and saw my dirty glass lid sitting there. So I cleaned off one side of it to test out the difference in par. My lid was somewhat dirty, as you can tell in the pic.








I used an old t5no fixture for the not-very-scientific experiment, and had the glass lid sitting on top of 2 five gallon buckets. I used one of hoppy's DIY par meters. 
The results? Roughly a 5% difference. 19 par on the dirty side, 20 par on the clean side. Maybe my lid wasn't dirty enough :icon_surp
A stronger light probably would have been more useful to grasp the difference, but still would probably have that 5% change.



lamiskool said:


> If you let the vinegar soak on top of the buildup for 10-15 minutes it will make it reall easy to clean, you might just have to wipe it down depending on how much buildup their is!


thank you so much for this, helped tremendously!


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