Glass aquarium lids. Pros? Cons?

[STiTCH87]

I'm thinking of having a glass lid custom cut for my 40g breeder (I wouldn't use it during warm weather for obvious heat reasons).

I use one over my 5g pico on days below 78 degrees outside as it helps keep my tank temps more stable, but in the 40 it's not a heat thing.

I want to use it to keep jumpers in my tank and I would go with mesh but it's flappy and not rigid and I don't want it to dip.
Plus IMO mesh takes away from the elegance of what my tank is striving to be.

I know it can get salt creep, but I have yet to experience that on my 5g pico as there's little splashing in my tanks. People say they cloud, but i haven't seen that either as in my case the moisture drips water off the glass and keeps the glass clear. I do wipe mine every other day when I take it off to feed though.

I have heard some say it blocks light, which i'm not too sure of. And i've heard others say it reduces surface gas exchange.

So is glass a bad idea?

What are my other options for a tank lid that will still look elegant and fancy and not diminish my tanks super clean minimalist look?

 

[jamesdong009]

I'm going to say con for all the reasons you posted. FWIW, if you do it right, the mesh is pretty taut and doesn't sag.

 

[STiTCH87]

We're both talking about the mesh they sell on B.R.S. right?

Is there anything I can attach the mesh to that will have a very slim border? Screen door kits are too chunky looking. Maybe some thin acrylic or aluminum rod?

 

[jamesdong009]

I think so. I got mine form Acroholic on R2R before BRS starting selling theirs, but I think it's the same stuff. It took me a couple times but I finally got it tight enough without ripping the mesh.

 

[STiTCH87]

What i'm thinking, is get either acrylic or aluminum rods of a thin diameter, build the rectangle to the size I need, lay the mesh on top, cut to fit, and then get fishing line and literally sew in the edges tightly against the rod for a clean and secure look.
Can you picture what I mean? Think it'd work? Building it to square may be difficult though...

 

[s_kelley]

Adam, go to CRA, Jeremy has a ton of that mesh stuff for sale and my buddy Dave suggested to use very slim Pex tubing that you slit up the side and put the mesh into the slit. This sits almost flush in the groove that the glass sits on. I havent tried it yet but sounded like a great idea when he told me

 

[STiTCH87]

I have a rimless. Lol.
But yeah that's along the lines of what I was thinking. Is pex tubing rigid?

 

[s_kelley]

pex is pretty flexable, a little more rigid than spaflex i think. Maybe an acrylic would be cool, that way it would almost be invisible on your rimless

 

[STiTCH87]

I think I have a few DIY ideas i'm gonna tinker with... hehehe.

I may just invent the first known rimless mesh lid system! Could I sell the idea? Lol. I have one sweet idea pictured in my mind right now... I'll have drop down tabs so it sits INSIDE the tank flush with the top. Invisible indeed... ;-)

 

[ReeferDre]

Find a piece of acrylic the Samar as the inner dimension of your tank use glue to secure the net to it turn it upside down and put 2 beads of silicone inside the tank (2 in both sides not the front)where u want it to rest bam rimless tank screen cover that's what I have planned for mine. Remember you have to say BAM when you instal it or it won't work. BAM

 

[Phinfan]

use hot glue to attach the mesh to a frame.

 

[ReeferDre]

That's what I was thinking.

 

[STiTCH87]

Hot glue is WAYYY too messy looking for me. In my avatar where it says saltwater OCD victim, unfortunately, it is extremely true, to my disadvantage.
This tank I pride on it's perfectionism and elegance, and I need anything and everything I put in, on, under, or around it to be clean, classy, and elegant. With the exception of the bedroom around it in general.
I.E. these damn pink walls and tan carpet... Lmao.

I'm gonna go with the fishing line idea to sew the mesh into place. It just might be as long as a month before I build this. As one, I am broke as a joke after having spent over $1,500 on this build...
And also because the only fish I have is a royal gramma who rarely even comes out from his cave nevermind ever thinking of jumping. Hell, he won't even eat food from the waters surface. I have to splash it down to him when he comes out to eat. Lol.

Go figure he's afraid of everything, but my hand deep in the fish tank inches away from him holding food, and he's perfectly fine.

 

[ReeferDre]

I think I might have some spare netting from BRS. I'll check when I get home.

 

[STiTCH87]

Oh cool that'd be great. Where are you located anyways? IDT I remember ever knowing?
Don't try too hard to find it if it's hidden cuz I do know CRA sells it.

Though as of right now I still don't have any potential jumpers.
My Royal Gramma always just hangs out in his cave til feeding time.
And my picasso pair even though they stay in their corner and tend to "host" my return Loc-Line like it's a coral branch, still don't dart around.
I got them at a very busy pet store so i'm thinking they've seen many many customers while they were there because they're sooo not shy.
I had a little boy tap on my tank glass (oiii -_-) and neither missed a beat.
They swam right up front in a non aggressive manner and said hello.
When I splashed some food at the water surface so it'd sink quicker for my RG to get some,
they were right there at the top inches from my hand eating food.
Not scared of me nor trying to fight me. Extremely kind and beautiful fish.
If you look at them from the top of the tank down, they swim up to the surface and stick their bodies partly out of the water.
They'll just look at you just like what you'd expect a large grouper to do.
(Like the awesome one that used to be at Underwater World, or the fish at CRA that Jeremy has.


I don't think i'm understanding what you mean by beads of silicone in the tank? Like silicone the acrylic pieces to the glass of my tank?
I'm confused... Lol. IDK if you've ever seen my tank, but i'd cry if someone stuck silicone to it. Hahaha. I felt a brain aneurism coming on tonight when the little boy tapped on my tank glass hard and with dirt covered hands from digging up bugs outside. I was like NOOO!!! lol.
Man when I have kids some day i'm gonna have to lock my tank in my bedroom I just know it. Until they learn reef respect ofcourse.

 

[jamesdong009]

If you're heading to the meeting, I definitely have some extra I can give you.

 

[ReeferDre]

Yeah I meant a tiny spec of silicone to hold up the acrylic by putting it on the side you wouldn't see it when viewing it from the front. I live in wareham.

 

[WTC82]

What dimension is the 40 gal.

I used to have glass on my 55 gal Tank. It does block light IMO, and I believe the gas exchange tales as well. My system seems to run better without it. '

I custom fit a screen over the tank using one of the kits to make window screens. But the squares are so tiny, the cover tended to get gunked up with salt residue, and some algae. SO I scrapped that cover and went with some egg crate I found at Home depot.



This stuff came in a 2' x 4' sheet. Was very easy to cut. Was able to notch out for the skimmer/heater, cords for the power heads easily. Its a snug fit. Lets in plenty of light. Keeps the tank cooler (which is very nice for the summer months). I spray painted mine black to match the trim on the tank. I have a diamond goby in my tank (which are notorious for jumping) and the cover keeps him in the tank.

Its only like 10 bucks for a 2' x 4' sheet, I reccommend this method.


(edit: Looking at you tank, and reading your post over again, this method is probably not good for you. You have no rim (as you pointed out and I over looked. You can probably find something with a much cleaner finish)

 

[STiTCH87]

Yeah i've seen a few people use that stuff. But I think i'm just going to try the acrylic rod and mesh screen idea.

That silicone dot idea isn't a bad idea. But I think i'm going to build plastic tabs instead if I can and see how that goes.