plastic or glass covers for my tank?

[crimson156]

i have a 150 that i want to make covers for the tank. would plexi-glass be a good material to use(my parents have sheets of theis lying around) or would it be better to get glass covers?
I'm guessing acrylic would probably be best cause it would let the most light through, but how much is a sheet of acrylic and how thick would it have to be to be sturdy enough to cover my tank(i'm guessing not very thick at all).

thanks for all input

 

[3mrhythm]

what kind of lights ? halides could melt the plexi

 

[ScottM]

plexi/ acrylic will warp and could discolor over time. glass is easier to clean. both will retain heat.
should be ~25-35 for glass from any local glass shop. keep in mind the thicker the glass the less likely it is to break

 

[crimson156]

i agree w/the plexi-glass warping. I don't think it would melt though cause the halides are in a hood about 4" above the water, the bottom of the hood has a glass panel anyway, and its pretty col under the hood.
i'm not worried about heat exchange now that we are getting closer to winter and my parents keep the house at 60 when they aren't home and 64-66 when they are.

 

[Yaktop]

covering the tank is bad for the light and the heat, egg crate doesnt have that issue but if you dont have jumping fish you dont need either IMO.

 

[dad300]

If your needing it to contain the heat while everyone is away. cut a section of plexi and see what happens.
If I read your message correctly your not looking for a permanent thing but something to retain heat while the house is being kept cooler than you want. Correct?

go for it!

 

[crimson156]

i ultimately want something to prevent all the evaporation of water so the salinity is more stable since i'm not home to make sure it's right and my mom may sometimes forget to add water. just trying to make taking care of the tank easier.
i don't really care about diminishing the light too much cause i beleive enough will still get through to keep everything alive. Heat shouldn't be a problem since the house is always kept so cold.

 

[KAS]

i ultimately want something to prevent all the evaporation of water

Unfortunately, you are also preventing air/O2 exchange. This is critical to your livestock. Why don't you set up an auto top-off rig instead?
-Karen

 

[crimson156]

i'm not going to cover the entire top, prob about 2/3. this still too much? i only have 2 fish in the tank. i did make an auto top off out of a 5 gal poland springs jug but i never could get it right, and i'm not home enough now to make sure its working right or to get it to drip at the right rate. ro is kept in the basement while the tank is on the 1st floor on the other side of the house.

 

[Aquaman_68]

Give me dimesions. I have some oceanic covers that were used in my fish only 125 gal 6 foot tank. They are low iron solar glass. Excellent light transfer. I have three used & one new. I was getting ready to put them on
e-bay.
B

 

[crimson156]

pretty sure its the standard 150 gal footprint, 18"w 24" tall 6' long. there's one brace in the middle of the tank

 

[Yaktop]

Give me dimesions. I have some oceanic covers that were used in my fish only 125 gal 6 foot tank. They are low iron solar glass. Excellent light transfer. I have three used & one new. I was getting ready to put them on
e-bay.
B

hmm. who do you know that has a 125? great lid for when you loose the electric. talk to me.

 

[NateHanson]

Why not use a float valve with your auto top off instead of trying to get it to drip at the right speed. Get a $6 adjustable float valve from USPlastic.com. (Do you have a sump? It'd be easier to set up if you have a sump, but you could also mount the valve to a piece of acrylic that you attach to the rim of your tank.)

I'd worry about your tank over-heating with a glass cover, especially since you won't be there to check on it.

What temp does your tank usually get to in the afternoon? What number and wattage of lights do you have on the tank? How long are you typically away from the tank?

That info might help folks advise you. I'd set up your auto top-off so your salinity and temp stays more constant, and you'll probably win points with your mom too, because she won't have you bugging her to add water to the tank.