What sort of cover should I use?

[mrhasan]

Alright so I need to cover my tank (for some reason ;) ). I don't like glass tops and egg crates since they accumulate salt creeps. As a result I am thinking of mesh top but I am not sure how I can accomplish it in my tank since I got my whole back taken over by float switch, skimmer and filter. Maybe use several corners to lid it up? And where can I find the required things for the cheapest?

Here are some pictures for references:
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s522/mrhasan1/20130313_160224_zps0215a905.jpg

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s522/mrhasan1/20130313_160234_zps7a34351d.jpg

And just an FTS :)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s522/mrhasan1/20130313_160253_zps0ab5dd2d.jpg

[Mike-fish]

brs sells every thing you need along with a hand full of others i wouldn't worry about covering where the filters are. if you really wanted to i guess you could do a flapper piece

[mrhasan]

brs sells every thing you need along with a hand full of others i wouldn't worry about covering where the filters are. if you really wanted to i guess you could do a flapper piece

I don't want to do the BRS thing since the shipping would be like double that of the item itself :P

I am guessing these are available in home depot/lowes/rona. Really don't know which one would be cheaper through!

[Coralgurl]

I was told to check out a garden centre for netting material. A while ago I bought door screen material, but it blocked too much light and I just added eggcrate but it reflects to much light out of the tank and I've got lines on my corals. I was looking at BRS as well as I need some other stuff, but looking to see if I can find other alternatives.

[mrhasan]

I was told to check out a garden centre for netting material. A while ago I bought door screen material, but it blocked too much light and I just added eggcrate but it reflects to much light out of the tank and I've got lines on my corals. I was looking at BRS as well as I need some other stuff, but looking to see if I can find other alternatives.

I was reading that 1/4" clear garden mesh doesn't hamper any light and the size is perfect to stop fish. Don't know much about these mesh/hardware stuffs....I am home depot illiterate :P

BRS stuffs are just regular stuffs I am guessing. Clear mesh and this perhaps:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/HomeRepairMaintenance/ScreenDoorRepair/PRDOVR~0464016P/Saint-Gobain+Complete+Screen+Kit.jsp?locale=en

[hillegom]

I am going to follow this thread because in the future, I would like to use mesh as well.
Tank is looking good Raied

[mrhasan]

I am going to follow this thread because in the future, I would like to use mesh as well.
Tank is looking good Raied

Thanks :)

I am still getting mixed reviews regarding egg crates. Some say that they should be placed the right way and there will be no cut down in intensity while other complains. Any feedback? :)

[Nano]

I don't know if you guys have a co-op hardware store in calgary, but I got a 4x4 sheet of screen with about 1/4" spacing for like $12 just for reference

Also with eggcrate ime it blocks a lot of light especially with leds not sure how it would affect t5s

[mrhasan]

I don't know if you guys have a co-op hardware store in calgary, but I got a 4x4 sheet of screen with about 1/4" spacing for like $12 just for reference

What sort of sheet of screen are you referring? Any link?

[Reef Pilot]

I just use lexan covers for my tanks. Very good light transmission qualities (used by greenhouses), and keeps down the evaporation and heat loss. Not sure why everyone goes for netting and eggcrate, as they are much more difficult to fabricate, and some fish can still get through.

[Proteus]

If your handy go get the plastic trim that is used for screen windows there are clips for the corners to join. That the mesh and the rubber stopper that hold screen in and your flying

[Coralgurl]

I just use lexan covers for my tanks. Very good light transmission qualities (used by greenhouses), and keeps down the evaporation and heat loss. Not sure why everyone goes for netting and eggcrate, as they are much more difficult to fabricate, and some fish can still get through.

Good idea, will have to check it out. I don't like the eggcrate at all, but for now it works. I added a wrasse who jumps at the surface every time I feed, I'm sure he would have ended up on the carpet the first day he went in. I've had enough fish jump that a cover is a must.

Mrhasan, your tank looks awesome btw!

[mrhasan]

I just use lexan covers for my tanks. Very good light transmission qualities (used by greenhouses), and keeps down the evaporation and heat loss. Not sure why everyone goes for netting and eggcrate, as they are much more difficult to fabricate, and some fish can still get through.

I did check out lexan polycabonate sheet but they are just too expensive. I heard that no fishes are small enough to go through 1/4" mesh :P

If your handy go get the plastic trim that is used for screen windows there are clips for the corners to join. That the mesh and the rubber stopper that hold screen in and your flying

Yap I am, for now, inclined towards going the mesh cover way. Still thinking.......


Mrhasan, your tank looks awesome btw!

Thank you :D

[Smudge]

Made my top from window screen frame and "Select Plastic Chicken Wire" from Home Hardware. It comes in 24", 36" or 48" x 50 ft rolls for around $20. It is made by Quest Plastics. 1/4 squares and it is greyish clear.

[daplatapus]

I think I got the same thing as Smudge. Here's a pick:
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2013-03-13175124_zpsf53da302.jpg

It's a bit bigger than 1/4", closer to 3/8" but I've not had anything make it through, but the operative word might be "yet" :)
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2013-03-13175445_zps130f97e8.jpg

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2013-03-13175611_zps29e029ba.jpg

I went to Home Depot, in their screen door section you can get the rails, corners etc to make the frame.
When I made the one for my 77, I made little "U" shape cutouts to go around my returns which are over the rim. Don't do it, it sucked, looked horrible and really made the back of the frame weak so it tended to sag. I even used corners and little cut rails to go around everything.
If I were you, I'd make it as wide as I could from front to whatever sticks out the most in the back. That will leave a bit exposed probably between the frame and the actual rim at the back.

I also tried egg crate, but I found it probably reduced the light in my tank 20-30% (rough guess).

Hope that helps :)

[Smudge]

Yes thats the same stuff I am using. I have had a fire fish jump through. :(

[Madreefer]

Rai PM me your addy and how much you need and when I get back home I'll send you a chunk

[mrhasan]

I think I got the same thing as Smudge. Here's a pick:
Hope that helps :)

Thank you so much for the pictures. Will help me a lot in case I can't explain it to home depot :P

So I have decided to make a square screen and fill up the small gaps between the filter, skimmer and float switch with egg crate pieces since its going to be a PITA to fill the spaces with the screen.

[Smudge]

I glued the eggcrate to the back of the aluminum frame with hot glue. A couple pieces have come loose and I have reattached with super glue. Seem to be holding up.

[mrhasan]

I glued the eggcrate to the back of the aluminum frame with hot glue. A couple pieces have come loose and I have reattached with super glue. Seem to be holding up.

Awesome. That's what I plan to do too. Thanks for the heads up :)

[mrhasan]

Rai PM me your addy and how much you need and when I get back home I'll send you a chunk

PMed :)

[Nano]

I think I got the same thing as Smudge. Here's a pick:
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2013-03-13175124_zpsf53da302.jpg

It's a bit bigger than 1/4", closer to 3/8" but I've not had anything make it through, but the operative word might be "yet" :)
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2013-03-13175445_zps130f97e8.jpg

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x353/daplatapus/2013-03-13175611_zps29e029ba.jpg


This is the same stuff I was talking about lol

[gregzz4]

I haven't read through all the posts, so forgive me if something was covered ...

I like eggcrate
I have seen mesh-covered tanks before and don't like the salt creep I see on them

My eggcrate, after 10 months, has no salt creep at all
I will put up with whatever loss of light there may be :smile:

[mrhasan]

I haven't read through all the posts, so forgive me if something was covered ...

I like eggcrate
I have seen mesh-covered tanks before and don't like the salt creep I see on them

My eggcrate, after 10 months, has no salt creep at all
I will put up with whatever loss of light there may be :smile:

That's something that concerns me too. I haven't read anywhere about mesh getting salt creep but egg crate accumulating salt creep. This is causing a pain in my head :sad:

[Kryos]

That's something that concerns me too. I haven't read anywhere about mesh getting salt creep but egg crate accumulating salt creep. This is causing a pain in my head :sad:

From my observations, Salt creep comes mostly from bubbles popping at the water surface, if you have lots of that, you're going to get salt creep regardless of what you put on top of your tank. For my 20g with all hang on skimmer + aquaclear, I get bubbles from when the water falls back into the tank, I see tiny drops of water fly around from the popping bubbles when I take my glass cover off and the salt creep on my glass cover for that tank is a huge pain.

However, for my 5g zoa/ric tank with egg crate on top, I have no bubbles popping near the surface (as there is no equipment other than a powerhead) and there is no salt creep at all.

Now from my personal experience with Eggcrate, it does reduce the light somewhat but what bothers me the most is the grid shadow I get on my sandbed as my 5g is only 10" tall.

[mrhasan]

From my observations, Salt creep comes mostly from bubbles popping at the water surface, if you have lots of that, you're going to get salt creep regardless of what you put on top of your tank. For my 20g with all hang on skimmer + aquaclear, I get bubbles from when the water falls back into the tank, I see tiny drops of water fly around from the popping bubbles when I take my glass cover off and the salt creep on my glass cover for that tank is a huge pain.

However, for my 5g zoa/ric tank with egg crate on top, I have no bubbles popping near the surface (as there is no equipment other than a powerhead) and there is no salt creep at all.

Now from my personal experience with Eggcrate, it does reduce the light somewhat but what bothers me the most is the grid shadow I get on my sandbed as my 5g is only 10" tall.

Yap I can see bubbles popping all the time. :cry:

[gregzz4]

Why don't you just go out and spend the few bucks on a sheet of eggcrate and try it before you take all the time, money, and effort you'll spend on making a mesh cover ?

With your small tank, one sheet of eggcrate/light diffusor will cover it for, what, >$20 ?

And you'll have a bunch left over for other stuff

Give it a try
I love mine :wink:

[mrhasan]

Why don't you just go out and spend the few bucks on a sheet of eggcrate and try it before you take all the time, money, and effort you'll spend on making a mesh cover ?

With your small tank, one sheet of eggcrate/light diffusor will cover it for, what, >$20 ?

Give it a try
I love mine :wink:

I don't have any problem using that but people say that fishes can still jump through the holes. So many schools of thoughts just for one top :sad:

[gregzz4]

I don't have any problem using that but people say that fishes can still jump through the holes. So many schools of thoughts just for one top :sad:
1/4" eggcrate is no different than 1/4" mesh ................... as far as hole size goes

[mrhasan]

1/4" eggcrate is no different than 1/4" mesh ...................

Is there 1/4" egg crate??????? I thought all are like 1/2" or something that we use to put frag plus in.

[gregzz4]

You will get all kinds of arguements about lighting blockage etc, but pound for pound, I'll choose eggcrate
It's so easy to work with, no frames needed, can be trimmed as required, cheap to replace, etc etc, ....

[mrhasan]

You will get all kinds of arguements about lighting blockage etc, but pound for pound, I'll choose eggcrate
It's so easy to work with, no frames needed, can be trimmed as required, cheap to replace, etc etc, ....

+1 for that. But is there really 1/4" egg crate?

[Kryos]

You will get all kinds of arguements about lighting blockage etc, but pound for pound, I'll choose eggcrate
It's so easy to work with, no frames needed, can be trimmed as required, cheap to replace, etc etc, ....

this, I agree with, which is why I still use it with my 5g despite the grid shadow. (which you won't see on a tank with T5s)

What you could do is put egg crate on top of your tank as the rigid frame, then place something else on top of the egg crate to stop jumpers in their path. Of course, that's more money in it and will probably block even more light.

[gregzz4]

Is there 1/4" egg crate??????? I thought all are like 1/2" or something that we use to put frag plus in.
1/4" is the common stuff you find @ places such as Rona or Home Depot
It's lighting diffusing material, sold in the ceiling tile area, not near the lights in my local store, but close to the bulk wood stuffs

[gregzz4]

Go buy a $14 piece Boss and try it out :wink: :mrgreen:

[mrhasan]

1/4" is the common stuff you find @ places such as Rona or Home Depot
It's lighting diffusing material, sold in the ceiling tile area, not near the lights in my local store, but close to the bulk wood stuffs

Thanks Greg :D I will look into it.

Ok now its getting intense! :lol:

[mrhasan]

Go buy a $14 piece Boss and try it out :wink: :mrgreen:

:lol:

[spit.fire]

Egg crate never stopped my sharks from getting through :S

[daplatapus]

1/4" is the common stuff you find @ places such as Rona or Home Depot
It's lighting diffusing material, sold in the ceiling tile area, not near the lights in my local store, but close to the bulk wood stuffs

The most common is 1/2" not 1/4". I think what makes the egg crate still work at 1/2" is it has some depth to it, so unless a fish is jumping perfectly straight up through a particular square it usually gets hindered enough that it doesn't make it through.

That screen in the pics I posted is almost a year old, and I've never cleaned it. No salt creep here.
If you go egg crate, have someone put it on and off while you stand back and see if you're ok with the amount of light blockage. I don't know if it's because of the height of my fixture, or if it's the LED's, or what, but it's a significant drop in light on my tank.

[mrhasan]

Ah my head is hurting :sad:

[Kryos]

I don't know if it's because of the height of my fixture, or if it's the LED's, or what, but it's a significant drop in light on my tank.

Yea, being a single point light source, LEDs will drop off significatly everywhere in the tank except directly under it because the light is travelling at an angle through the eggcrate and since the eggcrate, as you said, has some depth to it, more gets blocked. Having more than 1 LED cluster will make up for some of it, but you will still see a drop.

[pinkreef]

the $100.00 type of wrasses can jump thru 1/2" egg crate :sad:

[Reef Pilot]

I did check out lexan polycabonate sheet but they are just too expensive.
Don't know where you checked, but I buy mine at Industrial Plastics. A large 4' X 8' sheet (I use 1/16" thickness lexan) is $90, and you can get smaller pieces. But I buy the whole sheet, as I use it for a lot of things. It is very easy to cut (use a tin snip), drill, form or shape. And you just need to bend a small flange if you want to stiffen up a long edge. I have made all kinds of things for my sump, incl a filter sock holder, and other stuff.

For a tank your size, it shouldn't cost you more than 30 bucks. Then you have a better top than anything you could make out of mesh or egg crate. Plus great light transmission, and reduced heat and water loss. And no more fish loss.

[lastlight]

i've never see 1/4" egg crate personally. it would block far more light than the 1/2" already seems to.

[mrhasan]

Don't know where you checked, but I buy mine at Industrial Plastics. A large 4' X 8' sheet (I use 1/16" thickness lexan) is $90, and you can get smaller pieces. But I buy the whole sheet, as I use it for a lot of things. It is very easy to cut (use a tin snip), drill, form or shape. And you just need to bend a small flange if you want to stiffen up a long edge. I have made all kinds of things for my sump, incl a filter sock holder, and other stuff.

For a tank your size, it shouldn't cost you more than 30 bucks. Then you have a better top than anything you could make out of mesh or egg crate. Plus great light transmission, and reduced heat and water loss. And no more fish loss.

An 18"x24" retails for $33 which won't fit my tank (mine is 30" long).

But I was wondering, won't it have the same problem as glass tops? Like salt creeps and get dirty?

[Werbo]

BRS has nice DIY video using window frames and 1/4 netting

[Reef Pilot]

An 18"x24" retails for $33 which won't fit my tank (mine is 30" long).

But I was wondering, won't it have the same problem as glass tops? Like salt creeps and get dirty?
You're probably looking at HD, which is more expensive, for sure, and I don't think they even carry the 1/16 size. I see there is an Industrial Plastics in Calgary. They should carry it, and be a lot cheaper. Like I said, I can get a full 4' X 8' sheet from them for $90. They might have smaller cut pieces available for less too. But at worst they will cut you a smaller piece, for a small premium.

I clean mine about once a month. It only gets "dirty" if water from a return or pump splashes up someplace. Same with salt creep, only happens where water can splash. But you would have the same with mesh or egg crate, and it would be a lot harder to clean.

Just don't use acrylic or some other kind of plexy. That stuff will bend and warp over time, and has to be a lot thicker (more expensive) to have any strength. And it shatters and cracks really easy.

[mrhasan]

Well thanks everyone for helping me deciding which route to go. And here is the outcome:

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s522/mrhasan1/20130315_190740_zps04d31275.jpg

And in action:

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s522/mrhasan1/20130315_190858_zps2a7a8406.jpg

I bought the kit which came with everything (even the mesh) but the problem is since the mesh is black, it is blocking noticeable amount of light. I was thinking of moving to white mesh; will that help?

And now my questions was "how can I feed my fishes!". Since the legs of the light are resting also on the frame so I had to do something. And came up with this idea:

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s522/mrhasan1/20130315_191211_zpsc896505b.jpg

I will put a small egg crate over it to help block that one too :)

Anyway, I have some small spaces uncovered due to the HOBs. Tried with egg crate but didn't seem to help much. Any suggestion about that? :)

[Proteus]

Looks good but I would pull the screen and put chicken mesh in its place

White screen will only reflect the light not allow it through

As for the back you could try to zip tie egg crate to the side of screen.

[mrhasan]

Looks good but I would pull the screen and put chicken mesh in its place

White screen will only reflect the light not allow it through

As for the back you could try to zip tie egg crate to the side of screen.

I did try to find chicken mesh but all of the new stuffs coming (atleast to canadian tire) is more than 1/2" holes. That's why I didn't get them.

How about the BRS stuff?

[Proteus]

http://m.homedepot.ca/Product/productdetails.aspx?ProductId=953141&lang=EN

[mrhasan]

http://m.homedepot.ca/Product/productdetails.aspx?ProductId=953141&lang=EN

Thanks for the link :D

But isinit just the white mesh of the one I am using? And the price is steep :( With that amount, I can get the BRS mesh shipped. Which one would be better?

[Proteus]

I thought you were using window screen

[mrhasan]

I thought you were using window screen

The technical term is "black fiberglass screen". Don't really know whether its a window screen or not :redface:

[Proteus]

The link I sent you is 1/4" mesh

Brs might be the way to go depending if your anxious or not to get it done

[mrhasan]

The link I sent you is 1/4" mesh

Brs might be the way to go depending if your anxious or not to get it done

Ah now I understand the difference! The one I got has very very tiny holes and hence its blocking more light right?

You always have been of great help Titus99 :) Thank you very much :)

[daplatapus]

The stuff I posted in that pic (the greyish 3/8" squares) was from Home Hardware if that helps...

[mrhasan]

The stuff I posted in that pic (the greyish 3/8" squares) was from Home Hardware if that helps...

I took the pic to canadian tire (closer to my home) and showed it to an employee over there and he found out (almost) the same thing a.k.a chicken wire but he was telling me that all the wires that are coming now have bigger spacing.

[gregzz4]

http://m.homedepot.ca/Product/productdetails.aspx?ProductId=953141&lang=EN

That stuff is galvanized

I wouldn't use it