Eggcrate question

[Kevotron]

by covering the whole top of my tank with eggcrate would it affect the light penetration to my corals ?

[Myka]

I notice a visible difference when I cover half my tank with egg crate. For some reason, the black stuff doesn't seem to affect it as much. Window screening also makes a visible difference. Glass makes little difference, but it has to be cleaned regularly, and I wouldn't recommend it on a tank with no sump. For open-type lids I have found the 1/4" netting installed into a window frame makes the least difference. Bulk Reef Supply sells it, or I have found it in some garden/farm supply stores that sell chicken fencing and the like. I know Peavey Mart has it, but they aren't in Alberta I don't think...? I haven't found it in places like Rona or Home Depot.

[tim the toolman]

I just cut glass for a topper but I use 2 pieces and cut the corners on 45degree angles so I have a couple of 2" openings on each corner to allow for feeding, gas exchange and some wires to come through

[Mandosh]

I remember reading an old thread on RC where Calfo stated something about the use of eggcrate actually increasing light penetration if the eggrate was placed within a few inches of the fixture and the thin side was placed facing up (apparently there is a thicker and a narrower side to the eggrate partitions? I've never actually checked.) The minimal light that was blocked was compensated for by the reflectors refocusing the light that passed through.

That being said, if the eggcrate was placed more than 2-3 inches from the fixture, the outcome was negligible.

[e46er]

i just threw some eggcrate above my tank- huge lighting difference im not happy.
i am going to try and find some window screen

[Proteus]

There's peavy mart in Ab. Leduc has one anyway. I am changing over to plastic chicken fence. I hate egggrate

[asylumdown]

When you think of what egg crate is normally meant for (light diffuser), it makes sense that it would reduce/scatter the light entering your tank.

It won't really affect anything directly under the bulbs, by the further away you get from them laterally, the more light they absorb. On my last tank I had a hybrid glass/egg crate cover, where the glass strips were right under the bulbs, with egg crate in front and behind. It worked great until I found out those thin strips of egg crate weren't heavy enough to stop a full grown labouti wrasse leaping at full power.

[Coasting]

Your standard egg crate is white and is the same thickness on one side as it is the other. You can also find silver egg crate, which will help reflect back some light, and even better then that is you can find silver egg crate thats thicker on one side then it is the other. Maybe this will help reflect and direct more light towards the tank? Though I dont know what the silver is like for cleaning.
Any thoughts anyone on the silver with the varigated thickness?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Titus99

There's peavy mart in Ab. Leduc has one anyway. I am changing over to plastic chicken fence. I hate egggrate

Ah I thought Peavey Mart was just in SK. The fine plastic "chicken fence" from Peavey Mart is what I'm using to make some new screens for my tanks.

[Kevotron]

Originally Posted by Myka

Ah I thought Peavey Mart was just in SK. The fine plastic "chicken fence" from Peavey Mart is what I'm using to make some new screens for my tanks.

do you by any chance have an image of it ??