# Questions regarding open top tank



## orca77 (Sep 1, 2007)

Hi Folks,
Do you recommend having a glass canopy over the tank or leaving the top open? Open top tanks do have benefits, but how do you deal with evaporation? what do you use for top-off water? RO/distilled water or just normal water? If topping off with normal water, if the water is hard, will that increase the GH/KH in the long run?

Thanks a lot!


----------



## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I run open top, lids for an 4ft x 2ft tank are rather expensive. I just do top offs with tap water. My tap usually runs: GH 15, KH 0-1. I have long gave up on worrying about increasing the hardness of the water.


----------



## SimplyOrange (Oct 5, 2007)

same here. im currently running a 55, and two 10's and all are pretty much open top*. i just top off with dechlorinated tap water. the last time i checked and used any test kit was when i first got into the hobby about 6yrs ago.

*55 has eggcrates. the 10's have insect netting.


----------



## elaphe (Aug 24, 2006)

I used to do the whole RO/DI and remineralized thing. Got very old after a couple of years. I then started the tap water with Prime thing. Again, it was kind of a pain. About 3 months ago, I picked up one of these. It makes life so much easier. I just took a tee off before my RO/DI under the sink and put this there! My wife now thinks I'm crazy with 2 different kinds of filters under the bathroom sink, but with 2 plant tanks, 3 big turtle tubs, and various reptile water bowls to fill this thing is great. Also with a 50' 1/4" line from Home Depot, I can reach all my tanks from the spare bath!

Fish, shrimp, turtles, and plants couldn't be happier - and I don't have to mix anything to change/top off water. All my tanks, even turtle tubs are open top!

Brian


----------



## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I have tanks with covers and some without. The ones with glass covers have fish that will jump out or else have lights that sit directly on the glass. For my tanks without glass covers I just use dechlorinated tap water. My water is rather soft so I have no reason to worry about the hardness. Actually, if it hardens up my tank water a bit, great! 

If you do regular water changes, I don't think you'd really need to worry about the hardness, and unless you have fish or other critters that will jump or climb out of the tank you don't really need a glass cover.


----------



## elaphe (Aug 24, 2006)

cs_gardener said:


> unless you have fish or other critters that will jump or climb out of the tank you don't really need a glass cover.


One thing that seems to work for me keeping fish from jumping out is a moon light? There was some discussion on this a while back. I started using them just so that I could watch the shrimp at night, plus it looks kind of neat. Since I have these installed on my tanks, I haven't had a single fish leap to it's death. Amano shrimp seem to be the only shrimp that will crawl out of the tank. As long as the water parameters are to their liking, they don't crawl out on me?

Just some food for thought,
Brian


----------



## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I'm glad that the moonlight has worked for you. I've had a fish jump out of a tank with a moonlight though. No loss, I was trying to figure out how to catch the jumper (a gold algae eater) without tearing up the tank anyway. I'm not going to risk it with my hatchet fish as the resident cats will bat at the side of the tank and startle them. Of course the fish always seem to go up and I hear the splash and thump as they hit the glass.


----------



## SimplyOrange (Oct 5, 2007)

elaphe said:


> I used to do the whole RO/DI and remineralized thing. Got very old after a couple of years. I then started the tap water with Prime thing. Again, it was kind of a pain. About 3 months ago, I picked up one of these. It makes life so much easier. I just took a tee off before my RO/DI under the sink and put this there! My wife now thinks I'm crazy with 2 different kinds of filters under the bathroom sink, but with 2 plant tanks, 3 big turtle tubs, and various reptile water bowls to fill this thing is great. Also with a 50' 1/4" line from Home Depot, I can reach all my tanks from the spare bath!
> 
> Fish, shrimp, turtles, and plants couldn't be happier - and I don't have to mix anything to change/top off water. All my tanks, even turtle tubs are open top!
> 
> Brian


not too bad of a price for that product. whats the cost of a new cartridge? and how much water can go through it before needing a replacement? but why in the world would I remove all those wonderful flavors in my tap water, Mmmm... lol.


----------



## elaphe (Aug 24, 2006)

SimplyOrange said:


> not too bad of a price for that product. whats the cost of a new cartridge? and how much water can go through it before needing a replacement? but why in the world would I remove all those wonderful flavors in my tap water, Mmmm... lol.


The carbon block cartridge is around $17.50 from them. They are supposed to last for 1500 gallons or 6 months. I've had mine for 3 months, and the water still comes out fine. They do make various different filters that will fit these. This one is a carbon block and filters down to 5 microns. There is another that filters down to 1 micron, but is a little more $.

Filters fast ships free for orders over $50, and we have been getting out refrigerator water filters from them since they are cheaper than Lowes (only place locally I can find them). I will just add these cartridges to that order and it will ship for free and no taxes!

It only puts out about 1/2 gallon per minute. Which is really a nice rate for topping off/filling up a tank. Not to much to blow all the substrate around.

I've been really happy with mine. It's small and the price was right. These cost about 4X as much at Home Depot or Lowes!

Brian


----------



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Brian, are you saying that "Filtersfast" charges less than local stores for these filter elements? I checked their website and the prices seem pretty high, but I haven't looked in the stores for over a year. I need to buy elements for three filters now, so the no shipping charge deal sounds great if the prices are competitive.


----------



## elaphe (Aug 24, 2006)

hoppycalif said:


> Brian, are you saying that "Filtersfast" charges less than local stores for these filter elements? I checked their website and the prices seem pretty high, but I haven't looked in the stores for over a year. I need to buy elements for three filters now, so the no shipping charge deal sounds great if the prices are competitive.


When I priced mine against Home Depot and Lowes, Filtersfast was way cheaper. On our fridge filter, they are about $15 cheaper. On the little unit that I just bought, it is close to half of what Home Depot wanted for the same filter without the push fittings (I would have had to buy those separate).

Remember though, these are Dallas, TX prices. Not sure if these would be the same across the country? But the free shipping and no sales tax does help too!

Brian


----------



## orca77 (Sep 1, 2007)

Mmmm... Thanks a lot for the replies. Well, talking about fish jumping out of tank, will egg crate help?


----------



## SimplyOrange (Oct 5, 2007)

orca77 said:


> Mmmm... Thanks a lot for the replies. Well, talking about fish jumping out of tank, will egg crate help?


well the openings on eggcrates are about 1/2inches wide and 1/2inches thick so small fish/shrimp that jumps practically straight up will get through. i really doubt that possibility. light would be affected/reduced. but heres a pic of the insect netting im using the openings are maybe 3mm.


----------

