# Top or not to Top?



## Borntofish (Nov 30, 2007)

So that is the question. How many folks out there that keep fauna with their flora have tops covering their aquariums? I am currently using glass versa tops since I am afraid my fish will jump out. Anybody else??
Born to Fish


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## longbowaj (Nov 25, 2007)

I currently have a top but am very interested in hearing others opinions. I have done a lot of looking around about going open top and one thing that I have had trouble with is finding a not very expensive light system. Other issues I know about are fish jumping and water evaporation. One thing i really do not like about having a top is how crummy the top gets after a while. I find that it needs to be cleaned up.


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

Depends on your fish. I have the Coralife lights and Gourami fish, danios, loaches, shrimp. 
Supposedly they are jumpers but no one has so far. Gotta love topless. Awesome views, by far my favorite. As for evaporation, I run heat in the house around 70, lose about a gallon a week. When I refill the tank I clean up the rim of any mineral deposits or clippings, a minor thing in exchange for a great view.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aquascaping/47309-top-down-shots.html


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## Questin (Sep 30, 2007)

I go topless and I like it much more. I have a 125 with 3 sections for glass, but the glass tops I have had to get in the past have always had some problem. The middle section always breaks, and that is a common thing I have found out on my tank. Somehow the heat on this section is too great and it always busts the glass. I had to get tempered glass, and that worked, but why do I have to go to a glass store and have them specail make glass tops for my tank? I think that is stupid, but it is the only way to get a top for the center area because the All-Glass tops wont withstand the heat. All-Glass tank, All-Glass top, All-Glass lights, and the tops break, and All-Glass knows about this and told me its best to just go get tempered glass tops made.

Anyways, I had the tempered glass tops made, and after a few years there was a film on them I could not clean off. I tried a lot of things to clean them too, Hot water, leamon juice, razor blades, scrub pads, none of it mattered, that film was on the glass good, so it was blocking out light. Once I got to that point, I went and bought a new set of All-Glass lids (I had forgotten that I needed to get tempered glass tops because it was 3 or 4 years later), and sure enough, that center glass section broke. I move the lids around, and the new one I put in the center broke again. BAH who needs lids?

Topless and happy. I have had a few fish jump out, at least 3 of my over 35 rummynose tetras, but it seems to be a pretty rare thing. Also the ease of maintenance without tops makes it worth not having them on there ever. That and I like looking down into the water also.


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## longbowaj (Nov 25, 2007)

I tried looking at some of the coralife products. this is what i found: http://www.aquariumpw.com/shopping/pricelist.asp?prid=1170&brandinc=9

$100 is more then I would like to spend on lighting. I am currently looking at getting the 55W kit from AH supply, which is $45 w/o the light. The problem with that is then i'd have to DIY something to house the lights over my tank.


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## Jeff.:P:. (Nov 20, 2007)

It was worth it. :mrgreen:


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I have 4 tanks with tops and 3 without. Whether I use tops or not mostly depends on the occupants of the tank. The tank with hatchet fish and a cat that likes to sit on the light fixture - definitely will always have a top, tank with angelfish and tetras and no cat access - no top needed. If the fish are likely to jump or worse, have proven themselves to jump, I use a top. If the light doesn't feel secure to me - I use a top. I do keep floating plants in my tanks and they help provide a bit of security for the fish in the open top tanks.


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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

I don't have jumpers but I keep my tops on so that my Bacopa can't go emergent, right into a 96W PC (that wouldn't be good). I'm also somewhat afraid of what may fall into the tank (dog toy, Endust, Windex etc.).


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## deepdiver (May 30, 2006)

I use the panes from old ten gallon tanks (very cheap). Of course, this only work with smaller tanks such as othe ten gallon tanks. I'm going to use a couple panes for a 20L You get all the benefits of no evaporation with the clear view of an open-top. The only negative is not having driftwood break the surface-that's a nice effect!


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## JustOneMore21 (Mar 19, 2007)

All my tanks are open top. I've had jumpers in the past (loaches), but haven't had any problems in awhile. I like the look of open top tanks and also hate cleaning glass tops.


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## bsmith (Dec 13, 2006)

longbowaj said:


> I tried looking at some of the coralife products. this is what i found: http://www.aquariumpw.com/shopping/pricelist.asp?prid=1170&brandinc=9
> 
> $100 is more then I would like to spend on lighting. I am currently looking at getting the 55W kit from AH supply, which is $45 w/o the light. The problem with that is then i'd have to DIY something to house the lights over my tank.


I think I just saw someone selling a 65w 30" coralif fixture in the buy and sell area for like $50, thats a great deal.

I think my tank with no top is probly my favorite to just stare at, granted it is an ADA Mini-M and it is at work.


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