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Lid or no lid?


Starr22
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I had a nice bunch of Yabbies (freshwater crayfish) in my aquaponics tank but after a big rain event the tank filled to the brim and the next day all the Yabbies were gonski! 

Now I have an aquarium inside I still do not have a lid. Partly because I bought the tank secondhand and it did not have a lid but also because I don't like having a lid from an aesthetic point of view. So far so good and I have not walked in to find any fish outside the tank.

Am I an irresponsible fish parent for not having a lid?

What are your views on having or not having a lid?

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Not a bad fish parent it's up to you on the lid, sorry about the aquaponic system in trying to remember where the DIY overflow vid is, post link when I remember.

I have had both and I prefer to have a lid, it reduces the amount of evaporation and helps maintain tank temp.

Not having to worry about jumpers or things getting in there added bonus. I have rimmed tanks to reduce the light bleed into the room as I'm not a fan of that my main tank is at seated eye level in my living room so it's more of issue there than on other tanks.

 

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I actually installed lids on all my shrimp tanks last week after running them for over a year without.

Main reason to get lids is that i had a lot of evaporation. This gave us problems with the humidity in our living room (mold) and the parameters of the water weren't stable. (Water gets harder after evaporations. Softer after a refill with RO water etc). Shrimps prefer water as stable as possible. So lids seem to be the better option for both us and the animals.

 
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On 11/30/2022 at 2:18 AM, Starr22 said:

Am I an irresponsible fish parent for not having a lid?

What are your views on having or not having a lid?

I don't like lids, but sometimes they are just a good idea. If you keep fish that are known jumpers or strikers, you are irresponsible if you don't have a lid.  My TFBs require a lid.  My tetras aren't prone to jumping but I have lost two prized fish from the lidless tank.  

This time of year there is very little humidity in my house, and evaporation is more of a problem with the lidless tank.  A reasonable substitute for the solid lid is the egg crate ceiling light diffuser. It will keep most of the critters in, and you can feed the fish or add water without removing the cover.

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There are three reasons for a lid: to keep critters from jumping out; to keep critters from jumping in; to reduce evaporation. I have 4 aquariums with lids and one without -  I have no critters that like to jump in but a long time ago i did have such a critter who went meow meow and was very unhappy each time he did it; i had a few (3?) jumpers in the aquarium without a lid and they jumped several years ago but no one else has jumped since; evaporation is a bit of an issue - i do weekly water changes but i notice the change in water level...

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The reason i removed the lid was it got in the way of the light i was using on that aquarium.... so it had to go.

Edited by anewbie
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I was just thinking about this very thing. The big reason why I decided to lid my upcoming tank is because as water evaporates in the tank, which happens much faster without a lid, the water get harder so I'd have to do WCs with something like RO water, which I'm not entirely interested in doing. 

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@Starr22 I found a best if both worlds solution as I too hate lids from an aesthetic point of view. 
 

A competitor offers clear screen that allows light penetration but keeps fishies in. You can buy a kit or buy in bulk and DIY it. I did the second option and it cost me 1/3 the price. You can also go to an acrylic supply store and have them cut you a piece. If your tank is rimmed it can be flush fit. 

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Even in tanks without species known for being jumpers, lids are nice for evaporation, as many others have said.  Rimless, lidless tanks are often more aesthetic, but you do have to worry about the higher evaporation, how that changes your water parameters over time.  I go with lids, even if they aren't as nice looking, because it is safer for the animals in my care, and it helps keep temperatures and parameters more stable.

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I'd like a lid to help with evaporation but I'm not sure how to make sure I get a lid that fits and has room (cut out) for the filter pump. 

I thought about letting duckweed grow across the top because I read that helps with evaporation but I also kept reading that it just smells awful. And I don't want a big tank that smells. (my wife and kids would have a fit.) 

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On 12/1/2022 at 12:51 PM, Kamen_Kaiju said:

I'm not sure how to make sure I get a lid that fits and has room (cut out) for the filter pump. 

Check out the Aqueon Versa Tops, They fit up to 210-gallon tanks, are hinged, and have a vinyl clear backstrip that you can make custom cutouts in. 

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On 12/1/2022 at 4:47 PM, venzi said:

Can someone post a pic or link of this egg crate option for tank lids?

If you look at my pictures above, this is what I call an egg crate, it's actually a light diffuser for fluorescent lamps. You can get it at any big box home improvement store. We made an escape-proof basking area for our turtle with it. Cuts easily so you can make custom sizes. 

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I like lids because if I didn't have them, my phone would totally be in the tank. 😛

I also like lids to help keep in heat, prevent evaporation, and keep the fish IN the tank if they ever want to escape. Plus I store the mail I don't want to throw away yet on top.... that coffee cup that needs to get washed.... Yup. Of course that stuff is on the 75G, which has two lids. Lol.

I like a tank without a lid because of the way the light hits it, it's just beautiful.

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On 12/1/2022 at 3:47 PM, venzi said:

Can someone post a pic or link of this egg crate option for tank lids?  

Just search egg crate diffuser. You can buy it at you local big box home improvement store. It cuts super easy with a wire cutter. I made a small section for the back and cutout a section for my HOB. I'll post a picture of my tank lid and diffuser tomorrow.

Edited by sairving
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