Open top (canopy-less) people, advice please

[Len]

Okay, I'm new thread happy today

I'm thinking about going open top with a pendant lighting system. Those who have such a system or seen such a system, any issues I should be concerned about? Would you go with a canopy in hindsight?

 

[tinyreef]

i've used with (current 15H) and without (hospital 20L).

i was always concerned about bumping the pendant (it falling, glass-plate coming loose, etc.). also, having kids, i was concerned about them staring straight into it and burning out their retinas. 8O

i like the canopy (using it now) as it limits the angle the kids can stare upwards, protects the light somewhat from me, and limits air-borne crappie from getting into the tank (it's now in my office). a pricey piece of wood but it 'finishes the look' of the tank too.

there are the obvious temp issues to be concerned with tho. i got a 3-wall canopy, complete open back to aid ventilation.

 

[Anonymous]

If I had a bigger tank I would probably not want a canopy. IMO the plumbing is the harder issue. You need to plan for it to com in through the back wall so it is not in the open.

 

[fishfanatic2]

Tried a cover once, will never go back to it again. Although you need to add more water via topoff, I think this is a good thing since your essentially 'changing water' when you do it. It cut down my lighting by a lot, and it always got encrusted with salt. The most I would ever put over my tank would be eggcrate.

Just my 2 sense.

 

[psuedo74]

ive had my 400 w mhs and 96w pc in a retro style hood hanging over my 120 for a year and i love it

I ran thin cable from eye hooks through the hood(nuts and washers) up to a 1x 3 that runs 4 ft on the ceiling and catches 3 studs...the greatest benifit for me is the heat is greatly combated, i could not imagine how hot my tank would get during the summer months with a hood...also makes changing bulbs or cleaning the plexi cover a cinch as I just release two caribiners hooks...

just my 2 penneth

 

[Anonymous]

I'll never mess with another tank with a canopy. Pendants are definitely the way to go.

Just make sure your pendants are reeeeally secured.

 

[Anonymous]

Ditto. Nothing beats being able to look at your tank from above all the time. Only issue I have with it is an aesthetic vs. functional one--I'd like to plumb returns in the front corners to face the corals (rather than the front glass) but it looks silly. A canopy would hide it.

The other issue is jumping fish of course.

 

[Anonymous]

I would be afraid that some kid would make a wish and toss a penny in it while no one was looking. Ouch.

Louey

 

[Loggerhead]

I love my maristar pendant, it's a thing of beauty.

 

[dizzy]

Here is how I did mine. I had a 450 Oceanic on a plywood Oceanic stand. I made an oak frame sort of like kitchen cabinets. I put 6 doors above and below. I also used doors on the end panel for looks, but they don't open. Anyway it is 8' tall by 8' long. The top doors are 22' so there is lots of room to work in the tank. I just have a couple of Jalli 150 watt pendants since it is a FOWLR tank. The tank had the Euro bracing so I was able to get the frame up flush to the glass. I bought the doors from a company that specializes in making doors and I was able to put the frame together with biscuit joints. All in all it wasn't that hard to do once I had the doors.
Mitch

 

[danmhippo]

Len, my last tank I had 2x400W MH pendant. I would never go back to canopy again.

If you go to those hydroculture shops. They have gadgets for the pendant cables. There are 2 makers, if I recall, that makes adjustable cable length. It's quite sturdy, and you should just make sure that with the farrest distance of the retractable cabling system, mH pendant will still not be touching the water surface.

The pendant I have comes with a glass shielf over the bulb. But even then, I still set the MH 18" away from the surface. You should pick the pendant that gets the bulb to screw in horizontally instead of straight up to get the maximum brightness of the MH. Also, make sure you clean the pendant shell from time to time for the dust accumulation on it.

Last word of caution, just make sure you don't bump your elbow on the pendant, unless you want to have a fried elbow.

 

[Anonymous]

Didnt care for canopy either..Biggest concerns fish jumping out(hasnt happened to me yet) and evap...Unless you have young kids who might toss their toys in...I agree with every one else, it's much easier to work in without a canopy...

 

[Ben1]

I would love to get rid of my canopy on my 20L as it is lit by a 250 DE pendant but am scared my splendid would jump out. Plus with 5 cats......

An open top would limit my fish choice, I wouldnt do it unless I knew the system wouldnt have any of the jumpy fish.

 

[benthos]

I prefer a pendant over a canopy and after I set my tank up it looked pretty slick. This was until I turned the MH on and the temp shot up to 85 and now Im stuck looking at a small fan on the back of the tank where a canopy would of hid it. I could always get a chiller but who has money for that when you could just put a fan over the water.

that and the limit of fish as mentioned.

still much easier to work in and it would have to be a streamline canopy to change my mind. The top hat looking wood canopy seem odd IMO.

 

[K9coral]

Here is my ghetto tank without any cover. My issues are - evaporation and temp control. I dont have any jumpers (anymore) since my niger trigger jumped to his death about a month ago.

 

[Anonymous]

you guys with no canopy,

are any of you running supplemental actinic?

 

[K9coral]

NoPe!

 

[Anonymous]

Jumping fish..

No supplements but I need to do something soon. - Don't like the coloration I'm getting out of 10k. - Probably go with a 14 or 20k bulb and see how it goes.

I actually had a clown jump a couple months ago. - I'm guessing the shock of instant night freaked it too much.

 

[K9coral]

lol, did you catch him before it was too late?

 

[K9coral]

BTW, nice setup Dizzy.