Open top (canopy-less) people, advice please

[danmhippo]

Regarding the actunic supplements, Nope,

I was running 400W MH 20K. It's blue enough.

 

[fishfanatic2]

I'm too cheap to run MH :roll: and I run PC over my top-less. I have kept fish that are considered kind of risky to jump. However, as long as you don't piss them off or stress them out, yer ok. I think the fact that I have 1 bulb go off 15 min. before the other and 1 comes on 15 min. before the other helps.

 

[Anonymous]

BTW, nice setup Dizzy.

Yes indeedy! That whole setup looks great.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I have my 250 W 15K PFO mini pendant suspended inside my open top, open back canopy. My DH built it with a removeable bar that the pendant hangs on , which is easily lifted out of it's brackets and out of the canopy if I need to clean the UV shield/swap bulbs, etc. No supplemental actinic since it's a 15W. Just picked up a replacement 14W HQI for it.

crappy pic, but you get the general idea.

 

[Anonymous]

Lower the camera about a foot, and take some more pictures. I wanna see!

 

[Mihai]

OK, issues:
- fish jumping out
- kids bumping the pendants in
- kids throwing bad things in the tank (e.g., a penny or a ball of playdough)
- the looks

disadvantages:
- you have to lift it up to look
- perhaps more heat
- perhaps more evaporation


If you design your canopy right most disadvantages can be eliminated. Just my 2c.

M.

 

[benthos]

are any of you running supplemental actinic?

No, just a single 250w coralvue 14k over a 40 B.

just the right blue IMO

 

[liquid]

Major fish jumping potential. I lost two orangestripe cardinals and two banggai cardinals before I finally put it back on. Otherwise I really liked it.

Shane

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I had a Scott's velvet wrasse dive out the open back of my canopy. Dove three times. I was home and able to save it the first two. Found it under the sofa 3 feet from the tank after it's last dive.

 

[SnowManSnow]

I have a topless system with a MH Pendant system I really like it to tell you the truth... what I did was build a 3 sided "canopy" to keep things from jumping out 3 of the 4 sides, and shield the room from all the light.. looks really cool. If you wanna c a pic just PM me.

The only concern I have is evap.. you'll get a lot but it isn't really a reason to not do it.

B.

 

[Len]

Good info guys. I think it's gonna come down to the last second before I decide. If I go open top, I will likely not have any jumpers (which negates some of my favorite fishes, the fairy wrasses).

 

[fishfanatic2]

You could always put eggcrate over the tank. IMO I think topless looks better too.

 

[Anonymous]

i like the simple look. IMO, a tank is more appealing in this cleaner lined japanese type look, but i don't really like looking into 20k light and i wouldn't want to run halides for the entire cycle either.

 

[danmhippo]

Len, I think fairy wrasse is hit or miss. I had fairy wrass before too. But I've never experienced jumpers. Instead, I have quite a few that decide to go down the waterfall through the in-tank overflow.

 

[Anonymous]

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 hear ya..im thinking 14K

 

[Oceans Ferevh]

I've never had a canopy (or kids for that matter) with my 65 gallon. I use compacts and glass lids. I don't think that I would go with a canopy ever because of its limitations. 1) you're limited in how far up you can put your lights from the tank, 2) wiring is a b@#$% in confined spaces, 3) you can't see down into your tank (which has been very useful many times), 4) Heaven forbid you need to reach something at the back/bottom of your tank when it's covered (you may need to put on scuba gear normally, but at least you can reach stuff). 5) Annoyance factor. How annoying would it be to always have to hold up a lid whenever you need to fix something? 6) Of course there are the evaporation and heat issues also. You don't need LDP (light deflector paneling, egg crate) to keep fish from jumping out. Put some glass lids on and your set or you can have a custom glass or acrylic lid made if you want it to look really nice. Or, you could even try something in the middle.

 

[vair]

I've always gone with no canopy in the past. My new tank 320gal I'm going with a big roomy canopy. Main reason is I'm tired of being blinded by the lights. The last while I've had a very ghetto fabric setup to block the light from peoples faces. Fish people and non fish people commented on how much nicer it was to look at the tank. Don't have pendants, using a aquaspace light with 3 250mh and 3 atinics.

Going open back and open top. The face flips up and out of the way and can be completely removed in seconds.

Dave

 

[Anonymous]

I have 2x250W DE 20K MH pendants and wouldn't want to ever go for a canopy. IMO the canopies look uglier than the pendants (even the carefully made wooden ones make tanks look top-heavy to me).

Fish jumping is a big problem though. I've lost 2 gobies and a true perc this way (though none for 6 months - touch wood).

 

[Len]

You guys are gonna hate me, but I don't think I have a choice now. Family has decided for a canopy, so I'm over-ruled

Thanks for the input though Maybe someday .....

 

[Joew]

Yeah it's a tough one. My tank is wall mounted but i still made a canopy. Mainly to keep the light in the tank and not illuminating the whole closet. It is a pain in the as* though, even being on a pulley system. Post some pics with your pendants. I may decide to make some ghetto pendants.


JoeW
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