Cover Plates ? Who Uses Them ?

[Rooster]

There were very popular "in my day" but dont get mentioned much these days.... so....


Condensation trays are a relatively new idea.... in the great scheme of things ! But, yes, its the same thing.

Am suprised at the number still using them, I think they are indespensable - wonder if they stop any usefull light ?

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i dont even know what a cover plate is

 

[Teelie]

I assume you mean the lid covering the tank. Mine are glass (55) and plastic (everything else) and I find the glass ones to do the best job keeping moisture in. If this is something else, then I have no idea what it would be.

 

[CFC]

The majority of my tanks have acrylic or plastic cover plates and no hoods, acrylic because glass tends to shatter when a couple of pounds of fish throws its self at it and no hoods because they just get in the way when it comes to feeding and maintainance, plus all my tanks are in the fish room so they dont need to look pretty.

 

[Tolak]

The ones in the fishroom have them. Cut from light diffuser panel designed for floresent light fixtures installed in suspended ceilings. A couple of bucks gets a 2 foot by 4 foot panel. Cut to fit with a razor knife, good cheap tops that minimize evaporation better than anything I've ever used.

 

[onemisterchristian]

Yep, mine are 1/4 inch acrylic. 2 big rectangular pieces.

 

[Sp00ky]

I think he means Condensation trays... also known as con trays

Personally,i used to use them on all my tanks when i worked at KB. but now i have a friend who works for a perspex place and i get him to knock me some lids up and use runners from B&Q to keep them in place.... slidey slidey !!

 

[pieman]

I voted yes, assuming he was on about condensation trays, I was told that it would be good for the lighting and make them last longer

 

[Torrean]

I AM OFFICIALLY ATTEMPTING TO HIJACK A THREAD...sorry

tolak I'm thinking about using the light diffuser stuff to make a cover for my girlfriends tank because she wants more lighting and I don't feel like building a hood. The concern I have is algae growth. She currently has a hood with a glass panel that the light sits on. The glass always get a lot of algae on it and it's a pain to clean. The light diffuser stuff isn't smooth like glass is. So my two questions are how do you clean stuff off the bumpy side of light diffuser panel and what effect does the acrylic panel have on lighting...should I use something else since she wants more lighting?

 

[Jules H-T]

The hood containing the lights on my main tank is only 1ft * 4ft, which leaves a foot of unprotected water all along the tank at the front. I put a piece of painted wood over it just because that was what I had to hand, which was getting too moist so now has a 4ft * 1ft piece of toughened glass under it. So yes, and no!

 

[Dorkhedeos]

ohhhh, thats what it is. i use both plastic and glass. too late to change my vote

 

[Tolak]

Torrean; Here's a link to making them look a little more attractive; http/www.gcca.net/howto/tank_covers.htm

All the tanks on the top row of racks use room light, a couple of recessed fixtures with 40 watt bulbs. Here's a pic I took a while back using only room light, the lower tank is illuminated by a small 5 watt flouro fixture mounted under the rack;

This is the tank on the right hand side with no flash;

Same tank with flash;

29, no flash;

Same tank with flash;

As you can see, they let through plenty of light.

As far as algae, I put them on with the smooth side down. Algae wipes right off. When the bumpy side gets dirty, which is usually from me being in a hurry in the morning & tossing flakes towards the tanks as much as in the tanks, I hose them off in the utility sink.

 

[candy]

here is little old new zealand having a nice hood made for ur tank is expensive and they dont come standed with most tanks unless u get a matching hood and stand thining going on..mose people here havinf the standered glass tanks as i thin acrylic is not quite the norm here yet

 

[Wanda hornsey]

Our Tank has both thick glass sliding covers and a massive hood with the lights set in it. none of my fish have jumped to there deaths yet and as I struggle to lift the lid on the tank some days I dont think they will be soon either