Glass Top Better?

[eviltuna]

I just got a new 46 Gallon bow front today as a package and was contemplating getting a glass top instead of the black plastic one that comes with it (although the light fixture does have a good reflector) Just wanted to know what everyone's opinion is on these? Is it worth the $100+ for an all-glass top and new lighting?

 

[Will91]

Hey Eviltuna:

I'm glad I spotted your post. I bought a 26 USG bowfront tank package deal by All Glass last christmas. It too came with the standard plastic top and single strip light hood. I researched this quite a bit and found out that All Glass makes what they call a VersaTop. This is a all glass top that is custom made for these bowfront tanks. It has a hinged lid and then a plastic strip in the back that slips over the rear edge of the glass. You can easily cut out slots in the strip of plastic for the filters, cords, etc.

I upgraded to the All Glass double strip fixture in oak so now I have two 15W lights. The combination of the extra wattage and the glass top really made a difference. The top looks much better than the plastic one and the tank is much brighter. I debated over a 55W compact fluorescent hood which would also work with the versatop but I decided for my low tech plants, just over 1W/gallon would be perfect.

You can get great deals on the hoods from PetSmart on line. Free shipping and google search for additional coupon codes. You will, however, have to get the versatop from a local dealer. I could not find it online.

Let me know if you have other questions.

 

[darknirvana217]

Glass tops have always been my favorite. They give off more of a profeesional and clean look to your tank.

 

[dthoffsett]

Glass tops have always been my favorite. They give off more of a profeesional and clean look to your tank.

Agreed.

 

[Rooster]

Are we talking "cover sheets" here, or am I missing something ?

 

[Ryan_R]

We have a glass top on our 75 gallon. Came with the package. I thought it'd be a lot more spiffy than it is. Truth is, you put the light across the middle, and that obscures an easy 60%-70% of the top of the tank, so the glass vs. plastic is almost moot. Nice, but not worth $100, IMHO.

-Ryan