do you notice how that tank on page 1 doesnt have any fish in it?
well, thats why theres no top! only dead fish don't jump. being an arowana keeper, i emphisize this.
It does have fish. It's got a school of rummy-nose. Another shot of an open-top planted with fish for your benefit. The platies are in plain site.
I
totally expect you to keep a closed tank. I would also keep a closed tank if I had an arowana. Again, it boils down to knowing the behavior of your fish you intend to keep. Platies are surface-dwellers, yes, but I usually keep a supply of floating plants in this tank, which gives these fish a sense of security and actually discourages jumping. It is like having a lid on the tank, a living lid. I sound really corny now, huh?
I am practicing with competition photos, so the duckweed population was removed for this particular photo-op (it is usually about half-covered with a supply that moves around the tank with the current). As I explained in a previous post, when I'm photographing for competition, I remove the hardware, fill the tank up more, and remove the duckweed.
These are examples of competition photos, notice the extra water and lack of hardware, especially in the second picture. Platies are visible, so open-top planted tanks
do have fish in them.
Hm, ultimately i can't see how a clear plastic condensation tray or sheet of glass will destroy the look of an open top tank. It will be a little noticeable, but i think it will still let in and out the same degree of light into the tank and keep the spacious open feel of the tank either way, what do you think?
You've made a good point, Tokis, and for my betta tank, a 2.5g planted, I have a clear glass cover, that I tolerate for the safety of my fish. But, I again, I usually remove the cover for photo ops. And bettas, unlike platies are notorious jumpers. It doesn't however, let in as much light, I need to use more. Because I've got some distance between the light source and the water's surface, the glass top (especially when it's not clean) blocks, reflects, and bounces the light up and away, so I actually have to double the light to get the plants to grow well in this situation. This is the quirk of thise particular setup and I can't really change it. My other two closed-top planted tanks also employ a glass cover, but the lights are actually touching the glass, so the chance of reflection is minimized, especially if I keep the tanks filled, which I do.
As I said a lot earlier with cats in the house I've got one choice only open (well not) to me... covered as tight as possible.
I have cats too, and they are accomplished climbers. The only open-top I have is in my bedroom, where the cats don't usually go and if they're there, it is under supervision. Otherwise, the tanks are closed.
I mentioned an arguement earlier for open-tops that I think is the most legitimate reason for keeping open-top tanks and I think it warrants a repeat.
Open-top tanks allow for the better growth of floating plants and it allows for emersed growth. When the tank is covered, there just isn't enough space to allow for this kind of growth. In addition, this is especially the case when the light fixtures touch the glass, the build-up heat near the water's surface can fry floating plants and emersed growth. Open-top tanks eliminate this problem, as there is more space between the water's surface and the light source. Yeah, so what's so fascinating about emersed growth? Emersed growth in stemplants is the growth that will often produce flowers. In addition, many species, including lotus and swords, produce beautiful, large flowers above the water's surface. This would never occur in a closed system, there just isn't enough space. Flowers are just pretty. Finally, an open-top allows the aquarist to explore the possibilities of a paludarium-type aquarium, where hardy epiphites and terrestrial plants grow above the water's surface. You have to of course, pick fish that are suitable for this type of setup.
It is unfortunate that more people with open-topped planted tanks don't explore this lovely aspect of the hobby. There are times when I look at an open-top planted tank with no vegetation at the surface and think "what a waste of space". That's actually how I see the photos above, but that's just me, and it is partly the reason why I recently changed my layout in the tank you see above. I
want to encourage more emersed growth. Bacopa produces particularly pretty flowers, a light purple.
As I think I've said quite a few times in this thread, you have to know the habits of the fish you keep. Not everybody keeps the same types of fish nor do they keep the same types of aquariums. Open-top planted tanks
aren't better than large, closed-top, minimalist tanks designed to keep predatory fish that can jump, and vis versa. One is also not more humane than the other. They are just two very different aspects of our hobby. Foolish decisions can be made in both types of systems.
llj
