Cover or no cover over tank?

[tkjeffrey]

I am wondering if it would be alright to take the cover off my tank. It is in the basement of my house pretty stable environment. I do have crab's and snails though and anem's, clownfish and royal gramma. I would like to take it off to get more light into my tank and not have to clean the cover every other day. I have 4 65watt pc's and 4 moonlights above my tank in a custom sealife fixture that has its own plexiglass cover. Evaporation concerns? I usually dump about 16 oz of treated water in the tank a day. Your input would be appreciated.


-------Semper Fi--------

[squid]

tanke the cover off, your tank will like you much more for it. Yes, you will have more evaporation, and you will add more water daily,

Could you describe you system with more detail?

[tkjeffrey]

Got a 55g stock spec tank. Red sea prism deluxe skimmer, sea storm 240 fluidized bed filter, millenium 200 box filter and a big canister filter. Custom sealife hood 4 by 65w pc's 50 pounds fuji live rock 30 pounds base rock 2 inch deep substrate with crushed coral aragonite. 2 quadricoler anem's, one clarkii clown, one royal gramma, 30 blue leg crab's, 50 nassirus snails. Thats about it.

[thefatman]

i'd take the top off as well travis..

the light wil lcome through better. anemonies will like it better.

evap shouldn't be too much higher.

you could always do a diy project and make an autotop-off to maintain the water level.

[Casey]

Topless we love em

[squid]

Travis, how long tank been set up? If under a year, you added the amemonies way too soon. JMO

Get rid of the Mellenium...get rid of the canister filter (save for later possible use) I don't know enough about the Sea Storm system you mentioned, so I can't advise.

Ok, now that I told you to get rid of those items, your probably gonna ask why. They are not necessary. Your skimmer will do you more good if you remove some of the things that might cause a nitrate build up.


Powerheads? I don't see any on your list. If you dont have enough water movement, things will die.

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Yup take the cover off the tank! Makes for better gas exchange at the water surface and I know my tank is so much better for it and yes water evaporation will be higher!

[tkjeffrey]

i have 2 300 gph and one 165 gph also my canister is 265 gph (it houses PhosGuard and Chemipure along with alot of ceramic discs)

[squid]

yep, ditch the canister....you have plenty rock, sand to take care of the bio load...

[thefatman]

now lise.. yo ualready spanked him about the anemonie in the other thread

you know, the one where rangers and marines can't hear women