Over the Top: Do you have a lid on your aquarium?

[AlyciaMarie]

Nothing is sadder than coming home to see your fish have succeeded in their lifelong dream of carpet surfing. RIP, Dori. But it doesn't have to be that way! Lids can be important, especially if you have fish that are prone to reverse diving. But let's not get it meshed up; there are options out there that prevent the fish from jumping and promote gas exchange. Some people love them, some people hate them, but either way, let's talk lids!

Do you have a lid on your aquarium? Why or why not?

OG Photo Cred: Tyler Walker

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I had a wood hood that covered the whole top and had lights inside, plus a small computer exhaust fan to keep it from getting hot and excessively humid inside. Front opened up for access.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I made a DIY mesh lid for my tank. It has aluminum hinges with aluminum fasteners too. Works like a champ.

 

[AlyciaMarie]

I made a DIY mesh lid for my tank. It has aluminum hinges with aluminum fasteners too. Works like a champ.

Me, too! I made mine out of a DIY screen door kit I bought from Home Depot. I cut it down to size, and it was perfect! All in all, I spent about $20. It's been on there for almost a year, and it's still going strong!

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Me, too! I made mine out of a DIY screen door kit I bought from Home Depot. I cut it down to size, and it was perfect! All in all, I spent about $20. It's been on there for almost a year, and it's still going strong!

Exactly what I did, but I did want mine to hinge, which took a little more effort finding all aluminum hardware. But well worth it.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I have a canopy on my fowlr, and partial polycarbonate covers on my sps tanks. I like the polycarbonate covers because they resist scratching and prevent water splashes on my lights and help keep fish in. They cover about 4/5 of the top openings. My other two tanks are open on top with the lights higher off the water.

 

[rhitee93]

DIY screen tops on mine. Tight fitting to keep the eel in

 

[Linden13]

Also have a DIY screen top had a firefish jump out of the tank before I had a top so decided to make one got one side made and found my diamond goby dried up on the floor when the day I went to finish the other side top

 

[revhtree]

That graphic is gold! LOL!

 

[TBSB2019]

We have had a few fish jump, so yes. The worst was a Flame Angel that jumped through a light bracket hole in the top. Found it as a chip laying on the screening. My wife was pretty upset as that is one of her favorite fish.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Me, too! I made mine out of a DIY screen door kit I bought from Home Depot. I cut it down to size, and it was perfect! All in all, I spent about $20. It's been on there for almost a year, and it's still going strong!

Don't forget about the rocks we use to hold the lid down!

 

[mdpitts]

I made a DIY mesh lid for my tank. It has aluminum hinges with aluminum fasteners too. Works like a champ.

I'd love to see an image of that. I'm in lid hell. Currently using an Aqueon glass lid for my 40B and I hate it so much.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I'd love to see an image of that. I'm in lid hell. Currently using an Aqueon glass lid for my 40B and I hate it so much.

I will get a pic tonight and put it on here. IT really is easy to do. Just bought house window screen frame materials from Home Depot, bought mesh screen, aluminum hinges and fasteners from Amazon, and used little plastic stick on lid pulls from an old glass lid kit.

 

[skey44]

Happy with my Jumpguard pro so far. Aesthetically unobtrusive and looks like it should work well. Just ordered some plastic sheeting to close up small gaps around light mounts.

 

[exnisstech]

3 tanks no lids. I realize any fish can jump but I don't keep fish that are known as jumpers.

 

[Extremeengineer]

Well, I'm in the minority with glass lids lol. Tank is in LR, salt creep would suck in there. With a canister filter I also have no evaporative loss, which is good, because house stays around 68 in summer and 58-60 in winter, and I would have crazy evaporative loss with how low we keep humidity year round. I am amazed how much I clean off the top of the glass every couple of days, all that dust and stuff would just be going into tank. With in tank skimmer, and one return pointed at surface and an MP10 creating surface agitation on the other end, I am not worried about oxygen levels. I also do a 20% water change every week, so my tank and fish seem happy. I think it would be neat to have an open top tank, but not this tank where it is in the house.

 

[threebuoys]

1/4 inch clear mesh to minimize light blockage. Standard aluminum screen kit cut to size.

 

[B&CinB.C.]

We bought an IM lid kit with the IM tank but discovered there's no way to mount lights with this kit . Ended up buying a D and D Jumpguard kit to mount the lights on the rimless tank . Its only money . LOL .
We didn't want to go lidless as we have two firefish and a bicolor blenny although i've often wondered if they could jump through the mesh.

 

[vlangel]

I have my display and sump predominantly covered with glass tops. At the back where the auto feeder and overflow is I added a DIY screen top to help keep jumpers in the tank. The glass tops cut down tremendously on evaporation too.

 

[Jmdumbeck]

I have two nano Innovative Marine tanks, 20g and 15g, both with the mesh lids that come with it. I had previously lost a Royal Gramma before without a lid on my Waterbox 40g, and after a clownfish jumped out of my current 15gallon, I grabbed a lid real quick. Will never go without one again. My golden retriever, despite her best efforts at nudging it back to life, is unable to resuscitate the escapees.