glass tops or egg crate

[deuceb]

thinking of taking glass tops off tank and cutting some eggcrate to fit.question, will the eggcrate cut down more or less than the glass? ato is in use so evap wont be issue.

 

[LosingSleep]

Cut what down?

Light?
heat?

 

[sixspeed]

i think that eggcrate will allow more light to penetrate but the trade off is that they will allow more heat to be radiated to the tank.

 

[JohnK]

actually the evaporative cooling you can/will gain by getting rid of the glass covers will help to cool the tank.

I don't know which would block more light though??

 

[deuceb]

Cut what down?

Light?
heat?

light sorry

 

[Leroy]

Dana, just as sixspeed says, eggcrate will allow more light. You have to consider how long it'll take before the glass will condensate with water then slowly cloud up from salt and would require constant cleaning not to mention the plastic hinge that blocks light. You're not concerned about evaporation using eggcrate (white not black) as you stated and you have an ATO that will require more water due to evaporation once you remove the glass. On ManhattanReefs.com one of the members, KathyC made an acrylic mesh tank cover that you might want to take a look at as another alternative. She did a pretty good job on the DIY thread. Here's the link http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/diy-do-yourself/22953-acrylic-mesh-tank-cover.html. You may or may not have to register to view posts. Register and you'll have another alternate forum to learn more and see how a New Yorker runs a reef.

 

[deuceb]

white not black

why not black leroy

 

[Leroy]

Black absorbs light, white reflects. Also black will absorb heat and the opposite of white, though no saying the white eggcrate will be completely cool under MH lighting and will have a degree of temperature but will be a difference if the black is used. I don't have an exact temperature difference unless it were tested with thermo couples and a data logger.

 

[JohnK]

I would assume black would not be as good as white because black would not reflect light whereas white would. Both would block some light, but I'd assume that some of the light hitting the vertical surfaces on the white would find it's way into the tank, whereas the black would not bounce as much light off.

Edit;
Yea, what Leroy said

 

[deuceb]

thanks

thanks input is appreciated