canopy for 125 & info.

[Ichthy]

I like the idea of a canopy and wish i had one for my 75gal so i've decided that for my 125, i'm going to have one.
I'm looking to have one built, most likely by my dad
But i have no idea how to go about it to show it to him.

I know i want a lid so i can easily change out the bulbs and between the tank & lights, have eggcrate/light defuser so my tank's temp. wont raise like my 75gal[which is 86]
I've looking around on here but i haven't seen any pictures showing a canopy with a lid.

Does someone have that- that i can look at? Or plans of one?

I plan on getting lights with a timer, any ideas on where to put it tank-wise? Is it better to have it by the lights or on a wall of the stand or is that just personally choice....

Also, where is a good place to have a 125gal tank..... Is it ok to put one by a patio door that doesn't have blinds/shades to block half of the sunlight?[cause i know the sun is really bright between noon to 3p, i dont want any fish to die cuase of too much heat] Would that be too much sun? Or pretty amount of sunlight?

I would like to know, is it possible to buy an overflow system at a different time? I know on petco.com you can build your own and select to have an overflow system, i like the one they used in their picture, but to save on money a little bit, i would like to buy that later. Maybe? Or is it better to buy it at the same time cuase of the cutting of the glass. I know it's better to have a Reef-ready tank but i believe for a 125gal, it's a bit more money.

I would like some advice/ideas on a canopy before buying the tank.
[tried to word it right to make sense, if it doesn't i'm sorry, i'm semi pickie when it comes to aquariums]

[Europhyllia]

wow 86 is super high. are you running a fan or anything? That temp would really start to worry me

[Ichthy]

I have 2 fan inside to move the water around but that's about it other than my ceiling fan on high cause the tank is in my room. I had glass tops about 2in thick which today i broke by accident, trying to get an angel who had a "evil person" on his face. Right now i have light defuser/egg crate on it.

[Europhyllia]

that might already help with cooling it down a bit (getting rid of the glass tops). Evaporation will go up so be sure to keep up with your top off water but it will cool down better without the tops.
(see it's a good thing you broke them! :) )

[Ichthy]

Yeah, Adriene at Polly's told me that's what she using, so i thought i'd give it a try & save Randy from ordering an extra set. When i get my 125, i'm gonna use them instead of glass tops :)

:bigsmile:Yeah now i'm glad i broke them!:angel: *lol*

[Europhyllia]

I have small, fast fish and egg crate wouldn't do it for them so I made this lightweight clear mesh top. Check it out:
http://www.maast.org/showthread.php?57929-Clear-Mesh-Screen-from-David&highlight=mesh+top

[jrsatx20]

Sorry for being blunt but you have to slow down and read. There is a lot of information to be learned here on maast.

The egg crate is doing nothing for your heat problem. Only thing it is doing is keeping your fish in the tank and all other stuff out of your tank.


Putting the tank next to the patio door will raise the temp of the tank.

When asked if you had fans it was meant to you have fans blowing across the water surface to help keep the tank cool. Fans in an Aquarium are called powerheads.

Cheap timers will do for your lights. Can get them at target or walmart.

Hang on back over flows can lose siphon and water from your sump will fill the tank and over flow the tank. Better to have tank drilled and have a calfo or buy a reef ready tank. Reef ready is a tank that comes with over flows installed already.

[Europhyllia]

When asked if you had fans it was meant to you have fans blowing across the water surface to help keep the tank cool. Fans in an Aquarium are called powerheads.

Oh I didn't even catch that! Yes open top with mesh or crate to keep wayward fish in and air blowing fans to aid in evaporation to cool down the tank.

[Ichthy]

It's kinda hard to slow down and read, when there's not alot of thread mention a canopy or even show pictures.
Which is why i asked in this if anybody has plans that they made themselves.
Also why i mentioned how i haven't seen very many pictures of them. I see some on tanks but dont see a lid where the lights are.

Yeah i know what powerheads are. I mentioned my ceiling fan because i have seen some fans that are around the tank to keep the area cool.
Yes i do know what reef ready is. i mentioned petco.com because the one they show, I dont know if i can buy it later on.
On petco.com you can built your own tank and have the option of having a overflow or not.
I know where to get timers but not sure where to put them on the tank like by the lights or in the stand.

Right now, my hang-on back sump/fuge is already almost to the top, i dont believe it's working but then again, i know zero about sump/fuges.

[StevenSeas]

If your fuge is hooked up how I showed you and water is going in and coming out, and hasnt flooded then its working fine. You might have to turn up the speed on your pump, but its built so the fuge wont overflow only thing would be the tank if the pump is turned up too high