# No Lid Tank?



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

Do you have to have a lid with peacocks, are they jumpers? thanks


----------



## workharddieproud (Nov 7, 2013)

My peacocks don't jump but there's no way I'd not have a lid on my tank, but that's me.


----------



## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Peacocks can jump a little. You never know what they might do and it's rough losing a fish that way. Also, lids help cut down on evaporation.


----------



## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

Lost a few peacocks from jumping....specially when they get startled.


----------



## dalto (Aug 20, 2006)

chopsteeks said:


> Lost a few peacocks from jumping....specially when they get startled.


Yeah this is my experience as well. Most fish will jump if they get startled or chased near the top and decide to swim up.


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

Sounds good, I'll get a tank with lid and canopy. Certainly dont want to lose any fish that way.


----------



## workharddieproud (Nov 7, 2013)

clhinds78 said:


> Peacocks can jump a little. You never know what they might do and it's rough losing a fish that way. Also, lids help cut down on evaporation.


 It does help allot with evaporation water loss so you don't add water as often.


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

I have been using rimless tanks and came to love them, but I'll will not risk the livestocks ending up on the carpet.


----------



## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

TINY said:


> I have been using rimless tanks and came to love them, but I'll will not risk the livestocks ending up on the carpet.


Yes, I would love a rimless tank, but most of the fish I keep are jumpers So I have to have some sort of a covering.

I prefer the all-glass canopies, they are sleeker and easier to fix if they break.


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

I've been using rimless open top tank. I love it! I have lost 3 discus, uncounted numbers of rummy nose, cherry shrimps, and some other fishes.

But I'll never put lid for I love seeing drift woods reaching out from the tank.


----------



## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

clhinds78 said:


> TINY said:
> 
> 
> > I have been using rimless tanks and came to love them, but I'll will not risk the livestocks ending up on the carpet.
> ...


How about using acrylic? It's light weight and easily cut.

Where I live, there are many places that sell acrylic and offer custom cut. 
Simply give them the design, and then they'll cut using computer.

The price depends on thickness. The thicker, the stronger and more expensive.


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

Yeah I suppose an acrylic top on a rimless would prevent jumping accident.


----------



## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

I have a 150 with one 6" width of glass down the center and the rest open (the 6" protects my LED's and the open makes it easy to work on and feed)

I have both CA and Africans mixed and I like it open. I've never had a problem outside evaporation.


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

Yeah I think that will work too. I'm thinking of acrylic instead of glass and a bit wider, so not to worry breaking it when taking it off during maintenance. I can hang the lights as well, good idea.


----------



## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

Nothings worse than seeing a $60 male peacock dried up on the floor. I would love to have a rimless hoodless tank I think they look so much nicer. However cichlids are jumpers when they get startled or males are fighting. I live in a warm area so sometimes to cool off my tank I have to have a fan blow across the top and I have lost a few high dollar fish while trying to cool my tank.

I have seen pictures where some people will put a fitted net across the top of hoodless tanks to prevent jumpers.


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Just so you know, the thin acrylic from home improvement stores will warp when placed over an aquarium. I've been there and done that.


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

Good to know. I'm looking online for an 1/2" thickness, that should be ok.


----------



## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

1/4" is fine, the Home Depot/Lowe's material is .08 which is less than 1/8"

1/4" acrylic is expensive but doable but 1/2" is VERY hard to find and VERY expensive even if you find it.


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

I'll check out home depot, see what they have and how much it cost.


----------



## Ryan_R (Aug 20, 2014)

TINY said:


> I have been using rimless tanks and came to love them, but I'll will not risk the livestocks ending up on the carpet.


Carpet is a great place place if they have to end up somewhere. My German Shepherd decided an escaped Prochilodus belonged in my bed. :?

-Ryan


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

Why not just use glass? My lids cost me £20+£3 for the stainless to make the holders.


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

I suppose I can just cut the glass lid in half, so it doesn't cover the whole tank. A lot of my fish ended up on the carpet, just because my cat get on the ledge of the stand and swat them on the side, and they jump. Well, he thinks he's helping because he picks them up and bring them to me. Sometimes they're already dead, and sometimes they're still alive and put back in the tank. I don't think I want that to happen with cichlids though, they're little pricey.


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

This is probably the clearest shot of mine 
No worries about cat ingress either


----------



## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

More info on those clips please.........


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

Because my tank is 3/8 glass I had to diy. 
1in wide 1/16th thick stainless. 
Thinking about it you can buy similar made by ADA but iirc they were £10 for 4 and I would have needed 8 and enough stainless to do these cost me £3


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Nice job on the lid clips! Tell us more about how you decided to form them for your tank, i.e. what was the jig shape if any, how difficult to bend, did they all come out exactly the same.

BTW, I have heard that you can't even lead a cat to water, let alone make him drink!!!


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

I folded them up on a standard 3ft wide sheet metal bender, no real effort required just a couple of test pieces to get the bend point as I wasn't using a known bend radius and as such unable to calculate the bend point. They are pretty accurate within 1/32in or so, more than accurate enough for the purpose.

What was that you said about cats and drinking


----------



## MeCasa (Apr 5, 2014)

Very nice. Another plus is that glass doesn't block as much light as acrylic

And then there's the fact that glass just plain looks good


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

Really nice tank and love the cats.


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

TINY said:


> Really nice tank and love the cats.


Thanks, 
It looks like this now


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

That's really nice. What size tank and what fish do you there?


----------



## freelanderuk (Jun 26, 2014)

A very nice layout


----------



## OllieNZ (Apr 18, 2014)

Thanks,
The tank is 48x18x18in and the fish in the picture are Metriaclima callainos (cobalt blue zebras)


----------



## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

OllieNZ said:


> Thanks,
> The tank is 48x18x18in and the fish in the picture are Metriaclima callainos (cobalt blue zebras)


Yes, sweet looking tank! Sounds like a great size for mbuna!


----------



## TINY (Aug 14, 2014)

Rimless tanks look really nice.


----------

