Often considered as an integral part of a fish tank, the lid or hood that covers the top part of the aquarium is indeed a necessity. To some people, the lid may seem to be just another decoration prop that goes on top of the tank, but in reality, it is more than just that.
Do I need a lid over my fish tank? Fish tank lid prevents water evaporation. Protect kids, pets, other unwanted physical objects to get in the fish tank. On the other hand, prevents fish to jump out. Lids help to integrate or even hide lights and other necessarily fish tank equipment. Lastly, the lids are part of fish tank design. Generally, a lid is without a doubt, compulsory for your fish tank.
What Makes A Lid So Important In A Fish Tank?
To answer that question, let us consider the roof over our house. It shelters us from the harsh weather, protects us from the scorching heat, dust, pollution, unwanted objects, and so on. The lid over your fish tank does the same. From preventing evaporation from protecting your fishes from dust and other physical objects, the lid is, without a doubt, compulsory.
What Does Fish Tank Cover Prevent From?
The primary and most vital function of a lid is preventing foreign and physical objects from getting into your fish tank.
Other Objects, Dust, Kids, And Pets.
Easy to imagine, if there are kids at your place who enjoy playing with balls, right?
Also, if you have pets, like cats, roaming around the house, you are better off keeping your fish tank covered than having it exposed to your curious little friends. But just as it prevents things from getting inside your aquarium, the cover also ensures that your fishes do not jump out of the tank.
Keeping an exposed fish tank can also result in dust settling on the water surface, which in turn will reduce or deteriorate the oxygen content of the tank water. This will further result in breathing difficulties for your fishes. Covering your fish tank is the simplest and least expensive solution to this problem.
The Lid Over Fish Tank Is The Best Cure For Fish Escape Attempts
Fishes, especially those that swim near the surface level, may end up jumping out of your fish tank if they are startled by something or agitated by the living quality inside the tank. The lid prevents their sudden attempts at escaping from the aquarium.
Water Stays In Fish Tank
Besides, the cover over your fish tank also prevents excess evaporation which will make sure that your aquarium does not lose water at a rapid rate. It will also make your life a lot easier given that you do not have to bother with refilling the tank every now and then.
Fish Tank With Lid VS. Fish Tank Without Lid
There are multiple factors that come into play when you compare fish tanks with a lid to those without it.
Fish Tank With Lid = cleaner water
A fish tank with lid, for instance, will be cleaner than that without one. The lid will not allow dust or unwanted pollen inside the tank, thus keeping it clean. Those tanks, which are kept uncovered, are more prone to such invasion by foreign and unwanted particles, some of which might disrupt your aquarium’s ecosystem.
Fish Tank With Lid = less smell
On the other hand, keeping a fish tank covered means that exchange of gases between the tank and the air outside is kept restricted to some extent. That is, ventilation is limited.
This is quite likely to cause a pungent and unpleasant smell inside the tank for which, the water needs to be cleaned every once in a while, depending on the size of the aquarium. Such odor is not usually seen for open fish tanks.
Fish Tank With Lid = kids and pets safety
Not only dust, but others wanted objects around your household might also end up in the tank water by the courtesy of your children or pets if you keep the fish tank uncovered.
Fish Tank With Lid = stop evaporation
Then there is also the factor of evaporation. An open tank results in more water being reduced from the tank due to evaporation. Hence, you need to keep the tank’s water level in check to ensure that it does not drop below a certain level.
For closed tanks, evaporation is not a problem as it is kept under control thanks to the lid covering the tank. Thus, the hassle of refilling the aquarium with water every now and then is avoided with ease.
Fish Tank With Lid = WINNER
The comparison between the two situations can lead to only one clear winner. The benefits of keeping the tank covered outweigh the benefits of keeping the tank open. Hence, a lid over your fish tank is the way to go.
Do Fish Inside The Fish Tank Need A Lid?
The fishes inside the aquarium can do just fine without a lid. However, it is always a wise decision to stay on the safe side of things.
The lid is basically a roof over your fish tank. It not only prevents loss of water through evaporation but at the same time, it also ensures the quality of life inside the tank is kept intact.
The cover also keeps dust and insects away from the water of the tank as we already mentioned. In the absence of a lid, these dust particles, pollens, and insects can enter the tank water and create unwanted pollution within the tank, causing disruption in the aquarium ecosystem.
Such pollutants also destroy the quality of the water as well as the food inside the tank. Diseases can be seen among your fishes if they are ever exposed to such pollution.
The lid you attach over the tank should also be equipped with artificial lighting, preferably blue in color. The additional lighting is a must if your aquarium is situated in such a part of the house or office, where natural light has no access.
Materials Used In The Making Of Fish Tank Covers
One of the most common choices people opt for when choosing the type of fish tank lid they want over their fish tank is glass.
Fish Tank Glass lid
Glass lids have been known to be the most durable and versatile types of covers. Their tight fit helps prevent evaporation. Also, they are easier to clean and are comparatively more durable than plastic lids.
While purchasing a glass lid, be sure that it is provided with a back strip which will allow you to make custom cut-outs for adding the filter and other accessories. Glass lids are not usually provided with artificial tank lighting of their own but some of them may have light sockets for that very purpose.
Glass covers can be a bit more expensive than plastic hoods, but they are worth the additional expense given their durability, and other functional aspects.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, plastic covers are just what you need.
Fish Tank Plastic lid
When you are purchasing a plastic lid, make sure you are not compromising the quality for the design. Keep it simple, light, and durable.
There are a few drawbacks you need to be aware of if you plan on going using a plastic hood as your fish tank cover. Plastic lids usually do not fit as tightly as glass lids, which allows more evaporation of the tank water.
Plastic hoods also become brittle over time and are less durable compared to glass.
Fish Tank Canopy
The third option you could consider is a canopy over your tank. Compared to the other two, canopies can be quite expensive, sometimes even more costly than the aquarium itself.
However, if you are a person of aesthetics, and would like to give that plain fish tank a classy and elegant appeal to itself, a canopy is the type of lid you should go for. Fish tank Canopy covers come in various sizes and material made from. The price range also varies, see Amazon options, here.
Does Fish Tank Cover Help Over The Night? And should I cover it?
Yes, the lid on top of your fish tank does help over the night.
Like humans, fishes too have a day and night cycle. Different species of fish require a different amount of light per day. Usually, most fishes need around 12 hours of light a day and also room for rest/sleep. Fish do sleep, read more.
During the day, the natural lighting from the sun or the artificial lighting inside your house is sufficient for your fishes, and the ecosystem inside your aquarium. But at night, the prime source of light for your fish tank is the ones you have installed on the hood, within the fish tank.
Normally, if the light inside the aquarium is kept on during the night, for a prolonged period of time, there are high chances that an overgrowth of algae will disrupt the harmony inside your tank. This will, in turn, make your fish tank look dirty. If so, algae cleaning tips and methods are tackled in this post.
In this case, instead of taking off the hood at night, just turn the lights off inside the tank. This will ensure that your fishes are safe and there is no unwanted growth of algae in the fish tank.
Also, as it is usually going to be pitch black outside your tank during the night, even the slightest movement on the tank or the softest of noises outside can startle the fish.
Now, if your fishes have the tendency to jump out of the water, it is in your best interest to cover the top of the fish tank at night. This will prevent them from making their escape.
In conclusion, the lid or hood over your aquarium is indeed an integral part of the entire system.
It contributes greatly to the fish tank and its overall ecosystem. Equipping your tank with a solid lid is a decision that you cannot delay.
