Anyone have a open top aquarium?

[sChArF]

Any one out there runing a open top planted tank?
like
http://www.tropica.com/article.asp?type=aquaristic&id=259
i would love to see more pics or tips you have.
this is the kind of setup i am seting up these dayz.

[TonyMuffTana]

I wouldn't recommend it. I had a 2" gap in the front and back of my tank. Once in a while I'd find a dried up shrimp somewhere in the house. If there's any chasing between fish there's a good chance they may try jumping out as well.

[sChArF]

It is mostly just for the plants. But you due have to chose your spices of fish right and make sure they are not stressed.
I am going with discus

[Anton Wernher]

sChArF,
I am starting the process of setting up an open top tank myself. I am planning on a 30 gallon acrylic tank. I am in the process of creating the stand and light supports (so that they do not have to be hung from the ceiling). I'll post pics once I get it up and running(but you will probably be done before myself..soo). My biggest problem is going to be locating a 36 inch acyrlic tank. Anyway don't know why I replied as I can not provide you with pics... but hey. Be sure to post pics of your setup once you get it going :)

[TonyMuffTana]

another thing to remember is water loss. I found that even with a small gap, there was enough evaporation that I needed to replace the water ever 4 days.

[sChArF]

Nice Anton Wernher,
Thanks for replying. Don’t forget to post your pics as well.
I really love the open top it really adds a 3rd type of effect.

my goal is to have flowering plants growing out of the water.

It will be a while before I get this setup. $$$ constraints. i am using my 130gal. i want to use 100% onyx sand in the bottom. But it will cost like $300. So I am kicking around the idea of getting like 8 bags for $200 and doing the rest with pea gravel from the hardware store.

And I am building a new stand for my tank. This weekend, if everything goes well.
I also have to bleach the H*** out of it. Due to a little Fish dieing issues i had in this tank. I throw everything at it :mad:

you can see pics of my tank befor It hit the fan here
http://arofanatics.com/members/scharf/

[somefinnfishy]

My work sells black sand in 20lb bags for $9.99.
10 bags would give you at least 3" in a standard 18x72 footprint:)

[sChArF]

What is your work?

[aljen]

Here's my desktop 18 gal Tall open canopy set up. I have 2x 13 watt and 1x38 watt compact flourescent bulbs over the planted tank. Yes, evaporation occurs more rapidly. Is it a problem? No. Just do regular water changes more frequently than you would with a covered top set up. How frequently depends on relative humidity, ambient temperature, surface agitation, among other factors.

http://alsace0.tripod.com/fishphotos/index.html

Note: This picture was taken Aug 2001. The tank has more plants today.

[The Gipper]

I have had a 58 gal with open top for the last two years. I am in the process of selling it and setting up a 120 gal the same way. Should have the 120 up and running by the end of this month. Just waiting on the carpenter to finish the custom stand.

I have been buying equipment and supplies piece-meal for the last 10 months for this tank as I had $$ available:

- 100% Onyx Sand for substrate
- Gas CO2, Tom Barr reactor(from when he was making and selling them earlier this year)
- Two 175w Metal Halide pendents with electronic ballasts for lighting from Champion Lighting
- A DIY wet-dry (as per Tom Barr's plans and suggestion) out of rubbermaid trash cans and containers, and using an Amiracle overflow prefilter. I had a wet-dry on a 125 gallon tank about 10 years ago and it worked great - no surface scum, no concern about adding additional fish to the tank. Back then it did cause me to run CO2 at a slightly higher level, but CO2 is cheap. With my new design I don't expect CO2 usage to be that much more significant with my wet-dry over the use of a canister.

I may add a 6 inch "rim" around the top, matching the oak stand, to cut down on the light spillage and glare into the room from the MH lighting, don't know about that yet.

From running open top on my 58, yes I lose about an inch of water per week in the winter when the heat is running. Plant tanks with CO2 and lighting are high maintenance anyway, so its not like alot of extra work to top off the tank. I notice no rise in humidity in the room, or mold on windows, etc, like reported in your link. The extra humidity (if there is any) would actually be a plus in the winter. Yes you do have to avoid jumping fish, that just goes with the territory and is not a big deal for me. The rim, if I go with it, though, would probably aid considerably on this.

[plantbrain]

With a wet dry filter you will get everything out of the tank equipment wise, no issues with level changes due to evaporation in the tank, very stable etc.
For this sized tank, they are cheaper also if you DIY.

Jumpers are part of the deal or have fish etc that don't jump. I had a couple of shrimp every 2-4 months sneak out. I can live with that.

I plant the area around the tank with house plants and the surface plants also create a barrier for jumpers.
I have an old pic up on www.sfbaaps.com with some pennywort to give an idea.

I'd go with Flourite for the Discus vs onyx.
I would not mix it with sand etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[DIYMatt]

I have had an open top 75g planted with MH for three years now and I am swithing another tank over to open top right now. I love them. I have all DIY lighting and stand. No digi camera yet, so no pics, sorry. I do lose water to evaporation, 1 inch almost every 2 days in the winter. But, topping off is a small issue since I am doing some type of maintenance those days anyways. I did have a couple jumpers at first. Just a couple of SAE's and one shrimp. So, I made a two peice 4" "rim" with plexi glass and those corner protectors for your walls. I had to be easily removable. Otherwise working over an extra 4" to reach the gravel in the bottom of the tank would be too much. I removed/broke it almost a year ago an I haven't add a jumper since. Just a few dozen dried up up MTS snails on the rim of the tank. I don't have many plants that flower above the water so I don't know about that. Also, I don't notice much of glare issue unless I sit on the floor right in front of the tank and look up into the bulbs themselves. You are also wasting light energy by putting glass between the light and the water, up to 20% or more if the glass is dirty. But, what I love most about open tanks is the "glitter ring". The beautiful reflections from the MH's off the water on the ceiling. Especially in a plant tank with little surface movement the pattterns are very tranquil and almost hypnotic. IMO it makes for a more natural and peaceful environment which is what a lot of us are working for in a planted tank.

[sChArF]

nice tanks Tom,
Where can i find plans for the A DIY wet-dry?

Why would you go with Flourite over onyx for discus?

[plantbrain]

Onyx tends to raise the KH a little.
Fine if you have other fish but most folks try to keep the KH down generally.

Check pituretrail.com under plantbrain.
Regards,
Tom Barr

[Sumpin'fishy]

Plantbrain, I'm planning a planted tank in the future, and I have a question about your last post. My KH is 5.4 normally from tap, so if I add plants and CO2 to a tank, should I use onyx, flourite, or can you suggest something more affordable? I hear alot of people promoting these two substrates, so if I do need one of them, should I go for onyx to help buffer a bit more?

Also, I have another question. I also plan to surround my tank with houseplants, and want to make a DIY hanging stip light fixture. I have some hand-me-down 48" NO double flourescent strip lights with ballasts, 4 separate ones. My question is, can I use two double strip light set-ups in a DIY hanging wood fixture and get enough light to my tank and surrounding plants? That's a total of 160 watts over a 55 gal aquarium? Also, is it feasible to use wood, cause I know it can be heavy. Thanks.

[The Gipper]

Link to DIY wet dry

http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200209/msg00599.html

[plantbrain]

If you do a fair amount of water changes etc, add peat, the effect of the onyx is not much.
A KH of 5 is fine.
I don't give other suggestions for substrates as a rule since these two work so well and have a number of attributes that I like.

MPV Turface/Profile/Schultz's works well, but is very light and a PITA to replant etc in. Adding sand to this at 30-70% ratio or 50-50 etc can weigh the profile down. I don't like the look and I don't like layered substrates much.

My point is that the flourite is "worth the cost". It last forever, you don't deal or worry about the substrate again. I've done more types of substrates/systems than anyone I've met or talked to on the net/in person etc. Sure, you can get other things that will work well, but I just suggest this for the simplicity, availability and effectiveness.
It's all I've used for the last few years. If you look , you can find it reasonably priced on line etc. See if you can work a deal with the LFS on a large amount if you need it. Trade plants for it etc. If you have a 55, 4 bags is fine. about 60-80$. MPV is about 10$.
I'll spend the extra $ for it personally.
Regards,
Tom Barr

[Sumpin'fishy]

As always, I appreciate the advice. I will probably do just what you have said. Being new to planting, I'd rather cut down on my headaches than some minor costs. Especially if it lasts like you say. I appreciate the help.

[sChArF]

Yes thank you for you excellent advice plantbrain, I will get fluorite now instead of onyx

[Altivelis]

I have an open top tank with a large breedin group of endler's livebearers, cory cats, algae eating shrimp and a few oddballs. I have use a variety of bog type plans as well as standard aquarium plants that grow in and out of the water. I have a large pot outside the tank that runs the entire length of the tank and has potho plans growing out of it and into the water.

I have had no problems with fish jumping out but I guess the planting is fairly dense.
The tank's dimensions are 45 long, 18 wide and 12 high