Is a tank hood necessary?

A

Atrus

AC Members
Dec 5, 2005
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I have a 10 gallon tank lying around, so i cleaned it out real good and I have a HOB filter on it, and i put in some new gravel and water in today, been running the filter to clear up the water today. I just got a 30 gal too, and I wanted to keep this 10g as a spare tank, so imma put some small stuff in it after it cycles. I wanna keep this cheap/free as possible, do I need a hood/lamp?
 
Not unless you have fish that are known to jump out (off the top of my head something like hatchetfish… bettas are known to jump, too). Still, it’s good to have some kind of cover temporarily when first adding fish until they get used to their new home. After that, not necessary at all. A cover will help with less evaporation, so you might have to top up more frequently. Light is only really necessary if you have plants. There are people with planted tanks who have open top tanks with lights suspended above.
 
Any fish irratated by something whether a little fright or something off with their water could potentially jump out of the tank. Get some plastic mesh for less than $1 if you don't want to spend too much money.
 
I would feel more comfortable with the top covered.
As other posters pointed out, some fish just jump.
The one that comes to my mind is the african butterfly. Seems to be a quiet fish, but it just needs a small hole.
 
yea, im definately going to get a hood, but i was just curious if there was any other issues with not having a light/hood. im going to cover it for this week, and then after payday imma grab a hood (and a filter/other misc stuff for my new 30 gal!!) :D
 
I've looked at butterfly fish a few times because they seem interesting. However, after hearing about their escape skills, I decided against it.
 
on another note, weather is a factor. the house is 70* yet i cannot keep my temp high enough with my 10 gal uncovered. it is losing too much heat and my heater is even higher wattage than the 10 gal heaters. so, in the meantime, i have a tray over the top. it has helped, but not a whole lot. then, of course, a hood or cover will cut down on evaporation.

the bottom 10 is still uncovered and the temp is much lower than the top 10 gal.
 
cats

I know this sounds dumb... but do you have cats/dogs. I swear the hood has saved my cats' lives. They think the aquarium is some special big screen we keep on just for them. Cichlids really really don't like to be stared at... without the hood, I am sure my cat would have been attacked :joke:

Seriously, it really helps regulate temperature and yes it keeps the cats less apt to play in the tank instead of next to it.
 
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