iani
Supporting Member
The problem with extra room is that your fish will find that extra room and jump out.
Custom Tank Cover / Lids - Wrasse ready - Recommendations and Lessons Learned
- Thread starter Alexander1312
- Start date
BAYMAC
Supporting Member
It's simply amazing how fish can get out of the smallest of holes :/
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Great point. He does have a write up about this specifc concern.
Acrylic Lids vs Polycarbonate Lids?
Many hobbyists are unaware of the distinctions between these materials, thus we aim to assist you in making the most informed purchase decision, regardless of where you buy.
kreativereefer.com
SupraSaltyReefer
Supporting Member
Good to see they already addressed that concern. I didn't know the differences between exturded vs cell cast acrylics. Learned something new!Great point. He does have a write up about this specifc concern.
Acrylic Lids vs Polycarbonate Lids?
Many hobbyists are unaware of the distinctions between these materials, thus we aim to assist you in making the most informed purchase decision, regardless of where you buy.
derek_SR
Supporting Member
Great point. He does have a write up about this specifc concern.
Acrylic Lids vs Polycarbonate Lids?
Many hobbyists are unaware of the distinctions between these materials, thus we aim to assist you in making the most informed purchase decision, regardless of where you buy.
Did they address it though? That write up basically just concedes that acrylic is weaker and more prone to warping and discoloration. With no advantage other than cost?
I guess it makes sense if you are looking to save money with your lid, but for all functional purposes poly is the better material, no?
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Yes, I have concluded the same. I guess they did ‘address’ the topic but were honest about the differences without saying that this is not an issue. They offered me to refund the money I had prepaid if I had second thoughts, and this offer alone made me not do it.
I typically like to buy the good stuff but the lid has been a bit of a painful experience for me for several reasons, and the way he operates made this process very easy for me, and the communication is excellent and speedy. Also, I feel that this lid might need additional customization, which I might be missing, so I treat it more like a pilot project. Lastly, the warping might take a while to materialize and could be less significant than it sounds.
After all, it is just a lid which hopefully allows me to keep wrasses. Buying something of known inferior quality is typically not my approach, but this seemed to be a bit of a grey area. Will report back once I receive it and using it for a while.
derek_SR
Supporting Member
Yeah fair enough, there is a lot of value in good CS and engagement from the seller. I have gone down the custom lid rabbit hole several times myself and ultimately never pulled the trigger, for many of the same reasons you've covered yourself in this thread.
I still don't have a lid - and still haven't lost a fish to jumping yet. I think that's mostly because of a very large euro brace on my tank. Knock on wood!
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Knocking for you - how large is the Eurobrace? Do you keep wrasses?
While not that exciting solution, IMO before spending $400-$500 on a lid that can't later be adjusted, I'd assess how expensive your fish are going to be, how likely it really is for them to jump (especially with eurobrace), and how much you really wouldn't like a simple AL mesh one. IMO it's very easy to over think that a basic mesh one will look bad or be non optimal, until you install it, see it's not very visible, and 10 minutes later never notice it again because from viewing angles it generally isn't a focal point.
The AL bar footprints are very small, for all the reasons AL is used in lightweight and strong situations. It's quite easy to add cups/cutouts, quite easy to later mod, and initial investment is low + easy to take apart and repurpose for a second tank later (therefore not a sunken cost worry inducer).
Not trying to convince you otherwise, but relaying since I went down this path, including getting quotes and designs, and then decided it was too complicated + too expensive + too slow, so I temporarily built the AL mesh kind. I've since decided I'm quite happy with it.
Also the alternative option is buy a router (or a CNC) and build your own
The AL bar footprints are very small, for all the reasons AL is used in lightweight and strong situations. It's quite easy to add cups/cutouts, quite easy to later mod, and initial investment is low + easy to take apart and repurpose for a second tank later (therefore not a sunken cost worry inducer).
Not trying to convince you otherwise, but relaying since I went down this path, including getting quotes and designs, and then decided it was too complicated + too expensive + too slow, so I temporarily built the AL mesh kind. I've since decided I'm quite happy with it.
Also the alternative option is buy a router (or a CNC) and build your own
derek_SR
Supporting Member
I have had a leopard wrasse in the tank since the beginning (14 months) and have a pretty large fish population in general.
My euro brace is 5.5”
MolaMola
Supporting Member
Do you need the bigger hole for auto feeder for when you are away from home or will the front cutouts work? Where and how would you place the feeder? I have a Kraken lid on a Biocube and it is a great screen top with a cutout maybe 2.5-3" diameter. Surprising how big the hole needs to be to let most of the food fall in from rotating Eheim feeder. Mesh top helps tank not overheat and doesn't gather condensation.
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
I am not sure if I agree with the sentiment that the cost of the lid needs an assessment of the cost of the fish to determine if it is worth it.While not that exciting solution, IMO before spending $400-$500 on a lid that can't later be adjusted, I'd assess how expensive your fish are going to be, how likely it really is for them to jump (especially with eurobrace), and how much you really wouldn't like a simple AL mesh one. IMO it's very easy to over think that a basic mesh one will look bad or be non optimal, until you install it, see it's not very visible, and 10 minutes later never notice it again because from viewing angles it generally isn't a focal point.
The AL bar footprints are very small, for all the reasons AL is used in lightweight and strong situations. It's quite easy to add cups/cutouts, quite easy to later mod, and initial investment is low + easy to take apart and repurpose for a second tank later (therefore not a sunken cost worry inducer).
Not trying to convince you otherwise, but relaying since I went down this path, including getting quotes and designs, and then decided it was too complicated + too expensive + too slow, so I temporarily built the AL mesh kind. I've since decided I'm quite happy with it.
Also the alternative option is buy a router (or a CNC) and build your own
I believe we need to provide a habitat which ensures that the tank accomodates the animals were are adding in the most effective way possible, recognizing the limitations of this artifical habitat (tank size is one factor).
The title of this thread highlights that this was targeted at wrasses who seem to be likely to jump as per my knowledge. I am sure there are other fishes with a similar behavior.
An expensive lid does likely not provide a better protection than a cheaper one. However, I had mentioned above that I already own the standard mesh lish which came with the tank, but which I cannot further customize and which now creates openings given the various amounts of pumps I have added, and lacks openings for feeding, which requires me to keep the entire lid removed during feeding. Both creates risk of jumping in my opinion, which I would like to avoid.
If I knew how to operate a router (?) or a CNC, I would probably not consider going with an external company, but I am also not very keen on learning how to use either, yet I can see why others might find that a good path to chose.
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Kreative Reefer - Ordered July 5, received today (July 25). Due to the Texas Hurricanes, there was a delay with his supplier, and it would have been even quicker otherwise.
It is acrylic, so we will see how long it lasts, but what I received today is just a fantastic, high-quality product. I could not be happier with it. Thanks a lot, @Reefer Madness, for your recommendation.
The corner cut outs might need some adjustments but this was based on my specific request, so nothing he did wrong.
Halichoeres melanurus ordered from @under_water_ninja - let’s see how the lid holds up to jumping fish.
It is acrylic, so we will see how long it lasts, but what I received today is just a fantastic, high-quality product. I could not be happier with it. Thanks a lot, @Reefer Madness, for your recommendation.
The corner cut outs might need some adjustments but this was based on my specific request, so nothing he did wrong.
Halichoeres melanurus ordered from @under_water_ninja - let’s see how the lid holds up to jumping fish.
MarcosDelgado0
Supporting Member
Wow that looks really good
Reefer Madness
Supporting Member
I'm relieved it all worked out and you're happy. It's always a worry for me when i vouch for something. I think the lid looks fantastic and I'd love to see it in person someday. Still, a super quick turnaround time for something custom made and delivered in twenty days.
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
None of the others even remotely quoted a turnaround time this fast. And while I am typically willing to wait for quality, getting this quick is a huge benefit. Your are welcome to see this in person anytime. Thanks again.
Reefer Madness
Supporting Member
Yeah I was having the same issues when I was looking for a lid on the smaller tank I had at the time. Turnaround times were 4-6 months. I can't wait to see the new wrasse.
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Ok, here's an update on the lid: I still believe the efforts put into this by Kreative Reefer were excellent. However, this was his first larger lid project, and I have realized two issues that might require me to order a new lid somewhere else:
1. It already bends significantly, creating a larger opening - which contradics the main reason why I bought this. The acrylic concerns that @SupraSaltyReefer raised in this thread were undoubtedly valid. I knew that this could become an issue and was willing to take the risk, which now materialized.
2. The black bar in the middle will block light—for some odd reason, I did not notice this in the beginning. Kreative Reefer normally does smaller tanks that do not need the interlocking setup, and he likes to have a black frame surrounding each element, which is okay except in my case when the black frame is in the middle.
I also ordered a lid from him for the nano tank, which does not have these issues, so I assume this is a problem with the lid's size.
1. It already bends significantly, creating a larger opening - which contradics the main reason why I bought this. The acrylic concerns that @SupraSaltyReefer raised in this thread were undoubtedly valid. I knew that this could become an issue and was willing to take the risk, which now materialized.
2. The black bar in the middle will block light—for some odd reason, I did not notice this in the beginning. Kreative Reefer normally does smaller tanks that do not need the interlocking setup, and he likes to have a black frame surrounding each element, which is okay except in my case when the black frame is in the middle.
I also ordered a lid from him for the nano tank, which does not have these issues, so I assume this is a problem with the lid's size.
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Reefer Madness
Supporting Member
I'm truly sorry for the unfortunate situation I feel bad for making the suggestion. I'm confident that if you contact him and express your concerns he seems to be a person who would rectify the situation and provide a better product. He might perceive this as a trial run at developing a larger tank lid.
MarcosDelgado0
Supporting Member
Yeah I’d try reaching out to him and see what they say. I feel like a good vendor would try to help you out. I had a lid made through Kraken Reef for my Red Sea 525 and added on the evaporation covers because I had a cat that liked jumping on the tank and I was worried he’d fall through the netting. Turns out the weight of the covers made the lids bow at the center because there was no center brace to support the extra weight. They ended up refunding me for the covers and gave me a discount on the lid itself. They said they hadn’t done covers for a lid that big before so this was the first time they heard it, and now removed them as an option on their site for bigger lids. Honestly though, I feel like the Kraken Reef lids are too thin. It wasn’t until I got my custom ClearView lid for my low boy and they do thicker material and it feels so much sturdier. I’m not sure how thick your lid is but being Acrylic I was worried it’d bow over time