Replacing Your Stock Aquarium Hood..."Shedding Some Light" On How It Can Help Plant Growth.
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2017
- A simple topic in this video, folks, but an easy, cost effective solution to helping your plants by providing more uniform lighting coverage. Finally, after 6 years, I got around to replacing my old, stock aquarium hood.
Nothing against stock aquarium hoods - They are made for general purposes to cater to a wide variety of fish keepers, many of whom do not keep planted tanks. But many of them don't quite give us the type of lighting coverage we need in a fully planted tank.
Maybe I'm reading the wrong blogs, but I wasn't able to find much out on where folks were buying aquarium hoods, so I went with the good folks at Drs. Foster and Smith, and went with the Marineland "Perfecto" all glass aquarium hood. It fit....."Perfecto." 😉
Simply by replacing your stock aquarium hood with an all glass hood, you will allow more light to reach your plants, and your plants will be happy about that 😃
Hope this video was helpful in some way,
Keep tankin'
--d - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
This is exactly the information I've been combing the Internet for alllll day! Thank you!
Me too, this is the first video I’ve found which address this problem. I have a specialty Aquavision C25 Bubble aquarium and I recently bought a Kessil a80 light and trying to find the best way to mount it.
Same
Truly excellent video. Absolutely Brilliant. Thank you.
Chicago Papi - thank you!! So glad you enjoyed it and really appreciate the kind words!
The tank looks great, Two thumbs up. :)
Thanks, Anthony! It's finally getting there and stabilizing after about 5 months, which is par for the course ;) More and more, I feel like it takes new tanks 4 - 6 months to reach that sweet spot where the system is balanced...This one is now starting to "behave." Hope you are doing great, my friend
Thank you for the help…
Very good video. Thank You Sir.
My pleasure, Chris! Thanks for watching!
great video job,,and the tank looks amazing👍
George - as always, thank you for the support and kind words! You have some quite impressive tanks yourself, and I love checking out your discus.....You are "The Discus Whisperer." 😉👍
dmichaels fish den
wow thank you so much i really appreciate your kind words ✌
Gotta call it like I see it, George 😉 👍 Keep up the great work!
dmichaels fish den
likewise my friend✌👊😉
Liked, shared, commented and already subscribed. Beautiful work as always.
And, as always, Colin, cannot thank you enough for the kind words and continued support! 🙏 👍 Have to catch up with your videos....I've seen you've been quite busy posting lately! Hope you are well, my friend.
It's amazing how a trip to a zoo can fill out a few new vids. It's always interesting for me, seeing other parts of the world. Likewise good sir, and I'm waiting for your next guitar video. :)
Love the trips to the zoo - though ours don't house as many exotics as yours do - We do have some fabulous, huge aquariums out here, which I am planning on visiting and videoing. Aquarium of the Pacific and the Monterey Bay Aquarium are incredible. Lol - the next guitar video is actually already in the works! ;)
try polhycarbonate/acrylic...or a sheet of glass. Anything to get those black teeny LED light hoods. You can put a light on top that has "legs" and can be set on top of the clear material. If it's too bright at some point and I want it a little dimmer I put some opaque material underneath the light sitting on the glass. It can block out as much as you want and you don't need a dimmer type light. Stuff doesn't have to cost a fortune. I have bought already made glass canopys with the center that bends and a vinyl strip, but honestly it was only a flash buy and I don't know where to buy glass or to cut it. Also you can glue on a nice little handle (or two if it's on the glass lid which is heavy) either clear or black. It looks sweet and does the job.
Definitely a great option!! Thanks heaven!
Does your have a lot of condensation? Mine is always dripping wet! And if I go any lower with the water my filter will be noisier then it already is because my Aqueon does fit all the way down on the rim, not very happy with this product at all
Hi Heather - Yep, I've always got condensation on mine, so I hear you! This is definitely not a perfect product, and I'm not sure there is a perfect solution to aquarium tops/hoods. The condensation amount depends on the water temperature, room temperature, and how much evaporation is going on. For me, personally, in wanting planted tanks, I had three options: this one, the stock hood, or just make the tank "topless" and open. The stock hood wouldn't allow light through to the plants, and I have shrimp and other fish that can jump so open top wasn't my best play...so I had to go this route. Interestingly enough, though, these tops seem to have less condensation on larger tanks since the evaporation is more displaced. I have another Aqueon top on my 36 gallon bowfront and the condensation is 75% less than on the 20 gallon tank in the video....after working with these a bit, it seems this is more of an option for slightly larger tanks, if the condensation is an issue.....I'm just not really sure yet how to do this any other way on smaller tanks, expect to leave the top open....I do know I get much better plant growth with these Aqueon clear tops vs the stock hoods.....this is all still a work in progress...still researching. 😀
good vid
Thanks for the kind words, happy! Glad you enjoyed it!
I have a 60 gallon tank with two of the glass lids and i was cleaning it today. I took the two lids off to reach the back of the tank and i usually put it on the table but i put them on the floor off to the side and i was almost done cleaning when i hear a loud pop. I look down and i stepped on my glass lid and cracked it. Thankfully no glass shattered into little pieces they were all big chunks and the lid looked intact other than about 7 big cracks. I threw it out and currently lookong for a replacement.
Andrew - Oh no!!! Man...I've done that before myself...and stepped on my planting shears once and totally broke those, as well as an old Finnex stingray light...I always have to put stuff on a table now. Aqueon probably has some glass lids that will fit the 60..I know they have been increasing their stock. Have you given them a try? Sorry to hear about the accident. Been there, man
@@dmichaelsfishden yeah i felt terrible because the tank was a gift but ive found a couple of lids and will definitely check out the aqueon lids. Thanks for the help.
Can you tell me if they ship these hoods all over the world, how is it that the hood fit yours perfectly, do they do customization?
wolverineiscool - yeah, the fit can be tricky sometimes. I remember having to search around online a lot to find one that worked. After measuring the top of my tank around the rim (24" x 12"), I found mine on www.thatpetplace.com, but I'm not sure exactly where they ship or what has changed. I know there are other retailers that sell the hoods that ship to different places. I was able to find a 24" x 12" which fits perfectly so I didn't have to do any custom orders. On thatpetplace.com, sometimes they actually give the description of the hood ("for a 36 gallon bowfront tank" etc...). Over the last few years I've bought a couple different hoods and it seems like their selection is getting better - I just wish more retailers would sell these in store, or wish they were easier to find on Amazon, etc...But the shipping locations do depend on the retailer you order from. I'm not sure anyone can order directly from Marineland or Aqueon - hope that helps a little!
were to go to get the side from
Was it easy to keep the water level right up on the glass without water leakage?
Hey J BRown - Yep, very easy. The tank in the video has a rim on the top, so I would fill the tank up to the bottom frame of the rim. If you want to keep the water level right up to the glass, there is a plastic extension that comes with the top, so you can actually cover the back, where the glass ends, for full coverage 😀With the glass, the fit was absolutely perfect, so no water leakage at all Just make sure you get the exact right top with the measurements that match your aquarium 👍
There's umpteen videos available on youtube on how to make a DIY aquarium lid...YAY
My tank is 55 gallons and 48”. It has two cut outs for the two covers I removed. So I’d get two 24” ones right?
You absolutely could, yes. You could face one going one direction, another going the other direction. That being said, you may want to research a bit online. There may be a 48" size out there by Aqueon or another company. I was able to find a glass cover that fit my 36 gallon bowfront tank perfectly (made by Aqueon). For some reason, glass covers just aren't marketed that well, so they can be hard to find....That larger cover I got from Aqueon - I didn't see it on their site, or Amazon, PetSmart, PetCo, etc...I think I found it on either chewy.com or petswarehouse. I had to search for a few hours to finally find it....Hope that helps! Thanks for checking out the video!
dmichaels fish den Well, I already bought the two 24 inches. Fingers crossed they fit 😁
Crossing my fingers for you! The measurements work...they should fit just fine 👍
hey i just bought the fluval aquasky lighting and i need to change out my stock cover cause i can't close the lid. Do u think the hod u bough can work with the aquasky?
It should. The stock hood/cover will follow the dimensions of your tank frame. 👍
ok thanks man
@@dmichaelsfishden 3 years laters I'm coverless lol. Could just be me but the light seems to reflect off the glass and I wasn't getting growth. Now that I'm coverless I'm bearly getting any problems with plants growing.
Does the glass canopy reduce the amount of light for full spectrum leds or does it just redirect the light as it bends through the glass?
roccojrf - great question. I don't have any official way to measure as I don't have a light meter, but the glass canopy does little bit of both, in my experience. I'm sure it redirects some of the light (but not much) as it goes through the glass - the glass on the lids aren't super thick, and I think it does reflect/reduce some of the light, so they aren't perfect. That being said, they are a much better solution than a dark black plastic cover you might get on a stock tank, etc...With my plant growth, I haven't seen the glass canopies make a huge difference in the lighting my plants get - what effects them more is how deep the tank is.......but if the glass canopies reduce the light at all, it isn't much, at least nothing that has made a super noticeable difference, in my experience. Hope that helps a little!
@@dmichaelsfishden that make sense!
I have a 29 gallon long with a glass canopy and I'm getting a ton of light reflection off the glass
Hunter - I do too...but I'm not sure what I can do about that either...So far, these glass canopy's are the best alternative I know to replacing a canopy that isn't see thru - Of course, you could also go with the canopy off. It would be great if a company can create a glass top BUT leave a cut out for the light so it passes through easier - hmmm..🤔 there is an idea...until that time, at least the glass canopies are better than canopies that are solid...
Hi will this fit on a top fin 20g Tall?
Can i ask? what do i do whan i already have some fishes in my tank and i want to put some plants? Pls reply needed
Jack - not a problem. You can add plants at any time, it won't bother the fish - you may want to take a little water out though, so it's easier to get the plants in the aquarium. Even if you kick up a little dust in the gravel or substrate, it won't bother the fish. Go for it! 👍
What about tank warmers
Not gonna lie... I put my first one on backwards too.
LOL - glad to hear I'm not alone! Thanks for making me feel better 😊
Overall aesthetics is better too
Absolutely agree!
Hi! could you please tell me the light, heater, filter, etc you use for this tank?
By the way one of the best 20 gall I´ve seen and great video!
Pablo - Thank you for the very kind words! The tank did come along well. It's my oldest planted tank at 5 years old and essentially runs itself now :) The heater is a Fluval M100 (100 Watts), which has run like a top for 5 years. I've never had any issues with it. 2 hang on the back filters on the tank, an Aquaclear 20 on the right and an Aquaclear 50 on the left side. These have also run great for 5 years without issue. The light is the original Finnex 24/7 Planted Plus. I have a review on it on the channel. It grows plants well, but also tends to grow green spot algae (though that could be my phosphate levels - need to check). Since my review, Finnex came out with an updated model, their 24/7 Planted Plus SE, which I have on my 36 gallon bowfront tank. Much improved lighting spectrum. I would recommend the SE model, rather than the original 24/7 planted plus :) Hope that was helpful! Thank you for checking out the video!
Thank you!
By the way, do you know anything about the Finnex stingray?
It is a possible choice for my light...
One last thing, for a 20 gallon, can I use just one Aquaclear 50
and will the 24-inch lid fit my Perfecto All Glass Aquarium Tank44; 20 Gallon?
I've been looking for a better light for my 29 gal, I've already gotten the versa glass top. The one i have currently is the fluval planted 3.0 and while the blue tooth feature is nice, it doesn't help that it starts causing a bad brown algae outbreak. Not to mention its so low to the top of the tank that it leaves half my frogbit with no light and i also have the issue with the front of the tank being dark (i know it comes with an under the cabinet mounting feature, as well as a ceiling one, but those are not an option for me as i don't have the space. Now i come to find that the hang on back arm brackets are no longer available according to fluval)- know i need 2 lights for the tank but i don't want to make the algae issue 2x worse lol What light are you using for that tank? And can it be used with a timer? They make so many lights for rimless tanks and mine isn't lol
Alex - sorry for the late reply here - catching up on comments after the holidays. I actually really like the Fluval 3.0 (it is on my cooler water tank), BUT here is the trick. That brown algae is caused by blue actinic lighting, so I turn my blue lighting to 2% during the "lighting time" and I've completely disabled the sleep function where the blue lighting would normally stay on. I ramp up from about 10:30am - 12:00 noon, then have the lights on (still not at full - I've slowly ramped them up as my plants have grown - right now they are at about 80% after 4 months) for about 8 hours, then ramp down for an hour and a half. I DO get it being so low and the frogbit not getting enough light. Currently now I have the Fluval 3.0 on this tank when I re-did it as a cool water tank (have some recent videos on that), BUT another light I like (and probably my favorite at the moment) is the Finnex 24/7 CC light - not the original or the SE, their latest CC version. Will fit great on a tank with a rim, and stands up more from the glass - it isn't right against it. I've gotten some of my best plant growth with that light. You can also put it on a timer as well. You can't ramp the lighting strength up slowly like with the Fluval (which is my favorite aspect of the Fluval), but it is a great light - so I would consider the Finnex 24/7 CC. I have it on my Krib Fry grow out tank and it's grown great plants for me. The Finnex 24/7 CC also turns completely off at night, so you don't have that issue of the blue lighting staying on. You might want to consider pairing the Finnex CC with the Fluval 3.0 - that should help. Hope all that helps a little?
Have the same lid...like it; but wish it would slide and instead of flip top...
Lflower1 Stars Yes!!! A thousand times yes. Same sentiment here - I’ve been looking for a sliding lid for awhile and haven’t been able to find one. What happened? Did they go out of style with the 90’s? 🤔😉. If I find one I’ll let you know!
@@dmichaelsfishden
I saw a youtube video where you can make your own..using the same glass that came with your glass top..might have to remove middle part though...
That would be a great arts and crafts project! I'll have to try to look that up - no idea how to do that..... ;)
@@dmichaelsfishden go to the hardware store and buy two lengths of window channel. cut them to fit each side of the tank {front to back}. disassemble your top and put the back piece of glass in the channel and the front piece with the handle on top of the channel. presto! sliding top!
@@KaimarRedcloud brilliant! Why don't I ever think of these things? Lol. Really appreciate you sharing this - never would have thought to use window channel...there is the solution! :)
I just removed the glass out of the hood
I just replaced my glass last week .
Why am I having such a hard time putting on the extender? Lol.
Lol - Remy it takes kid gloves....gotta make sure you push the side well into the glass. You'll get it 👍 Good news is, it stays put - so you won't have to worry about fish jumping out
Don't the lights have a hood over the side edges? That looks like you would be blinded from any angle in the room.
I Google that website and is not the same u show up here a litte help please
Hi Salvador - sorry about that. It looks like they may have changed their website. That was a few years ago when I shared that. I'll have to look around. I did see some Aqueon and Versatop hoods on Amazon.com when I just looked. Sorry that website doesn't work anymore, but I'm glad you let me know! I'll have to search for another one to post and update that in the comments
the glass hood does not last long.....will have to replace every few years
here is little conclusion.
1. the glass we will bye isn't that much thick. what we expect to worry about reducing light.
2. we can't bye the glass customized in the web.so we should make that design of glass cover with hands. don't waste your money.
Don’t post a video showing that we can order something from there and then have people go to there site to find out that they don’t ship to Canada
Fennekin88 you make a really good point. Sorry about that. I didn’t think to check where the retailer did not ship. I’m sorry they won’t ship to Canada, but glad you pointed that out - I’ll edit the description in the video to make a note of that.
@@dmichaelsfishden you are really kind youtuber.. in my nation... we don;t like you.. lol....
Ugh. The company referenced was bought out by petco... boooooooooo