Cover for rimless tank and heater questions

[RecluseZee]

Hey all new to the forum and setting up my 2nd nano. I've had one in the past but it's been 4-5 years.

     Its a waterbox 10 AIO and currently cycling. It's had water, rock, and sand for about a week now soo I've got temperature pretty well locked in. Water has been evaporating more than I expected and an ato is not in the budget yet so I had a piece of acrylic made to cover most of the tank and help reduce evap. 

     The cover and clips were installed today and the condensation immediately had me questioning if it's going to effect the lighting. Has this been noticable for anyone in their experience or is there a reef safe solution to preventing the condensation on the underside?

     2nd question is in regards to the heater. I'll admit I went cheap on Amazon but it had great reviews. It is 150 watt which is overkill for 10g but I didn't think it would have any negative effects. Temp has been steady at 79 all week until I put this lid on. I know the lid would retain more heat but the heater's thermostat should still function to keep the water temp at 79 right? With no adjustment to the heater the tank rose to 82 within and hour of having the lid on. I've dialed the heater back but I shouldn't have needed to right? Temp is back down to 80 after two hours and I'll have to find the new sweet spot. Is this to be expected with any heater or is my heater lacking some technology?  

 

Orlushy Submersible Aquarium Heater,150W Adjustable Fish Tahk Heater with 2 Suction Cups Free Thermometer Suitable for Marine Saltwater and Freshwater https://a.co/d/0pc8ZxS

[seabass]

I think that you could still manually top off your tank without using a solid top.  You might wish to keep the top for times when you might have to miss a day or two.  The warmer the water, compared to the room temp, the more evaporation you will have.

 

Yes, the thermostat on the heater should prevent it from turning on when it's warmer than the set point.  The extra heat is probably coming from your lights and pump.  Lowering the thermostat will lower the heat produced by the heater, but obviously not your lights and pump.

[Pjanssen]

IMO, you can find a nano ATO for less than $100 and will be one of the smartest decisions you should make for your tank. Check out used equipment sites for people getting out of the hobby, you might get lucky.

[Pjanssen]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154261555038?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1UVZ7IINhS8iFp231I28fgw79&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=154261555038&targetid=1263433206614&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9012007&poi=&campaignid=14859008593&mkgroupid=130497710760&rlsatarget=pla-1263433206614&abcId=9300678&merchantid=6296724&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7NyjrJq4_QIVaQetBh28oQi2EAQYGSABEgKem_D_BwE

 

[RecluseZee]

3 hours ago, Pjanssen said:

IMO, you can find a nano ATO for less than $100 and will be one of the smartest decisions you should make for your tank. Check out used equipment sites for people getting out of the hobby, you might get lucky.

I'll start looking/researching but are there brands to avoid? Or are they all simpler more reliable than I'm imagining?

 

3 hours ago, seabass said:

I think that you could still manually top off your tank without using a solid top.  You might wish to keep the top for times when you might have to miss a day or two.  The warmer the water, compared to the room temp, the more evaporation you will have.

 

Yes, the thermostat on the heater should prevent it from turning on when it's warmer than the set point.  The extra heat is probably coming from your lights and pump.  Lowering the thermostat will lower the heat produced by the heater, but obviously not your lights and pump.

Temp is dialed back to 78.5 overnight with the lid kept on so at least the return pump isn't putting out too much heat. Lighting has not been added to cycle yet so that wasn't the issue. I would like to go without the lid some of the time but not if I'm going to have to adjust the heater everytime I decide to take the lid on or off 🥹

[Pjanssen]

7 hours ago, RecluseZee said:

I'll start looking/researching but are there brands to avoid? Or are they all simpler more reliable than I'm imagining?

They can be as simple as installing a float similar to what you would use in a toilet. Fresh water would top off via gravity from above. Not sure that they make one small enough for an AIO, but worth researching. I've had good luck with both Tunze and Duetto in an AIO, but they are on the higher end price wise. Fzone has good reviews and comes in at around $70 on Amazon. I was hesitant when I first started out as well, thinking that the technology was beyond my realm of understanding. Once I made the move though, I was kicking myself for not getting one sooner. It was a Game Changer for me.

[seabass]

I've seen float switches get stuck before, and either don't turn on, or don't turn off (which makes for a bad day).  Redundancy is good.

 

For a tight space, a dosing pump is capable of topping off a tank for a few days.  Mine is capable of topping off an open top tank up to 40 gallons (or my 100 gallon tank with an acrylic top).  You can put it on a timer to reduce the amount you add for a smaller tank (just work it out before you leave home).  It's not ideal, as the amount added isn't variable, but it can work for a short trip.

[geekreef_05]

On 2/27/2023 at 11:49 PM, RecluseZee said:

Hey all new to the forum and setting up my 2nd nano. I've had one in the past but it's been 4-5 years.

     Its a waterbox 10 AIO and currently cycling. It's had water, rock, and sand for about a week now soo I've got temperature pretty well locked in. Water has been evaporating more than I expected and an ato is not in the budget yet so I had a piece of acrylic made to cover most of the tank and help reduce evap. 

     The cover and clips were installed today and the condensation immediately had me questioning if it's going to effect the lighting. Has this been noticable for anyone in their experience or is there a reef safe solution to preventing the condensation on the underside?

     2nd question is in regards to the heater. I'll admit I went cheap on Amazon but it had great reviews. It is 150 watt which is overkill for 10g but I didn't think it would have any negative effects. Temp has been steady at 79 all week until I put this lid on. I know the lid would retain more heat but the heater's thermostat should still function to keep the water temp at 79 right? With no adjustment to the heater the tank rose to 82 within and hour of having the lid on. I've dialed the heater back but I shouldn't have needed to right? Temp is back down to 80 after two hours and I'll have to find the new sweet spot. Is this to be expected with any heater or is my heater lacking some technology?  

 

Orlushy Submersible Aquarium Heater,150W Adjustable Fish Tahk Heater with 2 Suction Cups Free Thermometer Suitable for Marine Saltwater and Freshwater https://a.co/d/0pc8ZxS

 

I always enjoy topless aquariums. I cant prove that its better, but i like it.

 

A cheapo soda bottle ato is like $15. A very reliable tunze is a couple hundred. There are a wide range inbetween. In a nano its needed if your going topless. 

 

And i always vote for topless. 

 

If your gonna run sealed the heater will have to be lowered to accordingly. Its normal. Even the best heater will need adjustment to find that sweet spot in any given tank

[Goodwood]

On 2/27/2023 at 8:49 PM, RecluseZee said:

Hey all new to the forum and setting up my 2nd nano. I've had one in the past but it's been 4-5 years.

     Its a waterbox 10 AIO and currently cycling. It's had water, rock, and sand for about a week now soo I've got temperature pretty well locked in. Water has been evaporating more than I expected and an ato is not in the budget yet so I had a piece of acrylic made to cover most of the tank and help reduce evap. 

     The cover and clips were installed today and the condensation immediately had me questioning if it's going to effect the lighting. Has this been noticable for anyone in their experience or is there a reef safe solution to preventing the condensation on the underside?

     2nd question is in regards to the heater. I'll admit I went cheap on Amazon but it had great reviews. It is 150 watt which is overkill for 10g but I didn't think it would have any negative effects. Temp has been steady at 79 all week until I put this lid on. I know the lid would retain more heat but the heater's thermostat should still function to keep the water temp at 79 right? With no adjustment to the heater the tank rose to 82 within and hour of having the lid on. I've dialed the heater back but I shouldn't have needed to right? Temp is back down to 80 after two hours and I'll have to find the new sweet spot. Is this to be expected with any heater or is my heater lacking some technology?  

 

Orlushy Submersible Aquarium Heater,150W Adjustable Fish Tahk Heater with 2 Suction Cups Free Thermometer Suitable for Marine Saltwater and Freshwater https://a.co/d/0pc8ZxS

I have noticed that the condensation on the lid of my pico causes the disco ball effect. I like the consistency having a lid provides, different times of the year could have different rates of evaporation and it also keeps fish in the tank. 

 

You could use a heater controller with your heater. Then you wouldn't need to fiddle with the thermostat. If you needed to change the temp setting, you can do it from the controller easily. 

[RecluseZee]

11 hours ago, seabass said:

I've seen float switches get stuck before, and either don't turn on, or don't turn off (which makes for a bad day).  Redundancy is good.

 

For a tight space, a dosing pump is capable of topping off a tank for a few days.  Mine is capable of topping off an open top tank up to 40 gallons (or my 100 gallon tank with an acrylic top).  You can put it on a timer to reduce the amount you add for a smaller tank (just work it out before you leave home).  It's not ideal, as the amount added isn't variable, but it can work for a short trip.

Ooo I like this idea.. plus I see used dosing pumps for sale locally more than atos

[RecluseZee]

8 hours ago, geekreef_05 said:

I always enjoy topless aquariums. I cant prove that its better, but i like it.

 

A cheapo soda bottle ato is like $15. A very reliable tunze is a couple hundred. There are a wide range inbetween. In a nano its needed if your going topless. 

 

And i always vote for topless. 

 

If your gonna run sealed the heater will have to be lowered to accordingly. Its normal. Even the best heater will need adjustment to find that sweet spot in any given tank

Topless looks amazing! The lid looks great, I don't hate it... It just does not look as good. The condensation does give the disco effect, and I know it will reduce par I'm just not sure by how much. Haven't really measured a volume difference for the amount of top off daily since adding the lid but it is significant meaning I don't need to do it every day. The lid has also reduced temperature flux.

[mcarroll]

On 2/27/2023 at 11:49 PM, RecluseZee said:

an ato is not in the budget yet so I had a piece of acrylic made

I dunno how much it costs to have someone customize a piece of acrylic for you (since there's no such service around me!)....

 

...but I know that this ATO kit is only $48.  🤔

 

 

On 2/27/2023 at 11:49 PM, RecluseZee said:

It is 150 watt which is overkill for 10g but I didn't think it would have any negative effects.

Heaters fail.  ESPECIALLY el-cheap-o heaters.

 

When your 150 watt heater/cooker eventually fails, Murphy's Law dictates that it will be in the "ON" position.  Since it's so big it will have enough power to boil your fish before you even have a chance to realize anything is wrong.

 

Get a properly sized heater and use that instead.   Failure is a SLOWER and much lower risk event that way.

 

IMO get an Eheim or Marineland heater for best reliability.

 

You're like ATO's and heaters while at the same time getting optional custom acrylic work done.  What's up with that? 😉

 

 

On 2/27/2023 at 11:49 PM, RecluseZee said:

With no adjustment to the heater the tank rose to 82 within and hour of having the lid on.

Witness the cooling effect of evaporation!  🙂

 

In a house without HVAC (or with the windows open), the effect will usually be a lot less.  HVAC dries the air while it circulates it...optimal conditions to promote evaporation!

 

82ºF is fine, BTW.

 

16 hours ago, seabass said:

I've seen float switches get stuck before, and either don't turn on, or don't turn off (which makes for a bad day).

This is how folks who like to overkill everything get bitten in the *ss.   😉   If you have a rationally sized ATO reservoir (no bigger than the spare room in your sump), then there's no failure state that's worth worrying about.  You'll catch it in your daily tank review, no worries.

 

FYI, I kept a lamp plugged in to my ATO's pump outlet for a LONG TIME at the beginning so I could always have a visual of when the ATO was running.  You miss it coming on, or you catch it being on too long.....a good indicator IMO. 

 

 

[RecluseZee]

58 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

 

Get a properly sized heater and use that instead.   Failure is a SLOWER and much lower risk event that way.

 

IMO get an Eheim or Marineland heater for best reliability.

 

You're like ATO's and heaters while at the same time getting optional custom acrylic work done.  What's up with that? 😉

Thanks, I think you're right I'm going to look at replacing the heater. And ATO will be added in the future I guess I just wanted to wait and spend more on a name brand ATO.

 

I didn't think a lid was really optional if I plan on a clown. The acrylic really wasn't too bad! Found a site that will laser cut and polish whatever size and thickness you need, radius the corners of you want. After shipping I think mine was $18

[mcarroll]

9 minutes ago, RecluseZee said:

Thanks, I think you're right I'm going to look at replacing the heater. And ATO will be added in the future I guess I just wanted to wait and spend more on a name brand ATO.

A brand name is nice....but not sure spending more is actually a requirement.   Aquahub (what I linked) has been around as long as anyone making ATO's.....and their parent company actually makes the float switches, so it's gonna be high quality components.  I don't totally trust any of the Johnny-come-lateley brands tho....seems like every no-nname company on the scene has their own ATO now.  But then I ran my first ATO for months with a floor lamp connected to the ATO pump outlet so I could SEE when it was running.....I'm paranoid of failures. 

 

9 minutes ago, RecluseZee said:

I didn't think a lid was really optional if I plan on a clown.

Lids are optional.....but also a pretty good idea, especially if you're a beginner.

 

In my experience, fish only jump if provoked.   Folks are just surprised by what provokes a fish.....such as having too little space in the tank to swim or sleep....or being interrupted in mid-sleep.  In the wild, fish need to escape tide pools as much as 2 or more times per day.  In the wild, fish are hunted especially while they sleep.  So they are geared for jumping to survive these scenarios.  Make sure your fish aren't overcrowded and have NO nocturnal roommates.  Fish that are content with their situation will not jump.

 

Though as a beginner, it's not always clear what will make fish content.

 

To complicate things, most of the signals you get as a beginner tell you to stock the tank with too many fish that are too large for the tank, too soon for the tank to handle.  Rush, rush, rush.   Virtually all bad signals....easy to go wrong at every step than way.  If you're going that way, you kinda need ALL the safety precautions.

 

9 minutes ago, RecluseZee said:

The acrylic really wasn't too bad! Found a site that will laser cut and polish whatever size and thickness you need, radius the corners of you want. After shipping I think mine was $18

Hard to imagine so cheap including shipping!   How much did the acrylic cost and how much did they pay themselves to make it??

 

If shipping was $10, then the acrylic and their pay had to come out of the $8 that's left!  

 

What!!??  How could they afford a laser cutter at that rate?!   LOL

 

Seems too good to be true.   What site was it???

[RecluseZee]

37 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Hard to imagine so cheap including shipping!   How much did the acrylic cost and how much did they pay themselves to make it??

 

If shipping was $10, then the acrylic and their pay had to come out of the $8 that's left!  

 

What!!??  How could they afford a laser cutter at that rate?!   LOL

 

Seems too good to be true.   What site was it???

Originally found them on Etsy but the messaging software on there wasn't cooperating so I emailed them through the website http://www.delviesplastics.com/

[Dmmitchell]

If you're still hunting for a cover, check out Kraken Reef (just Google them.) They make custom mesh covers for rimless tanks -- I have a couple of them. Great quality and they hold up.