Aquarium Canopy Observations
Probably one of the most overlooked items, the aquarium canopy is one of the most important factors in purchasing an aquarium. When it comes to single item purchases. the canopy is the most popular. The majority of our sales are combos. Matching cabinets and canopies. We see very little request for just a cabinet, but quite a few for canopies.
I use to be amazed at how many inquiries would come in for them. How could so many people need just a canopy? Then I started looking around. It was pretty simple. There are not a lot of options with canopies in the mass produced market place.
Most of the canopies are way to short. From a maintenance, just daily chores, prospective- it is hard to reach around the inside of the canopy. There simply is not much room. Anything beyond feeding is hard to do. You wind up removing the entire canopy.
Limited lighting options. Bar lights work when laid across the top of the tank, but it is not efficient. You have to move it for many routine access requirements. It can get real cruddy from the moisture in a hurry. Doesn't look very good either.
Speaking of looking good, all of the exposed wires and plumbing isn't exactly hot either. One of the purposes of a canopy is to conceal the equipment across the top of an aquarium. An effective canopy helps you to manage the top side of your tank in a productive fashion. Wiring is properly laid out and secured. Plumbing is out of site and gets a little quieter. And you do not have a blinding light strip distracting attention from the aquarium.
If a saltwater reef aquarium is what you are contemplating, check the canopy carefully. Most will not give you the clearance you need. If no one has mentioned this to you, you will be in for a bit of a surprise when you go to install the lighting. High out put lighting for reef tanks require a lot of room. Just the hardware and wiring can be quite a lot to get in there.
Then you get into the height requirements to keep the reef type lighting high enough off the top of the tank that you do not overheat the water and kill a lot of very expensive things. Surest way to have to invest in a chiller is to have an inadequate canopy for high out lighting. You will overheat the water. You need distance from the top of the tank to the underside of the canopy to allow for the heat. Many times the canopies need to be ported for fans to help exhaust the heat as well. If you have an acrylic aquarium and you "cook" the top of it with excessive heat, you are going to have a lot of problems.
Just a few of our observations on canopies. For more information on aquarium canopies, visit www.briaquaticcabinets.com .
