The fish tank canopy or hood, is one of the most important aspects of the aquarium setup. The obvious purpose of a canopy is to hide the components on top of the fish tank and give the aquarium a finished look, but a fish tank canopy needs to support your aquatic system and enhance it’s performance.

First, lets address some basics. BRI canopies built for glass aquariums cover the plastic banding on the top of the fish tank. If the aquarium is acrylic, the canopy sets 1/2” below the water line. The overflow(s) establish this height. We use a set figure of 1 1/2” for the overflow. You need to inform us what the overflow specs will be and we will accommodate that acrylic aquarium’s needs

Easy Access

Based on feedback from professional aquarium service people we have our own design that we believe gives you maximum access for feeding and routine maintenance. As you can tell from the photos, the front of the canopy and part of the canopy top swing up and back. This gives you a large open area from which to perform aquarium maintenance on your fish tank. Low ceilings need to be factored in.

Canopy Height

The description area for each type of fish tank stand will give the spec.s on their matching canopy. If you are going to be using metal halide, specialty reef lighting (or any other high out put lighting system for salt water reef or planted aquariums), you need to order a taller aquarium hood to accomidate and disperse the heat buildup. For salt water reef fish tanks, most of our clients request a reef ready canopy. The inside height of the aquarium canopy is 12” above the top of the fish tank. Acrylic aquariums themselves are also very susceptible to excessive heat. You can seriously damage your acrylic aquarium’s top if you get it to hot. If you have any questions regarding this, check with your local salt water fish store, professional maintenance person or the acrylic aquarium manufacturer.

Fan Holes

The standard cut out is a 4” hole on the top of the aquarium hood in the back rear corners. If you wish a different arrangement you must specify. We highly recommend fan holes on any aquarium canopy that is going to be dealing with a high degree of moisture and heat. Reef aquariums are sensitive to heat. A true reef (or planted) ready canopy (12” or more above the water line) with fan holes and fans (BRI does not supply fans) can make a huge impact on the quality of your aquarium’s eco-system. The loss of livestock and live rock can far out way the additional cost of a reef ready canopy. No matter how much room you need inside your canopy BRI can customize one for you. And a custom canopy looks a piece of furniture in your home that you can be proud of as opposed to some very intense naked lights suspended in air with exposed wiring, chains, etc.

Custom Designs

A few of our clients request different designs. Just let us know what you have in mind for your aquarium.
                         
  Aquarium Canopy Options

In some of the photos you will notice raised panels in the aquarium canopies and Feeding doorways in the sides of the hoods. Also there are photos of Corner Wraps and Island type canopies. These are options and need to be discussed when the aquarium cabinet and canopy is ordered.