Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
Last few I bought were from Foster and Smith. They seem to have really good pricing on lids and if you can pickup one of those gift certs they send out to auctions/events, then that's just gravy.
CichlidOWNR
Members
This is an alternative to buying glass and will work if you have a canopy on your tank. I use egg crate (light diffuser) I got at a big box hardware store. I cut into two and cut spaces for my spray bar intake/outtake and chords. It is only about $15 and is hidden by the canopy (which is a must to hide it). I went this direction since I lost my prized female Ps. Saulosi last June since she decided to jump. She was my most prolific spawner. Eggcrate has worked very well in my instance and is light and easy to remove for water changes. Just a alternative if you decide to go a different direction.
AquaStudent
CCA Members
What do you have on the top of your tank? Is there something there to block the viewing of an eggcrate cover? If so, eggcrate would be an inexpensive option.
If you are running a rimless or just a sleek light fixture on top (no way to hide something as thick as eggcrate) then you may want to look into picking up some pexiglass or glass and cut it to size. That'll give you a streamlined design and if you do it right it'll be less expensive than buying from Dr. F and S.
I built a top for my 55g for $40 and that was buying from Lowes (more expensive than someone who specializes in acrylic). Most acrylic warehouses will even cut the plastic down to the correct size for free (or a small fee...but it's well worth it if you don't have the right equipment).
Here's a picture of my tank so you can see what I'm talking about. The acrylic sheets sit inside the top frame. It's fairly simple to cut slots for wires/tubing in the back too.
If you are running a rimless or just a sleek light fixture on top (no way to hide something as thick as eggcrate) then you may want to look into picking up some pexiglass or glass and cut it to size. That'll give you a streamlined design and if you do it right it'll be less expensive than buying from Dr. F and S.
I built a top for my 55g for $40 and that was buying from Lowes (more expensive than someone who specializes in acrylic). Most acrylic warehouses will even cut the plastic down to the correct size for free (or a small fee...but it's well worth it if you don't have the right equipment).
Here's a picture of my tank so you can see what I'm talking about. The acrylic sheets sit inside the top frame. It's fairly simple to cut slots for wires/tubing in the back too.
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Tony
Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
I was running egg crate atop a bunch of the tanks in my fish room when I first set it up, but the humidity was horrendous. If you're not worried about that though, it's a super cheap solution.
Malawimania
Members
I do the same thing! I have egg crate with cut outs for my filters and heaters. I built my own 8' canopy with a friend of mine for about 120 bucks worth of wood, and have that over top of the egg crate. No more jumpers for me! After I lost my 7.5" prize placidocromis phenochilius tanzanina because he decided he wanted to Free Willy out of my Tank that was it.
