Also of serious concern is the restriction that a full enclosure at near-surface level creates on oxygen gas exchange. This is a biggie with me, and should be with others as well. Reef tanks should incorporate "open-air" or have unrestricted access to the entire water surface area. Not only does this allow for freedom of movement for moving/adding and feeding, it also allows for the best gas exchange between the water surface and the room's atmosphere. If you MUST cover your tank top, use eggcrate available at Home Depot and the like. This will allow for air movement, easy access for adding rock, corals and animals, as well as keeping those "jumping" fish from performing Hari-Kari onto your Oriental rug. Did I mention that plastic eggcrate is just about the most versatile of all the accessories that a saltwater enthusiast can have? No? Well, shame on me! Not only does the eggcrate keep your fish where they belong, it also acts as a support for your fluorescent light tubes!
Oh, please DO NOT use eggcrate when running metal halides. Let's just say that I upgraded once upon a time from VHOs to a 250 watt MH and forgot to remove the eggcrate. Honestly, it took me a few minutes of staring at the white stalactites that had miraculously appeared while I was at work before I realized that my lamp had melted the eggcrate! Those metal halides sure get hot! This leads me into my next topic of discussion, the pros and cons of using metal halides.
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