Fish tank lid - Do I need a lid on my fish tank?

Fish tank lid
Fish tank lid


Fish tank lid

Often considered as an integral part of a fish tank, the lid or hood that covers the top part of the aquarium is actually a necessity. For some people, the lid may be just another decoration prop that goes over the tank, but in reality, it is more than just that.

Do I need a lid on my fish tank? The lid of the fish tank prevents evaporation of water. Protect children, pets, other unwanted physical objects to get into the fish tank. On the other hand, prevents the fish from jumping out. Lids help integrate or hide lights and other necessary fish tank equipment. Finally, the lids are part of the fish tank design. Generally, a lid is without a doubt mandatory for your fish tank.

What is so important a lid in a fish tank?

To answer that question, let us consider the roof of our house. It protects us from harsh weather, protects us from scorching heat, dust, pollution, unwanted items etc. The lid of your fish tank does the same. The lid is, without a doubt, indispensable in preventing its fishes from dust and other material objects.

What prevents fish from tank cover?

The primary and most important function of a lid is preventing foreign and physical objects from entering your fish tank.

Other items, dust, children and pets.
It is easy to imagine, if you have children in your place who enjoy playing with balls, right?


Also, if you have pets, such as cats, walking around the house, you are better off covering your fish tank than keeping in touch with your curious little friends. But just as it prevents things from going inside your aquarium, the cover also ensures that your fish do not get out of the tank.

Read more: Fish tank lid - Do I need a lid on my fish tank?


Keeping an exposed fish tank can freeze dust on the surface of the water, which in turn will reduce or impair the oxygen content of the tank water. This will further cause difficulty in breathing for your fish. Covering your fish tank is the simplest and least expensive solution to this problem.

Fish over the lead fish tank is the best treatment for fish escape attempts.

Fish, especially those swimming near the surface level, can jump out of your fish tank if they are shocked by something or are stimulated by the quality of life inside the tank. The lid stops their sudden attempts to escape to the Aquarium.

There is water in the fish tank

In addition, the top cover of your fish tank also prevents excess evaporation which will ensure that your aquarium does not lose water at a rapid rate. This will make your life a lot easier which you don't have to bother with every time you refill the tank.

Fish tank with lid. Fish tank without lid

There are many factors that come into play when comparing fish tanks with no lids.

Fish tank with lid = cleaner water

A fish tank with a lid, for example, would be cleaner without one. The lid will not allow dust or unwanted pollen to be placed inside the tank, thus keeping it clean. Tanks that are kept open are likely to be attacked by foreign and unwanted particles, some of which may disrupt your aquarium ecosystem.

Fish tank with lid = low odor

On the other hand, keeping the fish tank covered means that the exchange of gases between the tank and the outside air is somewhat restricted. That is, ventilation is limited. This is quite likely to produce a pungent and unpleasant odor inside the tank, which requires the water to be cleaned every once, depending on the size of the aquarium. Such an odor is not commonly observed for open fish tanks.

Fish tank with lid = protection of children and pets

Not only dust, but others wanted items around your home courtesy of your children or pets to end up in tank water if you keep the fish tank open.

Fish tank with lid = prevent evaporation

Then there is also the factor of evaporation. An open tank reduces more water from the tank due to evaporation. Therefore, you need to maintain the water level of the tank to ensure that it does not go below a certain level.

For closed tanks, evaporation is not a problem as it is kept under control for the lid covering the tank. Thus, the hassle of refilling the aquarium with water every time is easily avoided.

Fish tank with lid = winner

A comparison between the two conditions can only lead to a clear winner. Advantages of keeping the tank covered are the advantages of keeping the tank open. Therefore, a lid above your fish tank is the way to go.

Does the fish inside the fish tank need a lid?

Fish inside the aquarium can heal without a lid. However, it is a wise decision to always be on the safe side of things.

The lid is basically a roof over your fish tank. This not only prevents water loss through evaporation, but at the same time, it also ensures the quality of life inside the tank.

The cover also keeps dust and insects away from the tank water as we have already mentioned. In the absence of a lid, these dust mites, pollen, and insects can enter the tank's water and cause unwanted pollution within the tank, causing disruptions in the aquarium's ecosystem.

Such pollutants destroy the quality of water as well as the food inside the tank. If you ever come in contact with such pollution, diseases can be seen in your fish.

The lid you put on the tank should be equipped with artificial lighting, which is preferably blue in color. If your aquarium is located in a part of the home or office that does not have access to natural light, then additional lighting is a must.

Material used to make fish tank cover

One of the most common choices people make when choosing the type of fish tank lid they want is to have their fish tank glass.

Fish Tank Glass Lid

Glass lids are known to be the most durable and versatile type of cover. Their tight fit helps prevent evaporation. In addition, they are easy to clean and are relatively more durable than plastic caps.

When purchasing a glass lid, make sure that it is provided with a back strip that will allow you to create custom cut-outs to add filters and other accessories. Glass lids are not usually provided with their own artificial tank lighting, but some of them may have light sockets for the very purpose.

Glass covers may be slightly more expensive than plastic hoods, but they are worth the extra expense given their durability, and other functional aspects.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, a plastic cover is just what you need.

Fish tank plastic lid

When you are buying plastic lids, make sure that you are not compromising the quality for the design. Keep it simple, light and durable.
If you are planning to use a plastic hood as your plastic tank cover, then you should be aware of some drawbacks. Plastic lids usually do not fit as tightly as glass lids, which allows greater evaporation of tank water.

Plastic hoods also become brittle over time and are less durable than glass.

Fish tank canopy

The third option you can consider is the canopy on your tank. Canopies can be quite expensive compared to the other two, sometimes more expensive than the aquarium.

However, if you are a person of aesthetics, and want to give that plain fish tank a classy and elegant appeal for yourself, then a canopy is the type of lid you should go for. The fish tank canopy cover is made of different sizes and materials. The price range also varies, see Amazon Options, here.

Does fish tank cover help overnight? And should i cover it?

Yes, the top cover of your fish tank helps overnight.

Like humans, fishes also have a cycle of day and night. Different species of fish require a different amount of light per day. Typically, most fish require about 12 hours of light a day and also need room for rest / sleep. The fish sleeps, read more

During the day, natural light from the sun or artificial light inside your home is sufficient for your fishes and the ecosystem inside your aquarium. But at night, the main source of light for your fish tank is what you have installed on the hood within the fish tank.

Generally, if the light inside the aquarium is kept during the night, then for a long time, there is a high probability that an overgrowth of algae will disrupt harmony inside your tank. This, in turn, will make your fish tank dirty. If yes, the methods and methods of cleaning algae are dealt with in this post.

In this case, instead of taking off the hood at night, simply turn off the lights inside the tank. This will ensure that your fish are safe and that there is no unwanted growth of algae in the fish tank.

Also, as there is usually black atrophy outside your tank during the night, even the slightest movement or softening of the noise outside the tank can disturb the fish.

Now, if your fish have a tendency to jump out of the water, it is in your interest to cover the top of the fish tank at night. This will prevent them from making their escape.

Finally, the lid or hood above your aquarium is actually an integral part of the entire system.

It contributes greatly to the fish tank and its overall ecosystem. Equipping your tank with a solid lid is a decision you cannot delay.

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