[roughneck]

First of all let me just say I'm new carpentry, but I built a fish tank stand and I'm actually rather proud of the job I did. It came out to look very nice and proffesional.

Now I want to build a canopy for it. My question is don't you have to put glass in front lighting to keep the moisture from it? Keep in mind I'm the type of person that if I'm going to it I want it done right and I want it to last and look nice. I don't like to do things halfway.

Thank you.

 

[f u z z]

You could just buy glass hindged lids that sit on the top of your tank from a pet store. and build your Canapy to hold your lights.

 

[roughneck]

You could just buy glass hindged lids that sit on the top of your tank from a pet store. and build your Canapy to hold your lights.

Very true, but that would make it hard to feed the fish daily. I'd have to take off the canopy to lift the glass lid, or try and hold the canopy door open and lift the glass lid inside to feed them. Maybe I'm thinking to "in the box"?

 

[DMWave45]

Well you could design your canopy with a door in th front and have it swing all the way up so it can rest on the top of itself. Then all you have to do is lift up the glass and have it rest somewhere on the canopy while you feed.

 

[trippingpara]

You have a couple ways to do it and I have done both. On my newer tank, I elected not to use a glass top, so I raised my canopy higher to increase the distance of my lights to the water. Plus my lights have a glass cover over them for added protection.

If you want a glass cover, I would go the way Fuzz was saying and just buy a hinged glass cover from your LFS. This is what I have done with my other tank. Those glass tops fit into the top of your tank. That way, your canopy rest on the edge of the tank, not the glass top. Your canopy should have a lid that can be opened and left open without you holding it. That way, you can then open the glass top with no problem.

Your canopy can either have a top mounted lid with a piano hinge that can open all the way back or you can have a piano style canopy where the whole front and half of the top lifts back. Both styles will stay open without you having to hold it.

Make sure you post some pictures when you're done! :thumb: