24 Aquapod with HQI

[apedroza]

I just got a 24g Aquapod with the 70watt HQI from my LFS. I wanted to know if anyone else has one and if they kept the glass cover on or took it off. The salesperson said it needed to stay on, but how much light is diminished from keeping it on. I want to keep some sps and maybe some small clams so I want as much light as possible.

[brainiac]

im betting the glass is tempered and if that is the case leave it on. i dont have a aquapod but my MH are hqi and the glass is tempered. it helps with the uv's the light produces.

[apedroza]

So why do people have open top aquaria, wouldn't keeping th eglass cover on a tank reduce evaporation?? Also wouldn't the condensation on the glass canopy affect the amount of light reaching the corals??

[SumoBlenny]

Keeping the glass on is a good safety idea but I tend to favor leaving it off to increase evaporation and maximize light penetration. If you are good about keeping the glass clean it won't be a problem.

[c. dawg]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6687201#post6687201 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by apedroza
So why do people have open top aquaria, wouldn't keeping th eglass cover on a tank reduce evaporation?? Also wouldn't the condensation on the glass canopy affect the amount of light reaching the corals??

If you leave the top on, the temperature will rise b/c it would be very difficult to do evaporation.

[apedroza]

Thanks for all the feed back. I will probably leave the tank open. Does anyone see a problem with keeping clams and sps in this tank using the stock 70W HQI or will a upgrade be needed??

AP

[kbell2433]

Hi I am no expert but from what i have read the hqi bulbs don't have a uv filter in the glass that they are made out of and the mougal base bulbs do. without a glass sheild in front of them you can go blind or damage your sight.

Is there a small sheild on the light itself or is the top glass the only uv sheild?

Correct me if i am wrong....ty

Kurt

[ASpec]

The SunPod has a peice of glass protecting the actual HQI bulb (on the fixture). Don't know if it's a UV sheild though.

[apedroza]

The light does have a piece of glass over it. Im assuming it is UV protected. The light is a sunpod 70w HQI so I would think its just like the other sunpods from current.

[aural]

if your fixture has a piece of glass covering the bulb, you do not need the glass top on for lighting purposes.

If you can leave the top on and not have heat issues, do it. that way you wont come into any suicidal fish.

I have open tops on both my 20L and 75 that have HQI fixtures on them because i need the added evaporation to keep the temperature at a reasonable level.

You will have to do some testing to see what will be better for your individual tank. Every one is different!

[apedroza]

Thanks for the feed back. I will probably keep the glass off because temperature is a problem here in Texas even with A/C. My 58g is an open top and Temp is never a problem in that one. Also can someone tell me if the 70w will be sufficient for SPS and maybe a clam set up high?

AP

[smy168]

light penetration will not only depend on the wattage but the depth, I have a 24 Pod and I'm upgrading the hood to about 130 plus watts with some additional retros, decided against the HQI because the additional cost makes no sense to me, you could build a retro 70 MH for cheaper that the 400.00 price tag they are asking for.

I would suggest keeping the glass on depending on the fish you plan on, but if you decide to remove the glass top you could always go with a small chiller for temp control and probably turn the filtration into a small fuge since you'll have enough light spreading across the back.

SPS and Clams should be fine under the 70watts, some people think more is needed but I have friends that have successfully raised crocea and maxs' as well as different types of acros under 96watts of PC, just make sure you keep perfect water conditions and dose accordingly.

Good Luck

[apedroza]

Thanks for the info. I really didn't want to upgrade if I didn't have to because of the whole heat issue. I too would have gone for the retro fit, but my LFS had the 24Gaquapod on sale for $199.99 and I could'nt pass up on the deal. Thanks for the info I'll post pics as soon as I can

AP

[New2This]

That not many watts per gallon. Some clams might be ok, I would stay away from SPS I have 10+watts per gallon over my 55. Had to upgrade, Pc lighting did not cut it.