Best top for enclosure. .

[Chelsey]

I purchased a 55 gallon tank, what's the best thing to use on top to keep in heat and humidity??

Thanks!

 

[Tom]

I purchased a 55 gallon tank, what's the best thing to use on top to keep in heat and humidity??

Thanks!

Personally, I've never found a way to make that work. You'd need to build a fully enclosed canopy, similar to a fish tank canopy.

Yvonne uses tin foil sometimes.

 

[THEELEG]

Mine is a 55 as well, I went to lowes got a piece of plywood, ac tape, hinge, and that fixture. Under 25$ and I can get it as wet as I want

 

[ShellyTortisen]

I used plywood and a hinge for my 65. No issues. Check in their scrap department and you can get a piece for under $1

 

[Chelsey]

I used plywood and a hinge for my 65. No issues. Check in their scrap department and you can get a piece for under $1

how are your lights hanging? It won't cause a fire for them
To be like that? I'm not sure what's the best method for an enclosure, and I just keep spending more and more money, and it still isn't right

 

[ShellyTortisen]

They are hanging from little hooks that screw into the pluywood. You can get a package of 8 at the hardware store for $3. Then run them off of a timer. My CHE runs off of a Zilla 1000 watt temperature controller. You will have a little lift of the plywood with the chords coming out of the back lot but it has never been an issue.

 

[Alexio]

I purchased a 55 gallon tank, what's the best thing to use on top to keep in heat and humidity??

Thanks!

I have a similar setup. It is a 55 gallon long fish tank. This is what I did.


You can use either pet store hanging stick ons, which I recommend less because they can fail. When mine fell off I replaced it with a plastic clamp from a hard ware store works much better and has a fail safe .





Once your lights are enclosed you need to build the top.





It's very easy . you only needs 3 materials and tin snips or hack saw.
The first is reflectix and can be bought at Lowe's and likely elsewhere. This is the top that you cut to size. Then you need the frames. I use thin metal screen door\ Windows screen frames.

Really any non- flexible metal would would just as well. And lastly you'll need foil tape to tape the metal frame to the reflectix.



The completed top can look like


These are other ways you can use the lids as well. I leave large gaps as you can see in last pictures by the lights for air exchange. . in the 55 gal tank I have small cutouts where I hang the lights inside.

This allows the tops to easily to taken on\ off. Hope this helps. I can try to answer questions as well.

 

[Alexio]

Forgot this

 

[Tom]

Some very creative and helpful solutions here.