Aquarium is an easy way out for those who want to have pets, but for one reason or another cannot afford a dog, cat or rodents. Fish are very convenient pets: aquarium care is minimal: changing the water once a month, feeding five times a week. If the owner is often not at home, then the animals themselves will decide on the issue of food, eat the plants, or the so-called “weekend” tablet - a slowly dissolving compressed food. However, in order for the created water ecosystem to function successfully, it is necessary to purchase high-quality equipment. And this is not only the capacity itself. It is necessary to consider filtration, aeration and lighting of water. In addition, a lid is needed for any aquarium.
What is the lid for?
Limiting the top surface in an aquarium is important for several reasons. Firstly, it prevents the rapid evaporation of water. If the happy owner of the aquarium does not want to add water to the tank every few days, fluid loss should be limited. With a cover less dust and debris enters an artificial pond. Many fish and other aquatic creatures (such as shrimp) can jump high enough from the water. Naturally, such a landfall will not end in anything good for them. In addition, the splashes that animals create during somersaults can adversely affect the lighting of the aquarium. The cover can carry a utilitarian function - holes for the output of wires, automatic feeders, lamps are built into it, that is, they create the most clean and aesthetic appearance of the aquarium.
Aquarium can be purchased with a lid. If it is lost for some reason, it can be replaced on its own or by contacting the aquarium workshop.
What material to make a cover
If you decide to rely on your own strength, making a lid for your aquarium with your own hands is not so difficult.
Glass is a very durable and comfortable material for the lid. It transmits light well (which means you can install the upper lamp). Glass is easy to wash - algae may appear on the lid, particles of food remain, dust accumulates. If the aquarium is simple in shape, simply pick up or cut a little larger glass than the bottom of the aquarium. You can glue a small area of plastic on silicone glue - an impromptu handle to open and close the container.
PVC aquarium cover is a simple and affordable option. It is enough to contact a hardware store - there panels from this material are presented in assortment. If the repair has just been completed at home, plasterboard surfaces, ceiling material or other residues of polyvinyl chloride may remain. Its plus is that it glues easily. To make the lid, you will need to make blanks: sides (width from 15 cm) and the lid itself. Inside the cover we will mount the mounts under the fluorescent lamp. Glue the box, which is designed for the aquarium. When bonding parts, do not use toxic substances. Silicone glue will be optimal - it is inert to water and does not harm its inhabitants.
If desired, the cover can be made from plexiglass and plastic. These are inexpensive materials, but it will be more difficult to clean them than glass and PVC.
Backlight
Backlit aquarium cover is a very convenient design. Lighting can be of two types - built-in cover and top. Both that, and another option has pluses and minuses. If we use the top lamp, we can use only transparent material for the manufacture of the cover - glass is preferable (organic glass is less clean, less transparent, especially over time due to scratches). But such lamps do not heat the water, you can not worry that water will get on the contacts and they will burn out.
The built-in lighting in the lid for the aquarium with your own hands looks more aesthetically pleasing, giving potentially more light, since the lamps are located closer to the water. The contacts in such covers must be securely hidden and moisture must not be allowed to enter. There should be a gap between the lighting device and the water so that there is no strong heating of the water. This design is more bulky and worse to clean.
Wire output
If in the lid for the aquarium with your own hands do not provide technological holes for the output of wires immediately, then you will have to face a serious problem. Filter, aerator, water heater, lamp - an artificial ecosystem needs this technique. It is better to organize the withdrawal of wires and tubes at the rear wall - so it will be possible to locate the sockets with the connection as unobtrusively as possible. If the shape of the aquarium allows, you can tint the back wall with a background pattern, then the equipment will be masked.
Features of aquariums of different shapes
Making a lid for an aquarium with your own hands is not difficult if the shape of the tank resembles a box. However, if the aquarium has a panoramic view, then the task is complicated. Panoramic aquariums have a beveled or rounded front wall. In this case, you can make your own complex shape from plastic or plexiglass. If you decide to use more dense or brittle materials (glass), you will have to contact the workshop.
The lid for a round aquarium may sometimes not be used - to prevent evaporation, the opening is made minimal. But, nevertheless, with a lid it will be much more convenient. The only thing is that due to the small size of the cover you will have to use the upper lighting. So, the material for the manufacture of this part of the aquarium is only glass (or organic glass).
What to consider
- If the aquarium is covered, it is necessary to provide oxygen access to water. An aerator or filter with aerating functions will help to cope with this.
- Before making a cover for the aquarium, you need to take into account the dimensions as accurately as possible. Too large a design is inconvenient - it can be accidentally touched, knocked over. Little will not fulfill its function. We are guided by the principle "Measure seven times - one cut."
- The lid must be regularly cleaned of dust, food residue and algae.
In the manufacture of any design for an aquarium, toxic compounds cannot be used. Use silicone glue.