Screen Lid vs. Glass Lid

[Guest]

Thanks for welcoming me! Also, thanks for the 40 watt tip. With the weather getting colder I would like to bump that up.
In response to how does a glass tank get oxygen, I personally placed little rubber feet (like the ones that come with a UTH to prop your tank up) on each corner of the lid. This props the lid up less than 1/8 in. Just enough that you could slide a paper in, but they can't get out. The only negative thing about that is then they do have a little lip they scale on. It makes me nervous that they'll fall. That nervousness is probably due to the recent death of my gentlle jumbo, Stella. But her fall was from quite a bit higher than the height of their tank.

[Guest]

Thanks for welcoming me! Also, thanks for the 40 watt tip. With the weather getting colder I would like to bump that up.
In response to how does a glass tank get oxygen, I personally placed little rubber feet (like the ones that come with a UTH to prop your tank up) on each corner of the lid. This props the lid up less than 1/8 in. Just enough that you could slide a paper in, but they can't get out. The only negative thing about that is then they do have a little lip they scale on. It makes me nervous that they'll fall. That nervousness is probably due to the recent death of my gentlle jumbo, Stella. But her fall was from quite a bit higher than the height of their tank.

Oh, hm....

Aw. I'm sorry. I'm sure she was happy to live with you, though. You probably provided a wonderful home and she lived a happy life. Y'know... things happen and we learn from them.

[Guest]

I use a Mesh lid on my 55g... The thick sturdy kind with hinges that allows you to open either end, leaving the center closed.
My primary light fixture holds 2 screw in bulbs and I have a 15 watt moonglow in one end and a 40 watt moonglow in the other end.
I have another light fixture that has the silver medal deflector around it with a dayglow bulb in it (can't remember the wattage).
And another light fixture that has a black deflector that has a 75 watt moonglow bulb in it. I use Aluminum Foil and blue painters tape on the top of the mesh top to keep the heat in.

For humidity...I use EE with a little CS mixed in...sandcastle consistency...I have a large fresh and a medium saltwater pool and a homemade humidifier IN the tank. I also have 1 large mosspit and 1 small mosspit that I mist every day...whether it needs it or not. I also mist the substrate every other day.

I also have 3 UTH's. a 5, 10 and 20 gal size. the 20 gal size is on the bottom right, the 10 is on the back right and the 5 is in the middle. my substrate temp in the back is at 80 degrees and in the front 74ish.

My guages read 78-82/76-80 during the day and 72-76/76-80 at night.

All the moonglow bulbs stay on 24/7 and the dayglow just during the day.


My thinking is that it would be easier to add heat without trying to go through glass when using a heatlamp, but the glass would hold said heat in better....

it's a tough decision, but I am sure you will make the right one for your situation...or if you do make a decision and it doesn't work out...you will think of a way to make it work for you!! (that statement sounded MUCH better in my head...ugh)

good luck!

[Justin]

I gots a plastic aquarium hood with a special light for trpoical critters. =] You didnt put plastic hoods up!

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for taking this poll! I can't believe it came out 50/50...Wow! I look back and wish I would have also added "other" in the poll, but it may have come out 50% too, who knows. Anyway, I can go either way as I have both screen and glass, and I have tinkered with both to see which one I prefer, and for now with the glass. First I added more FB, now at 6 inches. This has brought the floor up closer to the lights, and I may add a little more later. I have a 40 watt red nightlight for night and 40 watt dayglow for day on the warm side. They are on a timer, day on at 9:00 a.m., night on 9:00 P.M. With the temp and humidity gage directly under the bulbs, my temp is staying at 76-77F, humidity is 80-83. On the cool side I have my glass top flipped back to cover only half, And I have a florescent strip light on the other half with a Reptisun 2.0. It's exposed with nothing under it, so I hope the hermies won't try to hang around on it. I punched holes in the little plastic strip on the back of this glass top, and at the front where the strip light is I have a small gap to allow for air flow. So far everything seems to be stable! The hermies appear to be active and comfortable, so now I feel a bit more confident about adding a few more hemies to my tank. Now my only worries are about my med/large who makes it his life goal to dig up molters! lol Thanks again for all the information everyone!