All of us here can agree that Deven always does a great job at communicating with honesty and transparency on all of his reviews. Thanks very much for your honest review Dev, keeping doing you, clicky keyboard and all (lol)
Polycarbonate absorbs and degrade under UV light which is why it has a protective coat which makes them block 100% UV. If you use UV for your corals coloration, don't use polycarbonate vapor traps (full lids) on your tank. Some types of cast acrylics are better suited but less shock resistant.
Most LED lights in our hobby are not true UV. but more "near UV or close to .." as actual UV leds degrade rather quickly. The "UV" in most leds is more for color pop. Issue with acrylic is it tends to sag over time where polycarbonate can stay thinner and flat
You're correct, and Dev is also correct too. True UV does harm poly, but reef lighting generally doesn't need true UV exposure. Just similar wavelengths so corals respond well to them. We've tested specifically for this, and all solid and screened Top Lids are warrantied for 5 years against bowing, curling, hazing, crazing, yellowing, etc.
@@toplids4773 I wasn't saying this thinking the lids would degrade. Good poly carbonate will last 20 years under the sun, it's not the issue but some might not know that the reason they last so long is because they have a protective layer that blocks 100% UV and some colors are impossible to get without UV on some corals. The color comes from the UV protective membrane the coral produces. It's not just a color pop, it's a physical characteristic. LED UV is weak but not bulbs. A lot of people still uses them and they should simply know the full lids will block all the UV.
So far the covers are pristine as the ventilation gaps around do a great job. Black mesh has the biggest loss (but I still think it looks the best). The evap covers only dropped about 10 par which is negligible
Great question. From our testing and what we've heard from clients, a quick wipe down every 1-2 water changes keeps them more or less pristine. Can leave them longer than this and eventually they do gather a "water vapor-like film" (similar to breathing hot air on a cold mirror). Assuming they're never wiped off, Luxury Lids definitely keep the Evap Covers much clearer and cleaner than the Professional Lids. The extra buildup may affect PAR 5-10 max, though we've never tested.
So from 200 PAR down to 135 PAR With the Black mash and evaporation cover? Seems like a pretty big drop. I guess you can bump up your light output but that may shorten the life of your lights in the long run. Good Info!
Looking at a lid for an Innovative Marine 40l all in one, I see on your site it’s there and already to go Do I get a choice of mesh? Liking the black netting
Just got the red sea diy kit for my bedrooms 75gal rimless. Lost my flame hawkfish the other day, and before that two gobies and my sixline. 130$ for the kit and 4 zig zag kits... I was interested in the kraken poly lid.. but poly lids warp/sag and the uv damages them. Poly lids look cool, but for the price and reduction in par.. aluminum frame mesh lids are better in my opinion.
Lack of gas exchange is the main reason. Also if it’s a full cover water tends to pool form Droplets which act like little lenses for hot spots and the rest tends to get foggy reducing light penetration
I built a DIY lid for my 40 breeder that has HOB equipment on it I made the mistake of not filling in the spots where the lid doesn’t cover between the equipment and my yellow wrasse of 2 years took a leap ugh 😢
@@ReefDudes yeah so freaking sad 😔 was my favorite fish not gonna lie Tweety was the name RIP 🪦 Hermes my giant white spotted hermit crab is who I fed him to
Im running AI blades front to back. Right on top of the tank. Would it be beneficial to go with clear screen and evap lids? I'm Thinking there would be no reflection since the lights are so close.
We're adding the Aqua One tanks to our site soon. For now, feel free to use the Submission Form at the very top of our website and we'll show you a design.
All of us here can agree that Deven always does a great job at communicating with honesty and transparency on all of his reviews. Thanks very much for your honest review Dev, keeping doing you, clicky keyboard and all (lol)
I have Top Lids on my systems, they're high quality. The best part is how they keep you updated of their progress on your build.
Agreed!
Great to see you here Art, glad you enjoyed the Production Project Updates. Have an awesome weekend.
Polycarbonate absorbs and degrade under UV light which is why it has a protective coat which makes them block 100% UV. If you use UV for your corals coloration, don't use polycarbonate vapor traps (full lids) on your tank. Some types of cast acrylics are better suited but less shock resistant.
Most LED lights in our hobby are not true UV. but more "near UV or close to .." as actual UV leds degrade rather quickly. The "UV" in most leds is more for color pop. Issue with acrylic is it tends to sag over time where polycarbonate can stay thinner and flat
You're correct, and Dev is also correct too. True UV does harm poly, but reef lighting generally doesn't need true UV exposure. Just similar wavelengths so corals respond well to them. We've tested specifically for this, and all solid and screened Top Lids are warrantied for 5 years against bowing, curling, hazing, crazing, yellowing, etc.
@@toplids4773 I wasn't saying this thinking the lids would degrade. Good poly carbonate will last 20 years under the sun, it's not the issue but some might not know that the reason they last so long is because they have a protective layer that blocks 100% UV and some colors are impossible to get without UV on some corals. The color comes from the UV protective membrane the coral produces. It's not just a color pop, it's a physical characteristic. LED UV is weak but not bulbs. A lot of people still uses them and they should simply know the full lids will block all the UV.
Be interesting to hear how much cleaning those evaporation covers need. Suspect they get salty and dirty pretty quick and you loose much more PAR.
So far the covers are pristine as the ventilation gaps around do a great job. Black mesh has the biggest loss (but I still think it looks the best). The evap covers only dropped about 10 par which is negligible
Great question. From our testing and what we've heard from clients, a quick wipe down every 1-2 water changes keeps them more or less pristine. Can leave them longer than this and eventually they do gather a "water vapor-like film" (similar to breathing hot air on a cold mirror). Assuming they're never wiped off, Luxury Lids definitely keep the Evap Covers much clearer and cleaner than the Professional Lids. The extra buildup may affect PAR 5-10 max, though we've never tested.
So from 200 PAR down to 135 PAR With the Black mash and evaporation cover? Seems like a pretty big drop. I guess you can bump up your light output but that may shorten the life of your lights in the long run. Good Info!
Easy to bump up the lights.. would only be -35 with clear mesh + evap. or -25par with clear mesh only (atleast on my tank with the current settings)
A ReefDudes video isn't complete without the coffee sip followed with an "Ahhhhh"! It's been a while since we've heard it! 😊
Hahahah right?! I missed it too!!!!
Looking at a lid for an Innovative Marine 40l all in one, I see on your site it’s there and already to go
Do I get a choice of mesh? Liking the black netting
Just got the red sea diy kit for my bedrooms 75gal rimless. Lost my flame hawkfish the other day, and before that two gobies and my sixline. 130$ for the kit and 4 zig zag kits... I was interested in the kraken poly lid.. but poly lids warp/sag and the uv damages them. Poly lids look cool, but for the price and reduction in par.. aluminum frame mesh lids are better in my opinion.
How’s the stability with all the zig zags? I found them good for a normal rectangle but not so good with cut outs and going around mounts
how much customs did you pay? I'm in AB also looking for a supplier for a custom lid but curious to how much you paid + COD all in
Custom/brokerage was about 94$ but it depends on the price of the lid so that could be cheaper depending on the value
We're currently working on starting with a distributor in Canada to have many if not all Canadian shipments be duty-free.
Back in the day tanks used to come with glass tops. Is glass now not used? If so why pls, does it stop gas exchanges?
Lack of gas exchange is the main reason. Also if it’s a full cover water tends to pool form
Droplets which act like little lenses for hot spots and the rest tends to get foggy reducing light penetration
Definitely love my top lids but they are pricey.
I built a DIY lid for my 40 breeder that has HOB equipment on it I made the mistake of not filling in the spots where the lid doesn’t cover between the equipment and my yellow wrasse of 2 years took a leap ugh 😢
Oh no! I find the diy ones good for a normal rectangle but when you start doing cutout they get a bit flaky
@@ReefDudes yeah so freaking sad 😔 was my favorite fish not gonna lie Tweety was the name RIP 🪦 Hermes my giant white spotted hermit crab is who I fed him to
Im running AI blades front to back. Right on top of the tank. Would it be beneficial to go with clear screen and evap lids? I'm Thinking there would be no reflection since the lights are so close.
More par with clear
Sorry to hear about the Clown. Those hurt.
Thank you! It did suck. X2 :|
Emailing Tyler now! Lol
Always great to chat Ben :)
I need a lid for a aqua one mini reef 215 I can’t find one anywhere
Sounds like custom may be the answer
We're adding the Aqua One tanks to our site soon. For now, feel free to use the Submission Form at the very top of our website and we'll show you a design.
“Really Stoked” count : 107
haha you had me curious so i transcribed the video, only 6 😂