# Importance of a Roof/lid for a Betta Aquarium



## McLareN (Aug 1, 2017)

So that's a Question from me, not a statement. Your help appreciated

From what I Understand; the space between the top of the water and the roof/lid of your tank can be quite important for fish,
especially Betta's, because it keeps the pocket of air trapped between roof and lid humid for his breathing, gas exchange, etc.
Random source said not to clean the inside of lid, as there might be beneficial bacteria?

And then theres:

"Wait till the females see this move, then they will checkout my bubble Nest"
'This is flight control, Lietenant Shiny Sides, you are go with Throttle up'
*"Roger Houston, Go with Throttle Up.....radio static"
'Flight Control: "lock the doors"'
Fish correspondent: obviously a Major Malfunction

Also, without a roof, All sorts of stuff (if only dust) is going to floating down into the tank, mess with the water.
And then there's pets's. Dogs will drink the water. Cat's may do something cute and Tosh.0 worthy, but more likely
to harm him
So, case in point, Do most people here agree you need a cover, roof or lid on your Betta tank. 
Two fingers of breathing room to go with?

fyi: I'm going somewhere with this..


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## Nova betta (Dec 5, 2014)

I would always have a lid on your betta aquarium. Bettas can and will jump out if given the opportunity.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

I only have two covered aquariums; the 20G Long with the fry and snails, and my 5.5 with the ADF and a known jumper. I've never had anyone else jump, but I guess there is a first time for everything.


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## moodynarwhal (Mar 24, 2016)

I use plastic wrap over my tanks. Neither of my fish are jumpers, but I'm paranoid. It also keeps the heat in very well.


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## Fishingforcats (Mar 1, 2017)

I had a glass lid on two of my tanks and a plastic lid on another tank. Only one of my bettas (that I know of) will jump but only if he's trying to get food from my fingers. I also have corydoras and snails too. I usually keep 1-2 inches on all of my tanks.


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

My boy isn't a jumper but I do have a lid on the aquarium. 

I worry that one fine day he may decide to fly the friendly skies and jump out. If he does so he's most likely a goner if I'm not home given that my dog would probably think he's a cool new toy.

I think it keeps the water cleaner since dust and bugs have a harder time falling in.

I do not worry about gas exchange, the lid has gaps in it that allow for plenty of air to get in, even if it was sealed I still open the lid 2x a day so air is exchanged. Then there's a fact that my boy has gills and can breathe underwater just fine.

I clean the lid at least every 2 weeks, and more often then not every week. My lid is glass and keeping it clean helps my plants get the light they need. I've never heard of beneficial bacteria growing on the lid. Even if it did grow there how could it help my water quality considering my lid never touches the tank water? What's more likely to grow there is algae and mold, both of what I do not want around my tank.


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

My fish isn't a jumper, I don't think he could even if he tried at this age.
There's one day where I had the top off, I turned around to get something, he splashed the top and then dove straight down and went into hiding his little hut. The money I spent on the lids is well worth the near heart attack (even though I know he's not a jumper) and the embarrassment that I had from looking on the carpet and calling his name as though he would come to me like a puppy.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

All of my tanks have lids or are covered with cling wrap. I have had far too many fish jump out over the years (and I'm not just talking about bettas) for me to feel comfortable not using them. Jumping is something that can be 100% prevented, and it frustrates me to read about hobbyists losing entire tanks full of fish, and still refusing to use a lid or cover. 

Lids also cut down on evaporation, and I found I stopped having issues with mould and condensation after I started covering my tanks. Previously in the colder months I would often wake up to find my windows dripping with condensation. 

Lids get a wipe down during weekly water changes, and the cling wrap is replaced whenever it starts to tear or lose its stick.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

All of my tanks are covered. Even with a lid one betta decided to surf up the filter output and out behind an oversized nightstand, not to be found until the morning when he was fully coated in cat hair and nearly dead. He died 3 days later after all his fins fell off. Not only do I strongly recommend a lid, I highly recommend it be a _very_ tight fitting, precisely cut lid.


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## McLareN (Aug 1, 2017)

Perhaps not Bacteria as you say Rainbo. When cleaning the tank with an algae magnet, I was told it was better to leave roof alone, as the humidity buildup, droplets of water hanging from roof, etc, is a good air-breathing, bubble blowing environment.

Cling wrap, that is clever. Is this preferred over the original tank lid? I suppose it's clean and on-tap.

You must have a lot of Tank littlebetta. The local aquarium I go to is chock full of tank's. 
You could take your kids there, theres so many cool fish/tanks. But my point, There glass front of the store is dripping with condensation. Inside is a sauna.
They more concerned with the fish than Petbarn or your Walmarts, i think.

Thanks for your replies 
Importance of lid concerns a tank mod I'm pondering. 
I will make a thread of it when done, just in case someone else has the same tank as me


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I have 17 tanks at the moment, although I think at one point in the past I was running 25 tanks or more. My fish room usually does stay a few degrees hotter than the rest of the house, even overnight. 

I'm not sure if you are asking me specifically, but the reason I use cling wrap is because I keep wild bettas and it's not a matter of if, but when they will jump. None of the glass lids that I've had come with tanks cover the surface of the tank 100%. Usually there is a corner cut out for the heater and filter cord. With cling wrap, I can cut around the airline tubing and heater cord, meaning that there are no gaps for fish to get though. 

The only downside to cling wrap is that it has to be frequently replaced and it can can be difficult trying to fit it over the tank.


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## McLareN (Aug 1, 2017)

LittleBettaFish said:


> I have 17 tanks at the moment, although I think at one point in the past I was running 25 tanks or more. My fish room usually does stay a few degrees hotter than the rest of the house, even overnight.
> 
> I'm not sure if you are asking me specifically, but the reason I use cling wrap is because I keep wild bettas and it's not a matter of if, but when they will jump. None of the glass lids that I've had come with tanks cover the surface of the tank 100%. Usually there is a corner cut out for the heater and filter cord. With cling wrap, I can cut around the airline tubing and heater cord, meaning that there are no gaps for fish to get though.
> 
> The only downside to cling wrap is that it has to be frequently replaced and it can can be difficult trying to fit it over the tank.


Not the reasoning so much, just thought it was a neat idea by you and another post, especially if you can get it tight & clear.
I imagine with your experience & many aquariums, you have all sorts of filter mods, lines and stuff that require a flexible way to enclose them. So yeh, tis clever and practical.

I keep one male Betta at a time, so my worst nightmare is him jumping out. Gawd having to pick him up, or wake up to it. Not cool *touches wood*.

Info from this thread was for me to confirm my decision to keep the roof I removed/made removable from my tank Mod soon after:

http://www.bettafish.com/101-betta-...es/743193-my-new-modded-fluval-edge-tank.html

Even with the water lowered for a few quick pics, I was sketching he would jump out, suddenly having so much atmos.
Betting you know this, use it. But restaurants I've worked in use some bigass Glad-wrap.
maybe this is of help:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/24-x-2000-F...m-Wrap-w-Slide-Cutter-18224X2SC-/262551961647


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I only run airline tubing and heater cords going into my tanks. I'm a KISS kind of fish keeper. Too lazy for anything else. 

Being that I am an advocate for keeping aquariums covered, I definitely think leaving your Fluval Edge with a 'lid', was the right choice. Even if the possibility of the fish jumping is extremely unlikely, I find it just gives you peace of mind. I still feel guilty about all the fish that jumped out in the years before I started obsessively covering my tanks. 

I used to manage a Subway store years ago and we used to use the 'industrial' size rolls of cling wrap. I once made a mistake with a stock order, and ended up with about ten rolls instead of one. I think there was a few thousand metres of cling wrap sitting in the store room when I left, and they probably still haven't got through it all.


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## Tardigrade (Apr 17, 2017)

I don't have a lid, but the water level is 3-4 inches lower than the top. I am going to have to try this cling wrap. I am constantly topping off my tank with distilled water. Dust? The filter would get that. Cats? I am not concerned. Never seen her interested in it.


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