I just got an old stainless steel rimmed aquaruim, ten gallons. I have a problem with hoods though....?

Question

If anyone knows about these old things they don't have the lip on which to put the hood, their hoods just rested on top of the rim. The problem is, I don't have the old hood, I can only buy new ones (that I know of.) I am ordereing all my stuff off of one site so I am not going to look on Ebay. Is there something I could do to make this work?

Answer 1

Does it have the slate bottom too? I used to have a few of these. I would suggest filling it outside to make sure it doesn't leak (if you haven't already done this) before you decide to use it. The old sealing materials often crack or shrink with age, and this could prevent damage to your floor.

I know what you mean about the rim being smooth. That would be a problem since newer hoods are meant to sit within the rim. I haven't used a newer hood with one of these old tanks, but I have a few suggestions that might help you.

The first thing I thought of was to use molding made for connecting two plexiglass panels - these are shaped like and "H" where one piece would fit into the top and onther onto the bottom. If you put these around the flat sided of the hood (front and back) these may give you the added width to keep them on the top of your tank. NOTE: I should have mentioned previously you can find this at home remodeling stores like Lowes if you want to look at this.

A simple approach could be to just find two flat plastic items (such as rulers) that could be placed across the tank and have the hood sit on them (may not look that attractive).

If you know anyone handy with wood, you could have them make a custom-built frame for the top (and a matching one for the bottom if you wanted). You could even cover the metal sides. I saw such a tank once, where it was made to look like a treasure chest (with the lights in the domed lid) and the front and sides were cut out to resemble "portholes" - this made a unique look for the tank, but may be more than you want to get into.

Answer 2

all i can say is keep trying