Aquarium Hood

The function of aquarium hood, also called aquarium canopy is to cover the aquarium to prevent outside materials from coming in. Aquarium hoods also keep wayward  pets such as cats and ferrets  from making a planned attack to the aquarium citizens. Dust, smoke, pet dander and other airborne pollutants are also held at bay, helping to keep the tank water cleaner and healthier for a longer period of time.

Aquarium hood also reduce the evaporation of water. Installing hood also will increase aquarium temperature stability.  Hood is also useful to prevent your fish from jumping out of the tank. Some fish actually love jumping out of the water, maybe related to some dolphin-mania personality disorder.

Another important function of hood is  to support lighting fixtures for the tank. Many come with the right grooves and sections to support light fixtures that are typically available on the market for fish tanks.Hoods can also be used to install fans for the aquarium.

The hood you choose should be able to give you convenient access for feeding the fish as well as for putting through maintenance equipment whenever you need to clean the tank.

Aquarium hood also adds to the attractiveness of the aquarium. Pick the hood for your tank which is harmonious with the room, overall theme of the aquarium, and the aquarium stand can add significant beauty of the tank.

Aquarium hoods are predominately made from either wood, plastic or metal. You may also find hoods which may incorporate one or more of these materials.Each type of hood has its own advantages and drawbacks.

Wooden aquarium hoods can be made to match almost any décor and are very sturdy, however if they get wet they could suffer water damage. Wooden aquarium hoods may be made of fiberboard, or they can be constructed of purely solid woods. Either way, wooden aquarium hoods are much heavier than the plastic and metal hoods. One major drawback of solid wooden aquarium hoods is they can warp if they are not properly constructed and protected. The very moist heat rising from the tank beneath can ruin a wooden aquarium hood if it is not of quality construction.

Being made by the injection molding process, plastic hoods have the advantage of being lightweight and cheaper, but they also almost always look less appealing than those made of metal or wood, and are also not very sturdy. Plastic aquarium hoods can be used on both fresh and saltwater tank without having to worry about the aquarium hood suffering from moisture or corrosion damage. This type of aquarium hood also lends itself to being easy to modify by the owner, if there needs to be extra lighting or fixtures attached.

Metal aquarium hoods are generally powder coated aluminum. This type of coating gives the hoods a very pleasing finish which also provides excellent protection from corrosion. These metal hoods can be used for either fresh or saltwater aquariums.
Aquarium hoods will differ in features and in quality of construction depending on the price range you are willing to use. Lower priced aquarium hoods will be very basic, and have little more than a lighting fixture pre installed. As you go up in price range, the features and materials will change to more features and sturdier materials. By getting the more expensive models you can get an aquarium hood with extra lighting, recessed or hidden switches and feeding hatches. The higher priced hoods will of course look much more refined and compliment your fish tank.

If you’re purchasing an aquarium hood for a pre-existing tank, you’ll need to insure the hood you purchase will fit properly. Even if you think you know what size fish tank you have, measure it anyway. You’ll find that the time it take to measure is a lot less than the time it would require for you to return a hood that you were certain would fit, but didn’t.

If that isn’t reason enough, some aquariums may be of the same capacity, but have different dimensions. Sure, you may have a 30 gallon tank, but is it a 30L, or a regular size 30 gallon tank? You see, the 30L is six inches longer than its standard 30 gallon counterpart. It is also two inches shorter, thus the volume remains the same. By measuring before you purchase you can alleviate the headache before it begins, and get the correct aquarium hood the first time. (source http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=aquariumhoods)