Lowering my MH's to compensate for light loss?

[Reef N Discus]

I recently placed some egg crate on the top of my tank so I do not loose any would be carpet divers. Now I noticed a slight effect on the amount of light entering the tank as a result. The effect is not drastic yet I know and can tell some that it was in fact cut back a bit by the use of the egg crate. I have 2 175 watt pendant style MH fixture that are hanging over the top of the tank (no canopy yet) the fixtures even though they are SE MH bulbs have a lens cover so this would protect it from any small splashes that may occour. The light were about 6 inches above the surface on the water line prior to the egg crate and afterwards I lowerd maybe an inch or two. I have no corlas yet but anticipating a frag or two soon is this acceptable? do I even really need to worry about or was what I did a good thing? it is a 75 gallon reef ready tank more stats in my sig. Thank you all in advance as always I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this. Thanks again!

[coralfish]

The heat from the bulb could melt the egg crate if it gets too close. Have you looked at the screen netting from BRS yet...better light penetration that egg crate. Also the closer to water level the bulbs are the more your water will heat up.

[Reef N Discus]

The heat from the bulb could melt the egg crate if it gets too close. Have you looked at the screen netting from BRS yet...better light penetration that egg crate. Also the closer to water level the bulbs are the more your water will heat up.

Yeah I now I dont think I lowed em enough to actually melt the egg crate and like I said there is a protective lens cover on them now. I am always monitoring my level in the tank including the temp so when I get home I will see if this had any effect on either the temp or the amount of evaporation I am going thru roughly a gallon of rodi a day for top off now as it is.

[sland]

+2 on the screen from Brs, tossed my eggcrate and used that, works great, very little effect on the light. Any fans blowing across the top or in the fixture itself?

[seapug]

You will lose some light due to the shading of the physical structure of the eggcrate, but be sure to test it using each side facing up. It's very hard to tell, but there is a slight angle in the plastic grid. One side will let more light through than the other.

[Reef N Discus]

+2 on the screen from Brs, tossed my eggcrate and used that, works great, very little effect on the light. Any fans blowing across the top or in the fixture itself?

No no fans, its an open top other wise, I did not purchase my canopy as of yet. However it is in our finsed basement/family room and either summer or winter it satys pretty cool down there, cooler than the up stairs in the summer with the ac runnig, it is partially under ground and it really keeps it cool. its hard for us to keep warm even with a gas fire place down there. My temps have stayed the same over the alst 24 hours or so normal fluctuation. I check at midnight, 2am, 6am and I check an hour before the lights went out after being on for 8hrs and the temp was still the same as it was before I lowered them some. my temp range from about 77.1 - 77.7f around the clock with about one gallon exactly evaporation thru out the day and I top off at the same time every day that is of course until I get my ATO. Thanks for the help does this info help at all.

[Reef N Discus]

You will lose some light due to the shading of the physical structure of the eggcrate, but be sure to test it using each side facing up. It's very hard to tell, but there is a slight angle in the plastic grid. One side will let more light through than the other.

hmm I did not notice that, is this the same for all egg crate? I imagine only a couple difrent manufacturs make it? How can you tell? I notice there is a thin boarder all the way around that is on the bottom or top depending how you are looking at it its not in the middle in other words should this thin border be facing up or down??

In your opinion is the eggcrate even needed? I had a maroon go suicidal, so I bought a new regular nemo clown an ocelaris Iw as afraid of the same thing happening to him hence the eggcrate. I may end up getting a fish down the road thats prone to jumping which at that point it would be needed.

[Reef N Discus]

Let me ask you all this when I finally do purchase my canopy, as long as its ventilated well and I have a couple of fans running pulling hot air out then would it be possible to go with the open top again? if I put some netteing over the very back? I know that the conapies are almost always open on the very back panel and closed on the three viewing sides. But if I place a netting across the back maybe then I could go with open top again? Seeing how there would be now way a fish could escape?? yes no maybe choose one lol just like elementray school rite?? lol lol