importance of a lid or canopy

Well I have found a light that I am going to buy tommorow for my 16 gallon tank.. it is a single strip flourecent but it is 65 watts.. and ment for aquariums so it should be good for my future planted tank..
However this light is 24" long and my tank is only 20" long.. so im getting these stands that are going to elevate the light above the tank.. my question is how important is it to have a lid?? I am planning to have fish and frogs in there so will they jump out of the top? should I plan on getting a peice of plexiglass to cover the top with? and also I plan on gettin it either way but how important is it.. like shold I get it before even thinkin about adding fish because in pet stores I alway seee open top aquariums..
thanks guys!

 

From what I've heard about frogs they can be quite the escape artists so a lid/canopy wouldn't be a bad idea. It also saves you from coming home to a dried up, very dead fish on the floor.

I've notice in the pet stores near me that a lot of the tanks don't have lids but it probably saves the employees time instead of having to open and close the lids all the time.

 

Do you see any problem with using plexiglass as apposed to glass?
I ask this because I have a "bowfront" tank so finding a glass lid is impossible so I am going to have to cut my own plexiglass to shape...

 

no it's pretty easy to find glass tops for bowfronts. if you wanted to use plexiglass though, i don't think there would be any problem. i just had a lid bade for my fat hex and i got it made at a place that makes glass doors etc. was cheaper than buying an already made one. so you could go that route

 

Having a lid not only keeps your critters in, it keeps other things out. Like bugs, dirt, and pollution. And the lid slows evaporation and heat loss, too.

 

frogs are.....when i kept some back when i was 7, both escaped after time......one of them my dog brought back to me in her mouth......the other one i have never found yet, and it has been almsot 10 years......and we remodeled the room too, sitll no sign