jumpin jaws

gnobile

New member
Came home to a "funny smell" and very ugly sight next to my tank yesterday.
Any reason why jawfish jump out of tanks? Do you guys have a mesh or plexiglass cover besides the lights?
 
If you have jawfish, dartfish, wrasses, gobies, clownfish...pretty much if you have fish, it's a lot safer to have a mesh top or canopy of some kind. Sorry to hear of your loss!
 
I used 1/4" pond netting and Home Depot screen kit for this cover:
TankCover.jpg


The bird netting is as large as egg crate and it's wonderful for those big tanks with huge fish. This 1/4" stuff is perfect for keeping the smaller fish inside.
 
1/4 inch will keep fish in. Egg crate, which is 1/2 inch will not. Open tank means carpet surfing.
 
I also installed a mesh top after loosing a jawfish. Metal window screen frame and and unfolded lufa which has very fine mesh but very small to let the light through but keep the fish in.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13151987#post13151987 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EllieSuz
I used 1/4" pond netting and Home Depot screen kit for this cover:
TankCover.jpg


The bird netting is as large as egg crate and it's wonderful for those big tanks with huge fish. This 1/4" stuff is perfect for keeping the smaller fish inside.
Does this come off in one piece? I have seen some netted tank tops, and they seem like a PITA to take off (like the one with the zip-ties)
 
This is made with a screen kit from Home Depot and I elected to make mine in two halves with a little gap on the brace in the middle so I could get hold of whichever half I wanted to remove. It's convenient because you can take the half you've removed and just place it on top of the other half of the tank. I also put a notch in the back corner pieces to accommodate power cords from my powerheads. Here's a link regarding the pond netting:

http://www.watergarden.org/s.nl/it.A/id.152/.f?sc=2&category=43357

I have extra since I had to buy a huge minimum order. I will sell you a generous piece for $5.00, plus shipping for your tank top if you decide to go with this design.
 
Yes, the bird netting is either 3/8 or 1/2 inch. Some reefers try to double this to keep smaller fish in, but it's a difficult install, I think. The pond netting is 1/4 inch which is small enough to keep the slender jumpers like firefish, diamond gobies, etc. in the tank. What you see in the picture above is 1/4" netting and the piece in the photo is about 12" x 18". I made the cover in two halves for ease of removal since I'm in there target feeding nearly every day.
 
I'm using this thread as reference for building my own screen top but my setup has a few snags:

Switching Wavemaker that protrudes beyond even the oak top.
4 positionable outlets from the WM.
Open back on the oak top
Corner Overflow

Making a screen to cover the top seems straightforward but I'll need to burn a hole in it to accommodate the WM motor or put slack in the screen. The problem gets hairy when I try to figure out what to do about the back side. There is one pipe that protrudes out 2" and runs over to the opposite side of the tank. I also have my battery backup pumps back there as well as a fan. Should I just staple on some screen and put slits in it?

The overflow is another concern. The return pipe and durso would need clearance and a way to put a cover in place. So even if I used Lexan, there'd be openings. Any suggestions?
 
I have T-5's so I can't say for certain whether the netting will hold up to MH lights. My guess is that it would be fine. In regard to adapting the screen kit for extra equipment (hang ons, etc.), I notched the two back corners to accommodate power head cords and the whole unit fits nicely over the corner overflow with room to spare. I do not know how you would rig the screen for other equipment.
 
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