My Onyx present One Night in the Overflow

[InsaneClownFish]

An excerpt from the graphic novel, "One Night in Paris." Errr I mean "in the Overflow."
All the players:

Thanks for all the responses people! The vinyl tubing is a great idea but unfortunately I didn't have any large enough. After chasing him off and on for literally 5 hours, using every method I could come up with, I finally called it a night. I had gone out earlier that day to buy a very small net at the LFS which worked, after some effort, on the first two. For the last guy I used a combination of nets...hand...plastic mixing spoon..a turkey baster...a modified substrate vacuum with netting to protect from the impeller- the overflow was actually too short to start a suction. He's obviously alot smarter than I.

Little help here Dad:

I gave up last night and secured the netting around the overflow to keep the rest out for the evening. I was hoping I had tired him out enough for him to get sucked into the sump while he slept. Sure enough he was swimming in the sump this morning and the 1st try with the big net and he was back in the tank. Hmmmm 47,000 attempts later... :mixed:

The reason I was so concerned was because the tiniest lil guy I named "Button" would end up in the sump every time he went in. But the three larger ones, over the course of 2 days, would not. In fact, I had maneuvered the last one actually into the standpipe to try and get him to take a sump dive but he was able to swim out every time.. The second to last in size, he's clearly the most savvy of his lot, and he has more than earned his name- "Mr. Wiggles."

Aimee came over to help me and to try and eyeball him in the overflow while I maneuvered nets and devices of mass destruction in there. It would have been quite comical if I hadn't been swearing so much as the lil bugger played ring a round the rosie with my stand pipes.

I decided to try this for $2. at the grocery store:

Thank god for women and their skin cleansing paraphernalia- works like a charm:

I just have to cut off the ends and put plastic pull ties down to secure it.

Thanks to everyone who responded. I thankfully have all my little clowns in check! :hammer:

 

[AquaReeferMan]

I would cover the tank itself with some black fine mesh netting. Then the fish cant jump out. With the net over the overflow the fish will die instead of landing in the water. Just something to think about.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

hmmm good to know Aqua- but this is only if they jump onto the meshing right? If I tighten it to where it will only block the teeth I'm thinking this might not be an issue..

 

[Eklikewhoa]

Go to Wal-mart or the craft's store and get some black cross-stitching grids...they are plastic and will not stand out as bad....you can also just glue it to the inside of the overflow to cover the grates.

 

[flamehawkfish]

hi InsaneClownfish,

How old are those clowns? Did you raise them from larvae? Just curious... Cool pics.

Try to attach the screen so it's taut, trim, and without any wrinkles or edges. When it's all crumpled up like that, I'm concerned that your baby clown will get caught in it- like a net. That would be worse than getting sucked into the sump.

Good luck.

 

[ginger7286]

I had this experience with the overflows twice, by the way I am glad I am not the only fish nut who names their fish...anyway. I bought a roll of black nylon screen at HD. I screwed small hooks inside my hood (in the back) and placed the screen on the hooks so it just touched the water line. In order to keep it from floating up I used Aquarium sealant with thin rectangular pieces of plexiglass and sealed the plexiglass to the screen. This way I can still clean the glass and the screen moves out of the way I then cut the screen so it wrapped around the overflows. Now my little babies are safe and I sleep better at night knowing they'll be safe while I am at work during the day.