Webcam + a little story.

[Ted_C]

Not a question - just a lesson learned.
A few weeks ago, one of my 4 chromis went exploring up and over the overflow. I had the hardest time finding him anywhere and figured he had passed in the tank and he was sleeping with the fishes see.

At the same time, I was contemplating running a filter sock for a day to clean up some of the floaters I had in the tank (mostly macro algae). I start cleaning out my sump inlet - where I had put probably 15 pounds of rock rubble and there's the little bugger getting battered by the water coming down up against the rocks.

I did my best to extract him from his predicament. Got pretty bruised up and lost part of his tail - but after a few weeks - he is doing really well back in the display tank.

From this point - I figured it would be better if this were to ever happen again to not have the rock rubble like I had it - piled up in the sump inlet. Moved it all over to the return well instead and just sits in there loosely.

This morning I awoke to find one my my $50 dollar davinci clowns missing. Inspected the whole tank and found nothing. The other of the pair was looking pretty lost and forlorn up in the display. Searched the sump and no sign of her either.

I figured she would turn up eventually - either dead or somewhere in the sump. I was starting to push my time to leave for work as well. Started a feed cycle (where all the pumps and skimmer are shut off), fed the display and checked the sump one last time. lo and behold - there she was in the skimmer / sump inlet well. Chased her across the whole sump, caught her and put her back into the display. Doesn't appear to be any worse for the wear. The pair paired up again in a few minutes.

If anyone would like a live picture - feel free to hit up my webcam: http://tclaypool.homeserver.com:8090

Use "œuser" account to login "“ no password.

It's a pain in the butt "“ but depending on what browser your using "“ you're going to need install a plugin. If on Mozilla "“ there's a link on the home page "“ before you login "“ click the link for the plugin "“ download it "“ open up your "œadd ons" under options and drag the downloaded file into your add-ons. If on IE "“ just install the activeX component when asked.

Be forewarned - I dont know what kind of throughput I really get on brighthouse roadrunner - too many people hitting it at once may make the traffic pretty slow.

 

[aguila88psi]

Nice idea on the webcam

Put a smaller mesh or create like a hatch pattern on your overflow inlets to keep your fish from getting in there, I lost two clowns to the overflow myself as well

 

[Ted_C]

I shoved 3/8" egg crate into the 1.5" elbows. I'm debating whether to cover the entire coast to coast with something smaller or your suggestion. What concerns me: with a magdrive 18 as my return - the amount of flow going through the 2 1" bulkheads may "trap and hold" fish against any smaller screen - causing a sure death. covering the entire coast to coast with something smaller may cause me problems with algae and salt creep.

I'm also running sockless - as I like the idea of Pods being able to circulate.

I've had two fish survive the fall - I wonder if I'm lucky or if the design is ok and any fish could survive.

 

[djsmallz]

Okay, For a second I thought I was the only one that had renegade fish that couldn't stay away from the overflow. My clown has now done this twice actually he is in there now but he is doing fine I have to remove my canopy this weekend and fish him out. Im surely gonna have to figure a plan to keep him out

 

[Ted_C]

Since I posted this - the clown went over two more times. The first time was my fault. I was arranging some of those frags I bought from JeffBerg and must have spooked it over the overflow. Easily caught in the overflow well.

This morning, I found the clown to be missing again. Now this is really surprising to me. The clown went over the overflow - through the pipes with the 3/8" eggcrate, into the overflow well, through another 3/8" egg crate barrier, into the skimmer well, avoided the skimmer pump, up and over and under the bubble trap, through the refugium, through the strainer I have separating the fuge from the return well (has 3/8" x 1" routed holes through the acrylic) into the return well. I have two mj1200 for my reactors here and my mag drive 1800.

Quickly turned on feed mode to kill the return pump, caught it and placed back into display.

Lucky it didn't sniff around to close to the unscreened return pump. it would've been chewed to bits.

I sure wish they would hurry up and grow or find a more appropriate place in the display tank so they quit going up and over.

 

[fordy]

Kinda sounds like children doin whatever they can to get into trouble lol

 

[BlueCoast]

You'd think he would have learned his lesson by now....

 

[chgries]

try some gutter netting

 

[Ted_C]

Where would you place the gutter netting? over the entire coast to coast? I think this would then cause algae problems (like a turf scrubber) and salt creep. Over the 1.5" elbows inside of the overflow? that might work as it's dark - but my original concern would be brought back up - a fish getting stuck to the netting or more likely to clog up. Its also not going to be easy to catch a fish in my coast to coast - It's at the back of the 24", can't see through it from the front (only the sides) and the 1.5" elbows would be a great hiding spot if I were to try to catch a fish in there.

 

[Ted_C]

well - my luck finally ran out - both clowns went over the overflow sometime between 11 PM and 7 AM. woke up to find one deceased in the display - pretty banged up. The other was in the return well.

Its time to do something even at 80% success rate losing a $50 dollar fish hurts- I'll try the gutter screen over the 1.5" elbows I guess.

What hurts more - I observed them around 10 PM with the lights out - playing in the sand bed together - almost like they were spawning (but they seem way to young for that). But they were showing behavior of being a pair and now one of em is gone.