wrasses and open top

[RoscoPColtrane]

Hi,

I recently set up a 120 oceanic tech tank, it has a euro-braced open top with a hanging T5 fixture. I would like to add a few wrasses but not at the expense of putting a screen over the tank. In your experience is it necessary to cover the tank? I would rather not add wrasses than have to use a screen. Thanks for your input...

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

First, all wrasses jump. You may lessen the frequency by keeping the tank in a dark motionless room with a thick curtain around the tank; I'm only half joking. Keeping very docile tank mates would be key, a lot of the decorative wrasses are very timid being all flight, and no fight.

 

[iwanaclown]

you can try egg crate keeps light and prevents some escapes cheap and easy. or keep aot of hiding places for the wrasses i know when i had my 29 and had a six line in there i had alot of caves and tunels for the lil guy to play and hide

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

RoscoP- you're aware of the garden netting screen top, right?

 

[toddmh]

I have 5 wrasses in 3 different tanks,If one jumps thats his problem.I enjoy my open top systems..I've had a few jumpers,never a wrasse so far..

 

[Newreeflady]

I lost a six line and a blue flasher to jumping.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

garden netting screen tops are so easy to make, so custom looking, so inexpensive..... there's few reasons not to have one.
I've seen an Oceanic 120 tech. A screen top should be unobtrusive for such an aquarium. What an easy choice: install the screen top and get whatever fishes you want!

 

[aquadonkey]

I have 5 wrasses in 3 different tanks,If one jumps thats his problem.I enjoy my open top systems..I've had a few jumpers,never a wrasse so far..

?
This is like me saying "I like to leave my doors open in the summer - if my dog happens to run out and get hit by a car - not my problem"

Sorry to hijack - back to the topic at hand:

Are you concerned with the $ for making a screen, or losing the aesthetic of an open topped tank?
Whoever figures out how to invisibly keep fish in a tank will be rich

 

[jaybfresh]

I would have to guess its an aesthetic issue. Having had a rimless tank, I would not have wanted a screen on it either... garden netting is pretty unobtrusive as far as looks go, but ya cant hide the frame. Now "open-top" and rimless are 2 different things, but if the tank is eurobraced I would guess it is rimless

But you have to make sacrifices to your stocking plans. Wrasses are not worth the risk unless you want to throw away a good chunk of change

 

[RoscoPColtrane]

Thanks for the replies, I would prefer not to have the netting for aesthetic reasons. Also being a new tank my hands are constantly in the water arranging something. If I decide on wrasses I will add some sort of netting.

 

[toddmh]

I really do not have any kind of fuzzy relationship with my fish,I'd rather not have them at all and just grow coral..If one jumps it gets replaced,just as if a coral dies it gets replaced.. I don't want to put some kind of screening in there that will collect salt,dust and who knows what else..Plastic egg crate under hot lights,I wouldn't tell your insurance agent about that idea lol ..

I do have two beagles,that never gotten away They are family..

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Thanks for the replies, I would prefer not to have the netting for aesthetic reasons. Also being a new tank my hands are constantly in the water arranging something. If I decide on wrasses I will add some sort of netting.

it (literally) takes two seconds to remove a screen top.

You can DIY a screen that would fit flush- right inside the Eurobracing.
It would look kewl and you'd never have to worry about carpet surfers.
Keep this in mind for future reference.

 

[Newreeflady]

Someone should design a molded acrylic screen frame, that would be sweet! Then we need some clear spline, and voila, clear screen!

 

[jaybfresh]

I like that idea! There really is no elegant way to put a screen over a truely rimless tank, but I'm sure plenty of people are handy enough to create something

 

[moatdaddy]

I trained mine. Put the eggcrate on for a month. they will try to jump and then realize they cant. Not full proof because i had a firefly and yellow assesor break their spines and die with a day or two. Those that try to jump eventual stop. maybe its like the elephant and the string. once they learn its engrained, or i just got lucky.

 

[iamwrasseman]

the screening material that Gary is speaking of is easy to work with and wont cut down on light penetration at all . you dont have to have a one piece cover as sometimes they are a PITA but you can make a "door" to feed and if you need to remove for maintenance then you do so . easy ,neat ,and a very useful tool that can give you the best of both worlds .
also do not use egg crate as its easy for them to jump right through it ,been there done that .now i have canopies that are very tight with no way for my wrasses to escape .

 

[EllieSuz]

My Male Flasher Wrasse jumps at feeding time because he's excited. I've seen him pong himself into the screen top many times. Sometimes Wrasses jump just because they can. Remember that in the wild when they jump, they stand a pretty good chance of landing in water. We can't expect them to "unlearn" that kind of behavior. There's a 1/4" mesh that's perfect for the DIY screen application and I've seen it in clear. I'll try to remember to post a link tomorrow when I'm on my other computer.