What to cover my tank with?

[WayneL333]

Hey guys,

I was just wondering what you guys think is the best thing to cover my tank with. I need to cover it to prevent my fish from carpet surfing. I’m trying to decide between the thin acrylic cover that came with the tank or the reflective eggcrate I just bought. Which one do you think would let the most light in?

TIA, ~ w

[Aged Salt]

Sometimes, Wayne, it's best to create a saltwater mote encircling the tank, as I've wrasse jump right thru the eggcrate Bob

[DMK]

really, what type of wrasse? i keep my tank covered w/ eggcrate only when acclimating new corals and while fish are new to tank. after a week or 2 i take it off. my 6line has been ok, knock on wood.

[WayneL333]

Sometimes, Wayne, it's best to create a saltwater mote encircling the tank, as I've wrasse jump right thru the eggcrate Bob

I won't even go into how cool that would be.

So using eggcrate is ok? It won't block too much light?

The only wrasses that are small enough to jump through my eggcrate is my six line. I'm a little worried about my 3 Helfrichi firefish though. I heard they are jumpers too.

I was also thinking of making an eggcrate fence to surround the openings. That way, if they jump, they'll either hit the eggcrate on the side or maybe the glass covering my Lumenarcs...

[DMK]

i've read that 6lines are less probable of all wrasses when it comes to jumping.

[WayneL333]

Well, I'm not so worried about my six line jumping, but more of my fairy wrasses and other fish jumping.

[Armando]

eggcrate blocks too much light. are you using a canopy?

[nbd13]

Hey Wayne,

this is what i did for my fairy wrasses,

i covered the openings in my canopy, basically just the back, with some of this soft black mesh.

The holes are TINY, i mean nothing will fit in them.

I got it at a local hardware store. I think it may be for gutters or something.... anyway it has smaller holes than the eggcrate.

Please do not use egg crate, there are some wrasses that can fit through those holes.

Pick up some of this black mesh stuff and staple it to cover any openings you have.

HTH

let me know if you have more questions about this stuff, i would take a pic but dont have the time this week.

Nick

[nbd13]

i wouldn't put egg crate over the openings in the top of your tank, it will block too much light.

that's why i just cover the openings in the canopy.

Nick

[WayneL333]

Yeah, I tested the eggcrate and I could visibly tell it blocked too much light. I get much better light penetration with the thin acrylic lids.

I don't have a canopy, but a facade that makes my tank flush with the wall (in-wall). Here's a pic:



If a fish were to jump, it could fall down the sides or back of the tank. I guess I could build some type of black mesh wall around the perimeter of my tank. When you say black mesh, do you mean the window screen black mesh?

Thanks for the replies!!!

~ W

[nbd13]

Wayne,

I would build something so you have this black mesh surrounding the perimeter of the tank, BUT make it have an angle back down into the tank.

That way if a fish jumps it will hit the mesh and slide back down into the tank....

the black mesh i am talking about it actually a greyish color now that i look at it. It came in a rold up bundle, probably about 4ish feet long.

I am not sure it is used for screen in windows.

I do know it is softier than the window screens...

just go to a hardware store and look around and see what you find, i am sure they have it or something similiar.

Just make SURE the holes are tiny, that way the $$$ fish wont jump out and die

I would do this method, even if you put acrylic pieces of the openings you will still get some light that is blocked, PLUS you will have to clean those things every couple days to keep them really clean to allow light to pass through.

personally i do not have the time to clean those pieces every couple days. That's why i choose to go with this method...

If worst comes to worst let me know and i can take a pic of the "mesh"

HTH Wayne.

Nick

[tanglovers]

On our 220 we did basically the same thing as Nick mentioned. I covered the holes in the back of the canopy with eggcrate that I wrapped in fiberglass screening. Does not stop the light at all because it is only covering the holes in the canopy along the back of the tank. Just added our first wrasse but should be no way anything can jump out. I also made a cover out of eggcrate and screening over the overflow box to prevent anything from jumping into there.

[gqjeff]

Damn Wayne that clam is HUGE..... Very nice setup..

Jeff

[WayneL333]

Thanks. Now if I can only get my SPS to get that big!

[mesocosm]

Greetings All !

Sometimes, Wayne, it's best to create a saltwater mote encircling the tank ... Bob

The "moat" thing has been done ... remember these?






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