crazy thing happened details inside thread

[fijiwigi]

I was chilling in my kitchen cooking up some Carne Asada. My wife screamed my name and I turn to look and my aquarium in my diningroom is shooting water out of the top front of the tank like a tidal wave. I quickly hurry to turn off the return pump and scream at my kids to get some towels. The overflow wasnt draining as fast as my return was feeding. I look in my overflow box (the half thats inside the tank) and I see my starfish right underneath the U-tube. At the same time my Carne Asada starts smoking up my kitchen. I was buried in a cloud of smoke and a puddle of water. I am thinking that the starfish tried going inside the U-tube and plugged it causing the tank to overflow and when I turned off the return pump he dropped out of the U-tube. It just boggles my mind how he gets over the plastic screen that protects the overflow box from anything going inside it. And this isn't the first time a couple weeks back I found my starfish in the outside overflow box. Good thing I was home, I am afraid that this could happen again when I am not around what should I do???

 

[Innovator]

Can you use eggcrate or mesh to create a weir over the u-tube/overflow assembly?

 

[fijiwigi]

you mean mesh to cover the U-tube opening?

 

[Innovator]

Your u-tube is inside of a box/container right, which acts as an overflow? The eggcrate could frame around/on top of it or a mesh could be placed in a similar manner so water can flow freely and the starfish cannot.

 

[Innovator]

I guess I'm not understanding how the starfish is getting to the u-tube if the overflow box is covered by mesh; otherwise, if the mesh stands straight up it'd have to be exposing its entire body out of water?....forgive my denseness at the moment lol

 

[roka64]

I agree with James, can you get a pic of the overflow?

 

[fijiwigi]

I am not sure I understand how he got into the overflow box exactly. But the Starfish was definately there I saw it happen twice.

 

[roka64]

...need pics....I don't understand how he is getting in there to plug it up....

 

[fijiwigi]

This is not a recent pic I have 3 lithium batteries for my camera and all are dead they are charging now. The setup has not changed. I will take another pic soon.

The first time I found my starfish inside the outside compartment and this time the starfish was in the inside compartment when my tank was overflowing.


This is the starfish in question

 

[Zagz]

I am so sorry that it happened but very happy you were home. Is the mesh flexible? If so can you put it all the way to the back of the box and attach it so there is no openings at all? If not flexible what about using a screen type netting that could cover the entire opening of the box?

 

[fijiwigi]

The mesh is a hard plastic. Its rather tightly attached to the box It may have squeezed underneath the plastic mesh if so it would have been an extremely tight squeeze. That or it crawled over it. I don't know but its happened twice without any harm to the starfish.

Also I am concerned that if I put a fine mesh over the u-tube that it would collect debree and also plug or block the water flow. If I put a fine mesh over the top of the box how would I attach it and if the starfish crawled into it then it wouldn't be effective and also would leave the starfish exposed to air for a long period. If I cut eggcrate how would I attach it. And if the starfish crawled onto the eggcrate it would also be stuck exposed to air.

 

[roka64]

I agree with Zagz, it looks flexible.....try the egg crate and make sure it sticks above the water. It looks like your star doesn't like your tank and wants in the sump! LOL! BTW, what is in your sump?

 

[fijiwigi]

How do I attach the eggcrate to the box effectively?? My sump has live rock rubble and chaeto in the fuge with some live rock chunks in the skimmer zone. There isn't a Starfish in Heat or anything LOL

 

[roka64]

I think super glue gel would work perfectly (on the outside of the over flow). From your pics, I think your star is going over the top of it.

 

[Innovator]

I agree with Scott. To make things simple, or not, I would make a cover and/or frame out of eggcrate and can be attached by ziptieing to the mesh or drilling small holes in the inner chamber to ziptie the eggcrate. I would frame around the entire section to barrier the starfish from exiting the tank as well (judging from pic). On the center portion of the overflow (where it sits on the tank frame) I would make a wall that extends at least 4" vertically with at least a 2" overhang towards the main tank. So basically the starfish would have to play 'cliffhanger' completely out of water in order to escape. I'd give it a reef cookie if it accomplished such a feet.

 

[Zagz]

I think that whatever you can do to create a complete covering whether it be egg crate or a flexible mesh would keep the starfish from making the leap.

 

[fijiwigi]

I will figure out something I guess I am just mind boggled that it even happened. Dissasembing my overflow and not having my sump running for a while while the super glue dries is not only going to be a pain in the rear but I am wondering if my pods in my fuge will die along with some of the live rock causing a cycle. The glue would need at least overnight before it dried I would assume.

And If I cover the overflow I wonder if the starfish may just crawl on top of it and over it falling onto the floor??

 

[ccCapt]

Superglue gel dries in a few mins and can be put right in the water. No need to wait overnight.

 

[roka64]

Ya know, those stars find themselves in strange places...kinda like the fish that shows up in the sump.....Tricky!

 

[DJLiquid]

Hmmmmm......Get rid of the starfish?