Jumping fish

[Got Water?]

Hey, hope someone has an idea. I have a 150 SW 48"x24"x30". I'm having a problem with fish jumping out of the tank or into the overflow. My tank is built into a cabinet so it makes it hard to get around in the overflow. I'm wanting some jawfish so I know this could be a big problem with them. I want to try to find some away to cover or screen the top or the rim to solve this problem. I have a B/W clown in the over flow right now that I'm trying to recover. Any good tips? 30" is very deep in a overflow.

 

[neilanh]

Eggcrate, as it's commonly called, available at home depot or lowes, BKA light diffuser, the stuff used in commercial office buildings that hangs below fluorescent lighting. Easily cuttable to obtain the size you need, and very lightweight.

For the overflow, consider gutter guard - basically just a mesh screen that you can mold to fit your overflow box.

Tank looks great, BTW.

 

[melosu58]

I agree also with the eggcrate and mesh screen.

 

[Got Water?]

Thanks, I'm heading out to some errands now, I swing buy home depot and get started on it soon as get home. I'll let you know how it's going, and if I have any other questions.
And, about that little guy thats in my overflow now, any suggestion?

 

[cmor1701d]

When I've had a fish stuck in an overflow I cut the pump and drained the overflow down to a couple of inches. I then used two nets duct taped to ½" pvc pipe (it's what I had lying around). After many, many, many tries I was succesful. They always hide behind/between the tubing/

Hope that helps

 

[neilanh]

Shop Vac?






I'M JUST KIDDING


Would it be possible to lower the water level in the display, then siphon water down to the bottom of the overflow, potentially forcing the fish upwards for netting?

 

[melosu58]

I do the same as Cmor did.

 

[Got Water?]

I had already thought about the shopvac.
I have a couple of nets differant sizes, and my husband seems to have more patience than I do. I don't know how to do all of your suggustion, but I'll try. Wish me luck.
I AM OFF TO SAVE MY FISH!

 

[MichaelsLilGray]

Good luck

 

[Caige]

I just put egg crate on my 34gallon solana - Will this egg crate affect the lighting? Doesn't seem like it does, but didn't know if anyone experience differently. I have a 150w Metal Halide about 4in above water.

 

[Got Water?]

GREAT NEWS! He has been saved!
I wish I had a picture. My son, Matthew (14yrs) had listened to my husband and I worry all day about our fish problem. While I was online, he stormed into the room, grabed the fish net from my husband and said, "I'll get that fish!" So I ran in the room to find Matthew, on the top of a ladder, hanging over the top of my light canopy, my husband holding his feet so he wouldn't fall in my tank, with both of his arms down in the overflow. I thought I was going to ban them from my tank forever. Then my son screamed "I got it!".
It never crossed my mind just to reach in and grab it out.
So, Matthew gets my Best Catch of Day award.

 

[neilanh]

hhaha! Awesome!

 

[cmor1701d]

Either that's a really big overflow or Matthew has really skinny arms to be able to get both inside it.

Congrats to him on saving your fish. I once had a fairy wrasse in there so long I fed the overflow 2x/week. Yes, it took me 2 weeks till I finally got it out.

 

[Tank2379]

hahaha... That's Awesome.....

 

[Got Water?]

I'm still working on the top of my tank. I bought an egg crate sheet and trying to figure out what to do with it. If I cover the whole top of the tank it diffuses the light. So I was thinking about cutting out the center so that there is just 2 or 3 inches around the sides. Dose anyone have a good guess about how far I should have it from the rim (2", 3" or more). I think that must be some kind of riddle. If a fish can jump, how far can a fish jump, when a fish jumps?

 

[neilanh]

If a fish can jump, then you can bet on it finding a gap in the middle or the edges. I'd really recommend that you cover the entire top of the tank. It will diffuse some of the light, but many folk do it without issues.