Jumper lid. The answer?

[austinsdad]

**clear** mesh top - Michigan Reefers

Anyone know anything about these nylon like screens for those expensive jumpers from their SW tanks? Just bought a beauty of a wrasse yesterday. And well..... you know.

Even better. Know where I can get the screen material?

Wonder how the construction with a bow front would do.

 

[austinsdad]

Bye Bye flasher wrasse. I shoulda known better. Didn't even have the canopy on. It was in the 2ft raised postition. Jumped right out the front. Landed 3-4 ft in front of the tank. Right where the canopy shoulda, woulda been.:butt:

I gotta find a way to get something so I can have wrasses!

 

[FastFly67]

Bye Bye flasher wrasse. I shoulda known better. Didn't even have the canopy on. It was in the 2ft raised postition. Jumped right out the front. Landed 3-4 ft in front of the tank. Right where the canopy shoulda, woulda been.:butt:

I gotta find a way to get something so I can have wrasses!

i use the hard white plastic 'egg crate' found in the lighting section at home depot. dunno how it effects lighting though. i've only got in on two tanks (neither are planted) but i do know that it works well even when the my fish tries to "high five" my koi

 

[neilanh]

That fast?

Aww man, I'm bummed for you.

 

[melosu58]

Sorry Ray. I`ve heard good things about those mesh tops. I was thinking of getting one when I had my eel tank.

 

[austinsdad]

Never liked the shadows from the eggcrate from the metal halides.

 

[joy13]

To flind the mesh try to check out a hardware store or feed store. I don't know if it is as light as the stuff we use to use for outdoor rabbit hutches. The bow can be made by adding some plexi to the the front of the straight flat screen or make a cuts around like fitting a gore around a pipe. Cut little V's out and carefully bend it to fit. It could be done with a pair of nips or aviators. Do a mock up with something like poster board or light weight cardboard first to see how big the V's have to be and the spacing.

Print out the page on how to do it and take it with you one of the stores mght know where to find it. They might have a better idea of how to do the bow front too.

 

[Innovator]

Look in my sig

 

[austinsdad]

Ordered the 1/2" UV mesh from Industrial Netting out of Minneapolis. Minimum order is 14x50 feet for $80. Should have it by this weekend.

Lurking around Lowes this past weekend, I decided to try to work with quarter round made of PVC. Hoping to sandwich the netting between 2 pieces of quarter round. It bends nicely for the bow tank. Still working on the design, but I likely won't have 3 sections that completely cover the tank from front to rear.

Thinking about filling both sides with as complete a construction as possible, considering the overflow boxes on each side. For the middle section, maybe making a rectangular piece from the rear to a bit farther than the middle. Then constructing a smaller piece that lays over it and covers the bowed section. Since I got a canopy, the construction fitting has to be good enuf to sit in the recessed part of the tank trim along the top. The 2 pieces in the middle section would allow me to reach down into the canopy to remove the front piece in order to feed.

Maybe I'm thinking too much right now.

Oh yeah, used pvc glue to try to connect two pieces of the quarter round. Works like a charm!!!!

Of course, I'll take pics when I get started.

 

[kgriffith]

I have an acrylic tank with two openings and a center brace, that deters most jumpers but I also have two acrylic panels that I can put over the openings if need be.

 

[austinsdad]

Pics of the beginning.

Gotta build 3 sections because of the 3 sections of the tank brace.

I'm thinking the middle one will have a flap in the rear becasue of the canopy support piece (see the shadow in the pic below). So, hopefully this will be rigid enuf to do that without the full frame in the rear. I gotta move it with the canopy on to feed. I also think that I don't need to build a bow in the front since there's only less than a 1/2" space.

Anyway, this is half the frame. I'll face these quarter round pvc pieces with another and glue them together with the screen in between.

BTW, pvc glue works fine with these quarter round pieces. Put a screw between'm too for added stability.

Screen in the mail. Should have it by the weekend with updated pics.

Gonna be fun on the other 2 sides with the overflow boxes back there.

 

[austinsdad]

Finshed last nite. But prior to then, I found my new black sailfin blenny had been carpert surfing. Didn't finish fast enuf. Le.arned how to stretch better after the middle piece.

Well.... now that I did, just came home this morning with another new flasher wrasse. Let's put this new lid to the test!!

 

[melosu58]

Looks pretty good Ray.

 

[cagey]

Ray, Do you want to sell some of the netting? I have a 75 Gal long perfecto that does not have the center brace. I'm unable to locate the cntr support for my glass canopies and your idea w/ 3 sections is primo. Also what method was used to attach the screen to the frame?
Thanks,
Kevin G.

 

[austinsdad]

PVC glue and stainless steel screws (1/2"). It's holding the screen to the pvc quater round. The glue is doing the primary holding. The screws were added to help hold the net in place - both stretching and securing.

I have plenty netting for sale. Will PM you.

 

[thincat]

Ray, since you got the netting, try this;

I got the parts from HomeDepot screening department

 

[austinsdad]

That does look good. It's just that I was looking to use something that I didn't have to worry about water and salt issues. Heck, PVC pipes is what we use to carry water into and out of our tanks.

So if I could frame mine with that istead of any type of metal, I think I'm ahead of the game.

Good work though. I like it. And of course, that's the original idea from a Reef Central post that used screen door frame. I just didn't like the metal. I'm chicken that way.

For a cover yours works great, but I had to assemble mine to sit on the plastic tank frame and recess it so my canopy could sit on top of it.

 

[thincat]

Thanks, your's looks great also.

 

[Innovator]

I too would stay away from any metal or aluminum furnishings for the frames. Ray, there are nylon bolts/nuts that come in many sizes that might serve better than your stainless steel screws (they do eventually rust). Nice work regardless