Netted Tank Lid

I decided to make myself a lid for my tank after reading the trigger I bought last week is a notorious jumper. I didn't want the lid to block light or reduce oxygen exchange so slid glass or acrylic was out.

I started with just egg crate cut to the size of the tank. This blocked too much light and was hard on the eyes because it was so bright when looking at the tank from above.

I then started removing some of the egg crate material to open up the size of the holes using wire cutters. It was a long process. I stopped before getting half way through one side because my hand started blistering.

I thought about plan B and came up with using deer or bird netting that is draped over bushes or flowers to prevent the deer from eating your plants. I bought a roll of bird netting at Home Depot for $7.

The next thing I needed to think of was constructing a frame. I wanted to find some plastic rods but I couldn't find any at Home Depot or Michaels (craft store). So I decided to use 1/4" hardwood dowel rods instead. I needed 5 of them at $.59 each or $3.

I cut the dowel rods to the proper size and wove them through the netting. I connected the dowel rods with pieces of airline tubing. The tubing is tight so I had to stretch the tubing by inserting some needle nose pliers into the tubing and expanding the pliers to stretch the tubing.







Since my tank is a bowfront I can't make the netting cover the entire tank. However the gaps are so small that a fish would have to be really unlucky or very suicidal to make it to the carpet. The nice thing is that the netting is so fine it doesn't reduce light at all.

Total cost, about $12 since I needed to buy the air tubing.

 

Looks great! Very creative. Too bad about it not being able to fit perfectly, but I'm sure it will be fine. Good job!

 

Very nice, I wish I could build stuff like you do...

 

nice work pg. it does look like ighting wont be afected at all, which is a bonus. ive heard that fish can get through egg crate with the perfect jump. and the netting looks like bigger holes, what are the chances that 1 could get through this also?

 

I bought some of that netting to make a lid like that but I haven't done it yet. I am going to steal your idea....thanks

 

The hole size is smaller than egg crate. It varies from 3/8" to 1/2". Egg crate has a 5/8" opening. It would have to be a really small and determined fish. A firefish may be able to make it through if it was unlucky.

 

No problem. I hope it works out for you. If you can find plastic rods I'd recommend those over the wood.

 

great thnx pg. it was tough to tell for comparison reasons the hole openings. basically a perfect shot is needed . also i would imagine with the little bit of "give" with the netting , it would be even tougher fr that shot. i appreciate the info, and again , great job. nice and neat lookin too

guy

 

Great Idea
I wouldn't worry about the fish jumping out threw the netting.
You did your best to make sure It didn't happen

 

Well done