Netted Tank Lid

that's really an awesome idea. i have the glass coverings, but i have to wash them regularly due to sand buildup! i'm going to steal your idea as well.

 

Some caution. Note the salt sprat in my pictures. I suspect that when I was cutting, measuring and installing I dropped some salt into my tank. Some of it must've landed on my frogspawn because I lost a couple of heads today. The two contracted polyps are pretty much dissolved now.

 

Hey pgreef, Your post is perfect timing. I didn't have my tank covered for probably a year. Then Murphy's Law stepped in. I had a spotted sleeper goby and a six line jump from the tank. I also had a purple tang get caught in a small intake that none of the fish ever went near. Lost him. So I obviously covered the intake, which I should have done before. DUH Very upset with myself. Then I made a cover out of egg crate. Got a new goby and three days later he jumped through and my husband found him on the floor. Then my six line managed to get through the overflow and we had to take everything apart since he couldn't get past the valve into the sump. It's just plain crazy! Bottom line is I was thinking about the net, and here you are, with a great idea. I'm off to the store. But I'm going to have to figure out the curve, because I'm not taking any more chances!!! LOL

 

Thats a really neat idea!
i personally hated the idea of using egg crate as its thickness really didnt please my eyes.

I love your idea though. Perhaps you could use the same material as the handles from fishnets (the metal covered in plastic) to cover the bow completely. They should sell something similar in a DIY store

 

Love the idea... I am still thinking about doing something similar with my new tank.

 

I guess great minds think alike. I just built the exact same thing, dowel rod size, same netting, and have a bowfront, about a week and a half ago. It's been working great for me. I couldn't find the acrylic rods either but I did find this place online and their relatively cheap, US Plastics. I'm thinking about getting some from them depending on how the wood does.

 

Lol. I wasn't sure how I was going to build the frame. I thought about tinker toys or some other similar kids toy. The air line tubing idea just came to me out of the blue.

Thanks for the link on the rods. I'm going to see how the wood holds up as well. Maybe I'll come across something or change the design completely by the time the wood starts looking bad.

Thanks for the compliments everybody. I hope you can put it to good use and save your livestock.

 

That rod is cheap. I wonder if it can be bent and heated to take a set to the shape of the bowfront. Any plastics experts here?

 

good job and great idea! i can't belive someone doesnt offer these commercially

yes you can bend that plastic rod with some heat and then clamp it bent to the radius you want, it'll have alittle memory though and may take a few tries

 

Well I know this a little old... but how is it keeping up? Im doing one similar right now since I added an exquisite wrasse... But I keep thinking that the lid isnt heavy enough.

If they jump once I can see them knocking the lid off. Then twice and out... I know a little far fetched.