How to stop Fish getting into Overflow

Trabel · 05/16/2012, 09:07 AM

Hello all. I'm a long time lurker here and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for keeping fish out of the overflow.

I have a 65 gallon tank with a middle overflow box. The overflow has the cover with the teeth at the top of it. Well this morning when I went to feed my only fish in the tank I could not find him. After shutting the return and powerheads off I found him laying at the bottom of the overflow. I also noticed a few scales on the outside of the teeth to the overflow as well as on the bottom of the tank outside of the overflow. I'm thinking he somehow tried to force his way through the teeth? Normally when I would look in the tank at night he would just be under some rocks sleeping. So I don't know what changed last night for him.

This is a new tank and he was the only fish in the tank. So I ask has anyone had this happen to them and/or what could I do to hopefully not have this happen in the future.

Thanks all

-Joe

kiknchikn · 05/16/2012, 09:25 AM

If he's going through the teeth, try threading some fishing line between them. Not enough to cause them to get blocked by algae/food/etc, but enough to keep the fish out. If it's going over the overflow, perhaps some eggcrate. Netting probably wouldn't be a good idea in this case, as the fish might jump onto it and get stuck.

Trabel · 05/16/2012, 09:52 AM

kiknchikn - Thank you I will try the fishing line. Unfortunately when I found him he was dead so I'm trying to get it setup so others don't meet the same fate. I don't think he went over the top because he would have had to jump over and with the scales found on and around the teeth area I feel he forced his way through ripping off scales in the process. Guess I wish I had a camera setup to see exactly what happened there, but hopefully the line does work.

Again Thank you for your suggestion.

kiknchikn · 05/16/2012, 10:08 AM

No problem. Keep in mind that a lot of fishing line is made to biodegrade over time and try to use one that doesn't.

Trabel · 05/16/2012, 10:18 AM

Ah yes good point

EllieSuz · 05/16/2012, 10:50 AM

I had that problem with a previous tank of mine and fortunately I kept a picture of the solution.

I'm not sure what this stuff is called, but I bought it in the craft department at Walmart and cut a strip to fit between the teeth of the overflow and the screen cover of the tank. It worked just great.

erock68 · 05/16/2012, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EllieSuz

I had that problem with a previous tank of mine and fortunately I kept a picture of the solution.

I'm not sure what this stuff is called, but I bought it in the craft department at Walmart and cut a strip to fit between the teeth of the overflow and the screen cover of the tank. It worked just great.

It's like a "fish fence"

Trabel · 05/16/2012, 02:29 PM

Eileen- Thank You. I'll be adding this to my tank shopping list for this weekend.

kiknchikn · 05/16/2012, 02:35 PM

Be real careful about that clogging up. If your overflow clogs or even slows down a little, you'll be dumping the contents of whatever is feeding water to your tank (sump/fuge/etc) onto your floor.

EllieSuz · 05/16/2012, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiknchikn

Be real careful about that clogging up. If your overflow clogs or even slows down a little, you'll be dumping the contents of whatever is feeding water to your tank (sump/fuge/etc) onto your floor.

This is always good advice, but I never had any problems with it clogging up. It's easy to check it whenever you do a water change. Now and then I would hold it under a faucet and brush it with a nice clean, toothbrush.

shifty51008 · 05/16/2012, 04:37 PM

I just put a piece of black acrylic over top mine. keeps the light out so no algae grows in it and keeps the fish out.

aandfsoccr04 · 05/28/2012, 03:25 PM

So pretty much the only way to keep fish out of the overflow is covering it with some type of netting or eggcrate? I'd like to cover the top of mine, even though I already have the top of my tank covered, to keep the wrasses from jumping in there because I found out today that it is a ROYAL PAIN to catch fish out of the overflow...

EllieSuz · 05/28/2012, 03:45 PM

The potential problem with covering the overflow is that a fish can jump and land on it and die there unless it's lucky enough to flop back into the water.

seove · 06/29/2015, 11:45 AM

I've been using a strip of pot scrubber but may upgrade to the craft store material (shown previously). I was lazy about keeping mine upgraded and one of the dwarf puffers went down the drain of my DIY PVC overflow pipe. For weeks it was missing. One day while changing the filter material in my DIY wet dry filter, I see a blob hanging on the edge of the material. I lifted it to get a better look and it fell off. I assumed that it fell onto the floor and counted as a definite loss. However, I thought that there was a chance that it landed in the sump because I couldn't find it or a wet spot on the floor. Two more weeks later I saw it hunting in the sump. Finally, a week after that I fished it out and placed it back in the DT. After 5 weeks MIA it was rejoined with another puffer. Normally, they don't tolerate one another in the same territory but they stared at each other for about a minute as if they were happy to be reunited.

05/16/2012, 09:07 AM	#1
Trabel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 12	How to stop Fish getting into Overflow Hello all. I'm a long time lurker here and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for keeping fish out of the overflow. I have a 65 gallon tank with a middle overflow box. The overflow has the cover with the teeth at the top of it. Well this morning when I went to feed my only fish in the tank I could not find him. After shutting the return and powerheads off I found him laying at the bottom of the overflow. I also noticed a few scales on the outside of the teeth to the overflow as well as on the bottom of the tank outside of the overflow. I'm thinking he somehow tried to force his way through the teeth? Normally when I would look in the tank at night he would just be under some rocks sleeping. So I don't know what changed last night for him. This is a new tank and he was the only fish in the tank. So I ask has anyone had this happen to them and/or what could I do to hopefully not have this happen in the future. Thanks all -Joe

05/16/2012, 09:25 AM	#2
kiknchikn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1,556	If he's going through the teeth, try threading some fishing line between them. Not enough to cause them to get blocked by algae/food/etc, but enough to keep the fish out. If it's going over the overflow, perhaps some eggcrate. Netting probably wouldn't be a good idea in this case, as the fish might jump onto it and get stuck. __________________ I am a proud member of the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society (CMAS). If you're in the Maryland area check us out! Current Tank Info: 30g nano reef

05/16/2012, 10:08 AM	#4
kiknchikn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1,556	No problem. Keep in mind that a lot of fishing line is made to biodegrade over time and try to use one that doesn't. __________________ I am a proud member of the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society (CMAS). If you're in the Maryland area check us out! Current Tank Info: 30g nano reef

05/16/2012, 10:50 AM	#6
EllieSuz Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,858	I had that problem with a previous tank of mine and fortunately I kept a picture of the solution. I'm not sure what this stuff is called, but I bought it in the craft department at Walmart and cut a strip to fit between the teeth of the overflow and the screen cover of the tank. It worked just great. __________________ "You can't learn this hobby one question at a time." (Mr. Tuskfish) Eileen Current Tank Info: I'm out of the hobby, but used to have a60 gal. reef, refugium in sump, Internal Mag 9 return, SC 302 skimmer, two Maxi-Jet 1200's modded, four bulb T5 Lighting, Reefkeeper Lite Controller with three PC4's, Little Fishes GFO reactor.

05/16/2012, 02:35 PM	#9
kiknchikn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bel Air, MD Posts: 1,556	Be real careful about that clogging up. If your overflow clogs or even slows down a little, you'll be dumping the contents of whatever is feeding water to your tank (sump/fuge/etc) onto your floor. __________________ I am a proud member of the Chesapeake Marine Aquaria Society (CMAS). If you're in the Maryland area check us out! Current Tank Info: 30g nano reef

05/16/2012, 09:52 AM	#3
Trabel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 12	kiknchikn - Thank you I will try the fishing line. Unfortunately when I found him he was dead so I'm trying to get it setup so others don't meet the same fate. I don't think he went over the top because he would have had to jump over and with the scales found on and around the teeth area I feel he forced his way through ripping off scales in the process. Guess I wish I had a camera setup to see exactly what happened there, but hopefully the line does work. Again Thank you for your suggestion.

05/16/2012, 10:18 AM	#5
Trabel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 12	Ah yes good point

05/16/2012, 02:29 PM	#8
Trabel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 12	Eileen- Thank You. I'll be adding this to my tank shopping list for this weekend.

05/16/2012, 04:37 PM	#11
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	I just put a piece of black acrylic over top mine. keeps the light out so no algae grows in it and keeps the fish out. __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

05/28/2012, 03:25 PM	#12
aandfsoccr04 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 3,561	So pretty much the only way to keep fish out of the overflow is covering it with some type of netting or eggcrate? I'd like to cover the top of mine, even though I already have the top of my tank covered, to keep the wrasses from jumping in there because I found out today that it is a ROYAL PAIN to catch fish out of the overflow... __________________ 120 gallon mixed reef

05/28/2012, 03:45 PM	#13
EllieSuz Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,858	The potential problem with covering the overflow is that a fish can jump and land on it and die there unless it's lucky enough to flop back into the water. __________________ "You can't learn this hobby one question at a time." (Mr. Tuskfish) Eileen Current Tank Info: I'm out of the hobby, but used to have a60 gal. reef, refugium in sump, Internal Mag 9 return, SC 302 skimmer, two Maxi-Jet 1200's modded, four bulb T5 Lighting, Reefkeeper Lite Controller with three PC4's, Little Fishes GFO reactor.

06/29/2015, 11:45 AM	#14
seove Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 13	I've been using a strip of pot scrubber but may upgrade to the craft store material (shown previously). I was lazy about keeping mine upgraded and one of the dwarf puffers went down the drain of my DIY PVC overflow pipe. For weeks it was missing. One day while changing the filter material in my DIY wet dry filter, I see a blob hanging on the edge of the material. I lifted it to get a better look and it fell off. I assumed that it fell onto the floor and counted as a definite loss. However, I thought that there was a chance that it landed in the sump because I couldn't find it or a wet spot on the floor. Two more weeks later I saw it hunting in the sump. Finally, a week after that I fished it out and placed it back in the DT. After 5 weeks MIA it was rejoined with another puffer. Normally, they don't tolerate one another in the same territory but they stared at each other for about a minute as if they were happy to be reunited.