Carpet Surfing

catfisher · 09/23/2008, 09:09 AM

I'm starting to get really frustrated with my fish jumping out of the aquarium. I had a yellow coris wrasse jump out a few weeks ago and this morning I found my spotted hawkfish on the carpet. Is this normal? The only semi aggressive fish in the tank is a cinnamon clown but I never noticed him going after them.

Raibaru · 09/23/2008, 09:17 AM

Both of the fish you listed have a track record for being jumpers. But it's not unheard of. I've never had a successful jump, but I've heard my fish bounce off the acrylic shield on my light before.

masonicman · 09/23/2008, 10:20 AM

Try egg crate over your tank. I use it alone the back of my tank for this same reason. My canopy hood is open in the back.

EllieSuz · 09/23/2008, 10:36 AM

A lot of smaller fish can jump right through egg crate. I lost a Diamond Goby and a juvenile Clown that way. You can make a dandy, attractive cover quite easily. Have a look at this one:

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../TankCover.jpg

If you're interested, I'll be glad to share the details. I picked up the idea from another reefer here.

catfisher · 09/23/2008, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by EllieSuz
A lot of smaller fish can jump right through egg crate. I lost a Diamond Goby and a juvenile Clown that way. You can make a dandy, attractive cover quite easily. Have a look at this one:

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../TankCover.jpg

If you're interested, I'll be glad to share the details. I picked up the idea from another reefer here.

I've always heard you shouldn't cover a reef tank (cuts down light, builds up heat, etc...)

catfisher · 09/23/2008, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by EllieSuz
A lot of smaller fish can jump right through egg crate. I lost a Diamond Goby and a juvenile Clown that way. You can make a dandy, attractive cover quite easily. Have a look at this one:

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../TankCover.jpg

If you're interested, I'll be glad to share the details. I picked up the idea from another reefer here.

Interesting cover, how did you make it?

Raibaru · 09/23/2008, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by catfisher
I've always heard you shouldn't cover a reef tank (cuts down light, builds up heat, etc...)

Well they use egg-crate or some other mesh type material so it doesn't have an impact on the heat. People have been moving away from egg-crate and going toward the type of material linked above because egg-crate does knock out a great deal of light.

After all, it's sold as light difuser

EllieSuz · 09/23/2008, 02:15 PM

It's made from DIY screen kit, available at Home Depot and 1/4" pond netting. You apply the netting to the screen frame with rubber spline, just like you were making a window screen. The frame pieces are aluminum and you can buy plastic corners to make a rectangle. Some reefers use bird netting which, in my opinion, doesn't work for the smaller fish, although it can be doubled. I have a bunch of the netting left over because there was a minimum order of 6' x 14' and I only needed 36" x 12". I have sold some to other members for a nominal price, plus shipping or you can look at the following link:

http://www.watergarden.org/s.nl/it.A...category=43357

It's pretty simple and inexpensive and makes a nice professional looking cover.

pbradley0 · 09/23/2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Raibaru
Well they use egg-crate or some other mesh type material so it doesn't have an impact on the heat. People have been moving away from egg-crate and going toward the type of material linked above because egg-crate does knock out a great deal of light.

After all, it's sold as light difuser

Have you seen anyone test the PAR reading on a tank with and without the egg-crate? It seems to me that eggcrate would do relativly little to the light.

LockeOak · 09/23/2008, 03:26 PM

I would imagine a lot of the impact from eggcrate depends on whether or not you're using a point source for light (halides) or fluorescents. It seems like eggcrate would create more of a spotlight effect with halides. Low angle light from the halides will get blocked by the "tall" egg crate, while the T5s are mostly shining straight down through the eggcrate.

For what it's worth I use T5s and eggcrate.

pbradley0 · 09/23/2008, 05:00 PM

That's a good point. I imagine MH and eggcrate probably would create an unusual shadow pattern in the tank.

Runfrumu · 09/23/2008, 05:36 PM

I made the DIY screen door cover for mine a few weeks ago. feel a little better now and may get a few wrasses in the near future. Lost a diamond goby and a foxface to jumping.

09/23/2008, 09:09 AM	#1
catfisher Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 527	Carpet Surfing I'm starting to get really frustrated with my fish jumping out of the aquarium. I had a yellow coris wrasse jump out a few weeks ago and this morning I found my spotted hawkfish on the carpet. Is this normal? The only semi aggressive fish in the tank is a cinnamon clown but I never noticed him going after them. __________________ Current Tank- 90 Gallon mixed reef, 20 Gallon Sump. Evergrow WiFi Black boxes, JBJ ATO, TLF Reactor w/GFO, Reef Octopus NWB110 Skimmer. Coral- Red Lobo, Orange Blast Acan, Frogspawn, Hammer, War, Ac

09/23/2008, 10:20 AM	#3
masonicman Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 1,313	Try egg crate over your tank. I use it alone the back of my tank for this same reason. My canopy hood is open in the back. __________________ It is better to ask for forgiveness then to ask for permission.......... Current Tank Info: 75 gal mixed reef, 216w LED, Remora Pro skimmer, HOB fuge, 400w htr, ATO RO/DI, 90lbs LR and 1" SB.

09/23/2008, 10:36 AM	#4
EllieSuz Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,858	A lot of smaller fish can jump right through egg crate. I lost a Diamond Goby and a juvenile Clown that way. You can make a dandy, attractive cover quite easily. Have a look at this one: http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k.../TankCover.jpg If you're interested, I'll be glad to share the details. I picked up the idea from another reefer here. __________________ "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.

09/23/2008, 02:15 PM	#8
EllieSuz Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,858	It's made from DIY screen kit, available at Home Depot and 1/4" pond netting. You apply the netting to the screen frame with rubber spline, just like you were making a window screen. The frame pieces are aluminum and you can buy plastic corners to make a rectangle. Some reefers use bird netting which, in my opinion, doesn't work for the smaller fish, although it can be doubled. I have a bunch of the netting left over because there was a minimum order of 6' x 14' and I only needed 36" x 12". I have sold some to other members for a nominal price, plus shipping or you can look at the following link: http://www.watergarden.org/s.nl/it.A...category=43357 It's pretty simple and inexpensive and makes a nice professional looking cover. __________________ "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.

09/23/2008, 05:36 PM	#12
Runfrumu Hi Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NC Posts: 1,014	I made the DIY screen door cover for mine a few weeks ago. feel a little better now and may get a few wrasses in the near future. Lost a diamond goby and a foxface to jumping. __________________ Red Sea Max 130d and 125 gallon mixed reef. Current Tank Info: 125 gallon oceanic tank, Lighthouse Pro XLS, 72" outer orbit fixture, H&S 150-F2000/1 skimmer, H&S 110 Calcium Reactor, Tunze 7096, 2 Tunze 6105's , Tunze Osmolator, Prime 1/4hp drop-in chiller. 5 years running. Red Sea Max, 3 years.

09/23/2008, 09:17 AM	#2
Raibaru Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 979	Both of the fish you listed have a track record for being jumpers. But it's not unheard of. I've never had a successful jump, but I've heard my fish bounce off the acrylic shield on my light before.

09/23/2008, 03:26 PM	#10
LockeOak Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 839	I would imagine a lot of the impact from eggcrate depends on whether or not you're using a point source for light (halides) or fluorescents. It seems like eggcrate would create more of a spotlight effect with halides. Low angle light from the halides will get blocked by the "tall" egg crate, while the T5s are mostly shining straight down through the eggcrate. For what it's worth I use T5s and eggcrate.

09/23/2008, 05:00 PM	#11
pbradley0 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 185	That's a good point. I imagine MH and eggcrate probably would create an unusual shadow pattern in the tank.