Tight Fitting Lid??

[Opah]

We have seen the phrase "tight fitting lid" a million times, especially when referring to specials like jawfish that have a tendency to jump.

I have recently found that eggcrate (AKA light diffuser) is not very effective at keeping jawfish from jumping. I've had 3 jawfish jump through eggcrate recently. One lid was simply one sheet of eggcrate. A second lid was two stacked sheets of eggcrate. And a third was eggcrate with plastic wrap on top of it folded on the edges.

It's a shame to lose these fish because of the lids, but I can't seem to find a better material to construct a lid. I am considering wrapping eggcrate with a finer mesh polypropolene or something else along those lines.

Any thoughts? experience? anything??

[chimmike]

plastic wrap over eggcrate can't be good for oxygenation of the tank nor for letting the light through. You could possibly get a glass lid made, but if your fish are getting thru the eggcrate, maybe do a nylon screen on a frame?

[Opah]

Yeah, I am thinking along those lines. It's just been frustrating to lose fish from this...Was wondering if anyone else had a clever and simple solution.

[Bugzme]

Use clear 1/4" netting

[Opah]

Any source for the 1/4" netting?

[noahm]

A lot of people, including myself, have used standard window screen frame, cut to size (very easy to do or have done), but replace the mesh with 3/8" fine bird netting found in the garden or pond center of most hardware stores. It is almost unseen when looking through it. You can't use the larger 1/2 inch or bigger bird netting that is sometimes found though. Just look somewhere else.

[EMUReef]

Originally Posted by noahm

A lot of people, including myself, have used standard window screen frame, cut to size (very easy to do or have done), but replace the mesh with 3/8" fine bird netting found in the garden or pond center of most hardware stores. It is almost unseen when looking through it. You can't use the larger 1/2 inch or bigger bird netting that is sometimes found though. Just look somewhere else.

this is the same route i went, its really super easy to do. and pretty cheap. The netting is at most 9$ and you can always go in on it with other reefers.