Covering tank w/o eggcrate?

[cvonseggern]

Had my second carpet-surfing incident in a month yesterday (foxface this time...took us over 24 hours to locate it) and I think I need to re-cover the tank. I used eggcrate before I got halides but took it off because it reflects too much and I couldn't look at the tank :blink

Any suggestions on what else I could use? I'd like to stop this "live free or die" trend before I lose anything else.

Thanks,

Chris

[GaryP]

To be honest, your best bet is to build a hood. I'm going to be installing some screen material to the back of mine to cut off the only remaining escape route in my tank. The other option is to put the eggcrate on the tank at night when the lights are off. I thinkfish get busy chasing pods or whatever at night and that causes a lot of these suicides.

[cpreefguy]

you could always paint the eggcrate black

[alexwolf]

i have black eggcrate in stock at my shop. $15/sheet for 4'x2'

[H2OCruiser]

i have black eggcrate in stock at my shop. $15/sheet for 4'x2'

Do you deliver? Thats to far from me. :blink

[CD]

I'd go with Gary's recommendations. ;)

On our old set up (75G), we had the hanging MH pendants with no cover over the tank itself. We started having a problem with fish "jumping ship" but it was only at night, never during the day. A kind fellow MAASTard (Frederick) brought us a nice piece of white eggcrate that covered the top of the tank, and we cut it to fit tightly against the equipment (where the overflows were, etc.). From there on, we always covered the tank after the MHs cycled off in the evening, and never had any further problems.

A canopy is obviously the best way to go, but can be a little expensive converting all your equipment, especially the lighting - I'm guessing you currently have a hanging pendant? Plus, with a canopy, you will have more issues with heat build-up from the lights, so installing fans in the canopy would be a must. Our current tank has a canopy with fans, and there are NO outlets for the fish to get through at this point - the fact that the tanks is reef ready helps...less/no holes in the canopy for hanging equipment = less escape routes. The only holes in the current hood (other than the doors and lid which stay closed) are for the fans, and they are covered. LOL...of course there IS that pesky centerbrace...I've heard people say that they've had fish "beach" themselves on the centerbrace of a tank before, but that's a whole other issue :roll

W.

[GaryP]

Remember the eggcrate, ergardless of color, is going to absorb a certain percentage of the light being produced by your bulbs. We spend a lot of money to crank out those photons. Black eggcrate will absorb more light then the white.

[justin-branam]

here is what i did because i had the same problem. i decided to use the reflective eggcrate so i didnt lose as much light. that gave me the same problem you are having. so i built an open top canopy out of 3 pieces of mdf, 1 2x2 to hold the back together, and 2 foot long 1x4's to rest on the sides of the tank. i cut notches out on the sides so the fans on my lights blew air out and away from the tank. here's a pic for you. cost was abou $15 and i have no more problems. just make sure to use some kind of marine paint sealer on the inside in case water splashes on it. also make sure the 2x2 in the back is low enough to slide under your light (figured that one out the hard way).

http://www.justinunderwater.com/gallery/albums/myaquarium/P1010467.jpg