Overflow problem. help.

[Flyride95]

So tonight I got two clown fish who are small. After acclimation and all they are in the tank and looking awesome. I turn out the lights to go to bed but I had the feeling I should go check on these guys. Sure enough they got sucked up by the overflow and were down in my sump. How do I keep this from happening?

[Big_Pun]

what's your over flow look like

[Flyride95]

http://i49.tinypic.com/j98089.jpg

[Big_Pun]

if they are big enought to fit between teeth nothing really if they go over top I would raise it higher so teeth stick out above water level

[Flyride95]

Yea they can go between the teeth. I think tomorrow im going to put a filter for the back part of the overflow so if they do get scooped up they will just be in the overflow box insted of being bashed around down below.

[Big_Pun]

I have this mesh pipe stuff but it's as wide as 1inch PVC. then you put a cylinder sponge over it. what size bulkhead is in the overflow

[Flyride95]

1 inch. I kind of like that idea of putting mesh along the slots on the outside. It can stay like that for a bit until they get bigger.
http://www.spectrumcleaningsolutions.co.uk/74-121-large/green-pad-scourers.jpg

[SoLiD]

Those guys are pretty tiny. Are they smaller than light diffuser egg crate. That might work at blocking them too.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x293/khosein/RSM130D/61acb75f.jpg

[hobogato]

you could make a screen guard for the outside of the teeth using plastic canvas from a craft store

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/assets/item/thumbnail/657437.jpg

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/search/default.aspx?searchTerm=Plastic+Canvas+Shapes+-+Square

[allan]

if they are big enought to fit between teeth nothing really if they go over top I would raise it higher so teeth stick out above water level

Chris, this will raise his water level. He raises it too high he can have a problem filing his house with water.

I'd go with either the egg crate or that material that Ace is recommending. If you go with a filter media, which would work well AND clean your water column... you will have to stay on top of it. As it clogs water will slow, water will rise, water will spill if you don't change it out. The rule of thumb that I apply to filter media is three days and then it's out of the tank. Not sure if there's a hard and fast amount of time though.

[klwheat]

I have used simple filter floss sheets for the same thing. Just place it across the teeth. As a bonus, it'll filter the water a bit more :) Just make sure you clean or change it periodically.

[blupez]

you could also put that plastic stuff that goes around fruit around the overflow teeth. just another option.