Light Friendly Screen Cover For Open Top Tanks-With Pics.

[sailfish]

You can buy it at petsmart as well it is called pond netting it still costs like $20 to $30 for like 20' by 20'. It is black.

Joe

 

[acroholic]

sailfish;351938 wrote: You can buy it at petsmart as well it is called pond netting it still costs like $20 to $30 for like 20' by 20'. It is black.

Joe

3/8" opening, right?

 

[budsreef]

I did mine with the black pond netting from PetSmart and I'm sure I'm losing some PAR with it on, but I am very happy with it. I think it is 1/4" opening.

 

[jesspete]

We're headed home with our goodies from lowe's! Can hardly wait to have it done!

 

[oldschool52]

Cool idea. Don't have any jumpers and keep open top on 72 bow front. Did make tops from eggcrate material. Put them on at night or when away from the tank for awhile. Mine are more for cats not falling in, they lay on the light fixture that is suspended over tank, it's warm. Sometimes bird, Blue and Gold McCaw jumps on light. I'm more concerned with them falling in tank, not for cats or even bird can get out since she has jumped in every pond we used to have, We had 14 years ago, but the tank getting destroyed with them trying to get out. LOL

 

[sailfish]

Acroholic;351949 wrote: 3/8" opening, right?

Yes it seems to be. I figured it was 1/4" but I went an measured it. I don't know of to many fish that can get threw 3/8".

Thanks for the heads up Dave.

Joe

 

[jesspete]

Kelsey. We're doing two frames for the top of the 90, one for each side. Cutting and assembly of one side took less than ten minutes (haven't added net yet though) 22$ for all of the materials, and we got an extra length of the frame.

If you don't do this right away, let me know and we'll pass on the netting and extra frame to you. If you do, we'll pass it on to someone else at the next meeting. Perhaps even the tool too!

 

[acroholic]

sailfish;351963 wrote: Yes it seems to be. I figured it was 1/4" but I went an measured it. I don't know of to many fish that can get threw 3/8".

Thanks for the heads up Dave.

Joe

I went with 1/4" because I have some striped blennies and some scissor tail gobies that are small and torpedo-like.

 

[budsreef]

Ha! Same here, I just measured too and it looks closer to 3/8". Unfortunately, I still had a small diamond goby and a filamented flasher wrasse get through it somehow. I found the goby behind the tank and the wrasse was just laying on top of the screen but I didn't notice it soon enough to save it.

sailfish;351963 wrote: Yes it seems to be. I figured it was 1/4" but I went an measured it. I don't know of to many fish that can get threw 3/8".

Thanks for the heads up Dave.

Joe

 

[acroholic]

atreyu917;351988 wrote: Hope I can keep the netting taunt enough! I think I'm going to get Sean or my dad to help me!

When you make the covers, just don't stretch the netting too tight, because it can bow the aluminum channel inwards, and make the cover not want to lie flat. I did that myself the first couple ones.

 

[budsreef]

Kelsey, mine is one piece for a 2'X4' tank and the first time I had it too tight so that it bowed the frame. You shouldn't have a problem with it unless it is wider than 2'.

 

[jesspete]

All done! Yay! Kels, all you'll need to get is one length of the frame (about seven feet long, I think) and a pack of the corners. Should be less than seven dollars with tax. I've got everything else you'll need, then you can pass the tool and the extra netting to the next guy. You'll probably even have extra spline.

 

[jesspete]

With two people, it's not that hard as long as you aren't super anal about how tight the top is. We tried not to pull it too taut because of bowing and such, and we're happy with the results. We did three layers. It would probably drive Dave crazy, but it works for us! It's also hidden behind an almost canopy.

 

[jesspete]

Kelsey, there's enough for you to do three layers and still pass it on to someone else for another two or three!

 

[tnyga]

lets do this for a corner tank