You better save your Wrasse (1 Viewer)

[Pure Magic]

I lost a beautiful 3 ½” Yellow Coris Wrasse about three months ago. I was crushed. He jumped out of my tank. I did not have a cover on my tank. I like having an open topped tank. Of course there are ways to cover the tank. You could put glass over the top of tank but I don’t recommend it due to it blocks surface water to nitrogen exchange. Not to mention in time the glass starts to get cloudy in time and block light.

There is the "make your own screen top." But aren’t they a metal frame??? Metal and salt don’t mix well.

I used egg crate or better known as lighting diffuser. Home Depot Lighting Diffuser:
The Lithonia Lighting 4 ft. Replacement Diffuser is made of acrylic and features an egg-crate louver design. This diffuser features a white finish and is perfect for your lighting needs.

The egg crate is very easy to cut to size. The light passes through it with no problems.
I wanted to post this for everyone. Just today I was feeding the tank and my Yellow Coris Wrasse got spooked and I heard him jump out of the water and hit the egg crate. It didn’t even phase him. But I got to thinking:
Egg Crate- $13.00
Gas to pick up the egg crate at home depot >$1.00
10 minutes of cutting the egg crate to size- no problem
Hearing my wrasse hit it the egg crate today after getting spooked and then go back to swimming and eating in the tank and not having to explain to my daughters why our beautiful fish is dried up on my foyer floor……. PRICELESS!!!!

The egg crate is only $13. I have currently have had my new 2 ½” Yellow Coris Wrasse (cost $40) for three months, I bought him after my other one tried to walk. I also have a Mystery Wrasse($100) but he is new to my tank. Point being I don’t have to worry about them jumping out.

 

[d2mini]

DIY Aquarium Screen Top Netting Kits - Bulk Reef Supply

The framing is aluminum (resists salt corrosion) and the screen is a clear 1/4" plastic netting which allows much better light transmission than the egg crate material.

 

[Pure Magic]

DIY Aquarium Screen Top Netting Kits - Bulk Reef Supply

The framing is aluminum (resists salt corrosion) and the screen is a clear 1/4" plastic netting which allows much better light transmission than the egg crate material.

Thank you for the post. I've seen BRS screen top. Where have you found a study that states you get much more light transmission than egg crate? All I've heard is the sales guy, Mr. BRS stating claims but there is no proof of what he is saying. He is a salesman and he is selling the product.

Aluminum may resist corrosion but it will corrode. I don't want any metals or corrosion falling in my tank. Has anyone had one of these tops on their tank for years yet? How do these tops perform? Back to Aluminum and corrosion, I've spent most of my life at sea and I've seen all different types of metal used on ships and oil rigs. All metals corrode over time even aluminum. Aluminum gets this ashy white stuff that flakes off. Of course I guess you could buy another BRS screen top and make another one, I am sure they would like that.

I guarantee that the egg crate does not corrode and I can't tell the difference in regards to lighting in my tank with it on my tank or off. My coral and coraline algae are doing very well. Mr. BRS says that you can see a shadow in a tank that has egg crate on it.... LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE..... I can't see any grid lines in my tank.

 

[Diesel]

+1 on d2mini (Dennis).
Light from a light fixture doesn't travel straight down but mostly in a angle, if you use egg crate it will not allow your light to do that.
Also if your wrasse hit the egg crate in many cases they get hurt and will give the ghost in a few days.
Wrasses are really sensitive for that.
I used the screen top now on my quarantine tank for about 18 months, and have no corrosion yet.

 

[d2mini]

Aluminum gets this ashy white stuff that flakes off.

http://www.sheetpileeurope.com/uploads/CMI technische documenten (engels)/aluminum_corrosion.pdf

Aluminum is actually a very active metal, meaning that its nature is to oxidize very quickly. While a weakness for most metals, this quality is actually the key to its ability to resist corrosion. When oxygen is present (in the air, soil, or water), aluminum instantly reacts to form aluminum oxide. This aluminum oxide layer is chemically bound to the surface, and it seals the core aluminum from any further reaction. This is quite different from oxidation (corrosion) in steel, where rust puffs up and flakes off, constantly exposing new metal to corrosion. Aluminum’s oxide film is tenacious, hard, and instantly self-renewing.

I don't see any issue with the screens lasting the life of my tank. And really... how long is the average tank life?

As to the light transmission, I wouldn't expect to see shadows in most circumstances, but you are putting a grid of solid white plastic under your lights. Some of that light WILL be blocked and reflected back up. The clear screen that BRS sells is much thinner and clear-ish so light will pass through and around it much easier.

This was a great thread to start. I was just adding an alternative, albeit a bit more expensive.
The egg crate does the job, but IMHO the clear screen material is more effective at keeping things in while letting light through.

 

[Pure Magic]

+1 on d2mini (Dennis).
Light from a light fixture doesn't travel straight down but mostly in a angle, if you use egg crate it will not allow your light to do that.
Also if your wrasse hit the egg crate in many cases they get hurt and will give the ghost in a few days.
Wrasses are really sensitive for that.
I used the screen top now on my quarantine tank for about 18 months, and have no corrosion yet.

Hey Ben, is your screen top from BRS? How sturdy is the screen top? The ones I've seen are flimsy and the plastic netting droops.

However, I've had the egg crate on my tank since July and my coral growth is very good. I have six t-5 fixture and the light penetrates the egg crate very well.

 

[d2mini]

Not flimsy/droopy if you do it correctly.
Just took this a minute ago.

 

[Pure Magic]

Not flimsy/droopy if you do it correctly.
Just took this a minute ago.

Very nice screen Ben. I've learned a lot from Dennis and Ben on here. You both have some good points that have opened my eyes. Thanks guys! I am definitely thinking about getting a screen.

I was worried about having flaking/ corrosion falling in my tank from the screen. However, I have my durso pipe sticking up about an 1" out of my false bulkhead. Then my auto feeder also sticks out of my tank off the false bulk head. I have to figure out a way for the screen to go around that. The egg crate was easy to cut out around those obstacles.

Thanks again guys.

 

[d2mini]

However, I have my durso pipe sticking up about an 1" out of my false bulkhead. Then my auto feeder also sticks out of my tank off the false bulk head. I have to figure out a way for the screen to go around that. The egg crate was easy to cut out around those obstacles.

Now this is a problem.
I had to deal with the same thing with my middle screen (i have 3 total) because I had to get around my return plumbing.
If you were to look at a side profile or cut-away of the aluminum frame, it's not symmetrical and can only be installed facing one direction. Like going in a circle using one way streets. Left, left, left, left. Try to go right and you are screwed. So in order to get the groove for the screen to be on the correct side I had to modify the plastic corner connectors. That was issue number one. Issue number two is that the side of that screen that goes around the return pipe is not sturdy because what you end up with is basically a chunk missing from the center of the frame on that side so the screen is not held taught and THIS time it droops. Not ineffective, but not pretty.

So what I'm thinking of doing is creating a standard rectangular screen for the middle that goes back only has far as the return pipe. Then for that rear section, crazy gluing some egg crate to the rear frame of the screen. This way I only have egg crate on the very back portion which is mostly overflow anyway. And the rest of the screen will be nice and tight/sturdy.


Old pic so you can see what I have to get around.

 

[tektite]

Another option is getting a piece of thicker acrylic, like 1/4" or more, and putting a strip a few inches wide along the back of the tank. Cutting pieces out for any obstacles is easy, and you can still keep the screen frame square and simple to put together. Another thing with just using eggcrate is that there are some fish that will be able to jump through it. The 1/4" net is more secure in that manner, plus like mentioned it is softer for the fish to hit.

 

[inigomontoya]

+1 on jumping through the eggcrate, lost a wrasse that way on old tank and Mike at Rock and reef lost a wrasse he was holding for me in the same way. He stopped using eggcrate after that. Also using brs though like hearing cord and obstacle solutions.

 

[Diesel]

Dang, what kind of screen you need for this little jumper?!?

600lb Black Marlin Jumps in Boat and Lands on the Crew! Captured on 4 different cameras! Very Scary - YouTube

 

[Pure Magic]

Dang, what kind of screen you need for this little jumper?!?

600lb Black Marlin Jumps in Boat and Lands on the Crew! Captured on 4 different cameras! Very Scary - YouTube

Pretty sure he can't get through egg crate.........