Best option for tank cover

[tur4k]

I just ordered two AI Hydra's to replace my old retro T5 fixture. I'm planning on hanging the LED fixtures from the ceiling, but I need to remove the top of my hood. I have a two year old boy and a four year old boy that like to throw things in the house. What's my best option for keeping balls out of my tank without diminishing the light too much?

 

[tur4k]

Actually...I just ordered some 1/4 clear polypropylene netting. I'm going to get some screen frame and make a cover.

 

[geridoc]

That should work fine, although using egg crate might be easier.

 

[tur4k]

I may be over complicating things, but I've read of people have issues with egg crate limiting their light coverage area. I have some black egg crate in the garage, but it doesn't sound hard to frame some 1/4 inch clear mesh. It'll will look better if nothing else.

 

[geridoc]

You might be right. I just noticed that you are adding LED fixtures. I could see how egg crate might be a problem with point light sources, as opposed to continuous tubes. Either way, good luck, and welcome to the site.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tur4k http:///t/396409/best-option-for-tank-cover#post_3532022
I just ordered two AI Hydra's to replace my old retro T5 fixture. I'm planning on hanging the LED fixtures from the ceiling, but I need to remove the top of my hood. I have a two year old boy and a four year old boy that like to throw things in the house. What's my best option for keeping balls out of my tank without diminishing the light too much?


It's time to teach the children not to throw things....someday it may be more then a rubber ball they throw, and a crack in the fish tank is a nightmare. 2 and 3 year olds are not to young to learn.

That being said, I purchased nylon stretch mesh from eBay, I got some elastic from Walmart and sewed a cover to fit my tank. It works better for keeping fish from jumping, egg crate was not good enough, the firefish would still leap out. I use a canopy to make the tank look better, it makes it taller to prevent my grandchildren from reaching the tank top, they tried to feed the fish a hotdog once, thankfully it was just the wienie, no bun and no ketchup (easy to remove with no harm done). However the incident let me know there was a problem to address.

I have 13 grandkids...from 1 to 16 and NONE of them throw anything in Nana's house, not at the tank, and not at each other. It was the first thing the kids are taught.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I agree with Flower. It's never to late to teach kids not to throw things in the house.

I have an 18 month old daughter and we taught her not to throw things in the house and we broke her from screaming all the time. Just takes a little patience and practice.

That being said, I think the mesh should be fine, although I would be concerned with it "caving in" over time... I like egg crate better since it's a hard surface. So even if balls were thrown at the tank, the weight of them wouldn't collapse the egg crate.

just my 0.02

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/396409/best-option-for-tank-cover#post_3532046
I agree with Flower. It's never to late to teach kids not to throw things in the house.

I have an 18 month old daughter and we taught her not to throw things in the house and we broke her from screaming all the time. Just takes a little patience and practice.

That being said, I think the mesh should be fine, although I would be concerned with it "caving in" over time... I like egg crate better since it's a hard surface. So even if balls were thrown at the tank, the weight of them wouldn't collapse the egg crate.

just my 0.02

Hi,

The mesh is very tight when stretched over the top, it works like a trampoline, it's also soft if the fish leaps against it.


I sewed the mesh while it was on the tank, so you can see in my pictures as it progressed. The canopy had a grove cut out and the mesh went to that point.









It was pretty transparent so the light was not blocked.

 

[tur4k]

This is what I came up with after searching various reef forums. It's 3/4" aluminum screen framing with plastic screen frame corners. I used 1/4 clear netting for the screen.

 

[mr llimpid]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/396409/best-option-for-tank-cover#post_3532044


It's time to teach the children not to throw things....someday it may be more then a rubber ball they throw, and a crack in the fish tank is a nightmare. 2 and 3 year olds are not to young to learn.

That being said, I purchased nylon stretch mesh from eBay, I got some elastic from Walmart and sewed a cover to fit my tank. It works better for keeping fish from jumping, egg crate was not good enough, the firefish would still leap out. I use a canopy to make the tank look better, it makes it taller to prevent my grandchildren from reaching the tank top, they tried to feed the fish a hotdog once, thankfully it was just the wienie, no bun and no ketchup (easy to remove with no harm done). However the incident let me know there was a problem to address.

I have 13 grandkids...from 1 to 16 and NONE of them throw anything in Nana's house, not at the tank, and not at each other. It was the first thing the kids are taught
Flower do you live in a shoe?

 

[tur4k]

I ask a question about my reef and get a lecture on parenting. This is why I stopped frequenting this site over a year ago. My four year old could read at age three. Can do basic math. Always says please and thank you. Sometimes enjoys playing with bouncy balls in the house. My two year old probably has a better grasp on the english language than me, also always says please and thank you, knows all of the letter sounds and also sometimes enjoys throwing stuff.

I like to run around and have fun with my kids. Some times we run around in the house. Some times we play with balls in the house. My mom was all about bragging up how she disciplined her kids to her friends. She was a horrible parent.

Maybe you should take a minute to think before passing judgement on people. You know absolutely nothing about my kids. You know very little about me. Telling people how to raise their kids is a surefire way to confrontation. Oh...My kids don't throw stuff at their grandmothers house either.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tur4k http:///t/396409/best-option-for-tank-cover#post_3532333
I ask a question about my reef and get a lecture on parenting. This is why I stopped frequenting this site over a year ago. My four year old could read at age three. Can do basic math. Always says please and thank you. Sometimes enjoys playing with bouncy balls in the house. My two year old probably has a better grasp on the english language than me, also always says please and thank you, knows all of the letter sounds and also sometimes enjoys throwing stuff.

I like to run around and have fun with my kids. Some times we run around in the house. Some times we play with balls in the house. My mom was all about bragging up how she disciplined her kids to her friends. She was a horrible parent.

Maybe you should take a minute to think before passing judgement on people. You know absolutely nothing about my kids. You know very little about me. Telling people how to raise their kids is a surefire way to confrontation. Oh...My kids don't throw stuff at their grandmothers house either.


UMM...Friend, I'm very sorry if you felt attacked or we came off as judgmental.

I wasn't passing judgment, I was giving you advice. Lots of parents don't think a 3 year old can understand about throwing balls in the house, so they don't try. I was just telling you the child can indeed learn to not throw things...not that it pertained to you directly like you did something wrong.

If YOU are playing ball in the house, LOL...you are not a very good roll model for teaching the little one to not do that. Not throwing stuff in the room where the fish tank resides is a very important thing to understand to NOT DO. I don't care of it's little Suzy that knows math, or daddy dumdum that acts like a big kid. What I just said was done so in a good nature kind of way, not judgmentally. I called my late husband Daddy dumdum when he would get into trouble with the children, I sure do miss those happy times.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr LLimpid http:///t/396409/best-option-for-tank-cover#post_3532249
I have 13 grandkids...from 1 to 16 and NONE of them throw anything in Nana's house, not at the tank, and not at each other. It was the first thing the kids are taught
Flower do you live in a shoe?


LOL...but my house is about as large as a shoe. No, the children (I have 3) will bring the grandkids "in small groups" no more then 3 at a time, to visit on the weekends. I have a queen sized sleep number type of bed for the parents in the leather sofa, and the children like to sleep on pallets in my room with me, like a camp out. They don't come every weekend, but it's always a treat to visit with them. all of my children live about 2 hours away in Wisconsin, I live near the border in Illinois.

 

[mr llimpid]

Sound like a great time. I currently only have 1 she is my little cute. There is another coming in January can't wait.

 

[tur4k]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/396409/best-option-for-tank-cover#post_3532341


UMM...Friend, I'm very sorry if you felt attacked or we came off as judgmental.

I wasn't passing judgment, I was giving you advice. Lots of parents don't think a 3 year old can understand about throwing balls in the house, so they don't try. I was just telling you the child can indeed learn to not throw things...not that it pertained to you directly like you did something wrong.

If YOU are playing ball in the house, LOL...you are not a very good roll model for teaching the little one to not do that. Not throwing stuff in the room where the fish tank resides is a very important thing to understand to NOT DO. I don't care of it's little Suzy that knows math, or daddy dumdum that acts like a big kid. What I just said was done so in a good nature kind of way, not judgmentally. I called my late husband Daddy dumdum when he would get into trouble with the children, I sure do miss those happy times.


I'm sorry that I lashed out at you. I suppose that I probably interpreted your post the wrong way. I can be a little over sensitive where my kids are concerned.