Keep that fish out of your overflow!

After introducing our first fish into the tank, we had a near catastrophy when the littlest guy either fell asleep and got pulled in or he decided to look for bluer oceans. I found him in the prefilter box. I was rushing around like crazy to help him. I know the poor little guy was tired.
A few weeks later, our girl clown appeared to have jumped (looking for bluer oceans?) but after our observations this morning, I now think she didnt really jump. And have been told they arent known jumpers anyway.
Also, our blue/green chromis "jumped" he was the first in our tank. He slept behind the overflow box from day one.
So....I get 3 small chromis and got to put them in yesterday. They did great. This morning, husband gets up to do his morning patrol (of the tank) sees everything is fine and goes about his business. I get up (had been up but gone back to lay down due to severe headache) and I'm missing a chromis! I look everywhere, he says they were all 3 there an hour before. Lo and behold it's in the prefilter box! After nearly tearing everything apart to get him, we put him back in the tank, set everything back up. He's stressed out for about an hour then groups up with the others. Next thing we know they are all 3 around the overflow box and one slipped in! (I think the same little guy). Turned off the PHs and return, grabbed the overflow box and dumped him back in the tank. I think that little dude said, "hey! that was fun! You guys need to try it, see how easy it is to get in?" Talk about finding nemo!
Started pulling open drawers looking for stuff to fix this problem! Found some mesh, cut small holes where the pieces fit into the notches of the over flow, slip the netting over the box, cut out a hole for the U-tube to slip in, drove up the road (heh, we live in the semi-country) bought some rubberbands, drove home and rubberbanded it to the box! They inspected the box but ignore it now. Now no little fishes can get out unless they actually jump thru the eggcrate.
 
Originally Posted by acrylic51
Have you tried some gutter guard or mesh on the top of the prefilter box?
Please see my last paragraph....I did explain how I used mesh.
Part of the problem was it got into the slits of the overflow.
 
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