screen covers
- Thread starter sparry67
- Start date
travelerjp98
Active Member
You could probably DIY a plastic screen lid...
flower
Well-Known Member
I purchased some stretchy mesh material I found on e-Bay. The PLAN is to use some rubber banding and sew a top together that will stretch over the top of the tank. I was also thinking about using my canopy instead of the rim of the tank. The back of the canopy is open so I have to look at it some more to decide the best way to handle it.
It would be washable and it doesn't block out the light when stretched tight. The mesh openings are much smaller than the egg crate, which some fish manage to get thru to carpet surf. The mesh openings are like the screen material except it's more flexible.
It would be washable and it doesn't block out the light when stretched tight. The mesh openings are much smaller than the egg crate, which some fish manage to get thru to carpet surf. The mesh openings are like the screen material except it's more flexible.
travelerjp98
Active Member
I would think of doing the exact same thing, flower.
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484141
I would think of doing the exact same thing, flower.
How to do the back kind of has me stumped. I have a CPR overflow and a HOB filter. (besides the sump) I can't just leave the back to drap...the material will absorb the water like a wick, so I have to keep it up off the back filters. If I stretch it over the filters it allows a gap the fish can jump thru....One possible solution I was thinking about was to maybe use eggcrate for the back, it's easy enough to cut out, and maybe attach some regular screen materiel on it....I have plenty of both on hand..then just stretch my mesh over the very top of the canopy...but how do I attach the eggcrate to the canopy so I can still remove it to change the media or work on the overflow...
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484141
I would think of doing the exact same thing, flower.
How to do the back kind of has me stumped. I have a CPR overflow and a HOB filter. (besides the sump) I can't just leave the back to drap...the material will absorb the water like a wick, so I have to keep it up off the back filters. If I stretch it over the filters it allows a gap the fish can jump thru....One possible solution I was thinking about was to maybe use eggcrate for the back, it's easy enough to cut out, and maybe attach some regular screen materiel on it....I have plenty of both on hand..then just stretch my mesh over the very top of the canopy...but how do I attach the eggcrate to the canopy so I can still remove it to change the media or work on the overflow...
travelerjp98
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484149
How to do the back kind of has me stumped. I have a CPR overflow and a HOB filter. (besides the sump) I can't just leave the back to drap...the material will absorb the water like a wick, so I have to keep it up off the back filters. If I stretch it over the filters it allows a gap the fish can jump thru....One possible solution I was thinking about was to maybe use eggcrate for the back, it's easy enough to cut out, and maybe attach some regular screen materiel on it....I have plenty of both on hand..then just stretch my mesh over the very top of the canopy...but how do I attach the eggcrate to the canopy so I can still remove it to change the media or work on the overflow...
there's probably an easier way, but for quick thinking this is what I would do:
drill new paint mixing sticks into the eggcrate on the sides of the tank, leaving an inch or 2 sticking out above the canopy.
Then I'd drill the paint sticks right next to the sides of the eggcrate but into the canopy and leave an inch or 2 there
Finally, attach the sticks together with rubber bands.
I just don't know how that would look.
Or take a strip of thin aluminum (to easily bend it) and affix it to the sides or top of the eggcrate and somehow wrap it around through the canopy (not sure how your canpoy is, but mine has space between the end of the wood on the top and the edge, so I would just assume to wrap it around that opening)
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484149
How to do the back kind of has me stumped. I have a CPR overflow and a HOB filter. (besides the sump) I can't just leave the back to drap...the material will absorb the water like a wick, so I have to keep it up off the back filters. If I stretch it over the filters it allows a gap the fish can jump thru....One possible solution I was thinking about was to maybe use eggcrate for the back, it's easy enough to cut out, and maybe attach some regular screen materiel on it....I have plenty of both on hand..then just stretch my mesh over the very top of the canopy...but how do I attach the eggcrate to the canopy so I can still remove it to change the media or work on the overflow...
there's probably an easier way, but for quick thinking this is what I would do:
drill new paint mixing sticks into the eggcrate on the sides of the tank, leaving an inch or 2 sticking out above the canopy.
Then I'd drill the paint sticks right next to the sides of the eggcrate but into the canopy and leave an inch or 2 there
Finally, attach the sticks together with rubber bands.
I just don't know how that would look.
Or take a strip of thin aluminum (to easily bend it) and affix it to the sides or top of the eggcrate and somehow wrap it around through the canopy (not sure how your canpoy is, but mine has space between the end of the wood on the top and the edge, so I would just assume to wrap it around that opening)
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484185
there's probably an easier way, but for quick thinking this is what I would do:
drill new paint mixing sticks into the eggcrate on the sides of the tank, leaving an inch or 2 sticking out above the canopy.
Then I'd drill the paint sticks right next to the sides of the eggcrate but into the canopy and leave an inch or 2 there
Finally, attach the sticks together with rubber bands.
I just don't know how that would look.
Or take a strip of thin aluminum (to easily bend it) and affix it to the sides or top of the eggcrate and somehow wrap it around through the canopy (not sure how your canpoy is, but mine has space between the end of the wood on the top and the edge, so I would just assume to wrap it around that opening)
Okay let me see if I understand you right... Are you saying to attach one set of paint sticks to the canopy, and the other set of paint sticks to the eggcrate, then put the two paintsticks together on each end attaching the eggcrate to the canopy and hold it in place with rubberbands for easy removal...???
It's in the very back so who cares about how it looks...the mesh would cover the very top and hide the exposed rubberbands.
I don't know where to get aluminum sticks but both of these ideas sound doable....Thanks for the idea!..
I love this site.
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484185
there's probably an easier way, but for quick thinking this is what I would do:
drill new paint mixing sticks into the eggcrate on the sides of the tank, leaving an inch or 2 sticking out above the canopy.
Then I'd drill the paint sticks right next to the sides of the eggcrate but into the canopy and leave an inch or 2 there
Finally, attach the sticks together with rubber bands.
I just don't know how that would look.
Or take a strip of thin aluminum (to easily bend it) and affix it to the sides or top of the eggcrate and somehow wrap it around through the canopy (not sure how your canpoy is, but mine has space between the end of the wood on the top and the edge, so I would just assume to wrap it around that opening)
Okay let me see if I understand you right... Are you saying to attach one set of paint sticks to the canopy, and the other set of paint sticks to the eggcrate, then put the two paintsticks together on each end attaching the eggcrate to the canopy and hold it in place with rubberbands for easy removal...???
It's in the very back so who cares about how it looks...the mesh would cover the very top and hide the exposed rubberbands.
I don't know where to get aluminum sticks but both of these ideas sound doable....Thanks for the idea!..
travelerjp98
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484200
Okay let me see if I understand you right... Are you saying to attach one set of paint sticks to the canopy, and the other set of paint sticks to the eggcrate, then put the two paintsticks together on each end attaching the eggcrate to the canopy and hold it in place with rubberbands for easy removal...???
It's in the very back so who cares about how it looks...the mesh would cover the very top and hide the exposed rubberbands.
I don't know where to get aluminum sticks but both of these ideas sound doable....Thanks for the idea!..
I love this site.
No problem flower! It was my joy!
It's kinda hard to explain so I'll just make an illustration diagram of what I mean for both ideas.
I SUCK at using these digital programs, so it'll take me an hour or two and it'll look like a 4 year old made it LOL.
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484200
Okay let me see if I understand you right... Are you saying to attach one set of paint sticks to the canopy, and the other set of paint sticks to the eggcrate, then put the two paintsticks together on each end attaching the eggcrate to the canopy and hold it in place with rubberbands for easy removal...???
It's in the very back so who cares about how it looks...the mesh would cover the very top and hide the exposed rubberbands.
I don't know where to get aluminum sticks but both of these ideas sound doable....Thanks for the idea!..
No problem flower! It was my joy!
It's kinda hard to explain so I'll just make an illustration diagram of what I mean for both ideas.
I SUCK at using these digital programs, so it'll take me an hour or two and it'll look like a 4 year old made it LOL.
travelerjp98
Active Member
I hope these give you more of a visual to what I was explaining. An idea popped up in my head while drawing the metal strip idea: instead of metal strips you could use clothes hanger metal and tie it from the sides and tops on both sides and along the edge?
Here are the original ideas though (I don't know how your canopy looks, but this is a best guess... I TOTALLY FORGOT about it being a bowfront, sorry, but the idea is still the same):
Here are the original ideas though (I don't know how your canopy looks, but this is a best guess... I TOTALLY FORGOT about it being a bowfront, sorry, but the idea is still the same):
travelerjp98
Active Member
The ideas are probably stupid, I know, Lol, but hopefully it sparks some better ones!
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484266
The ideas are probably stupid, I know, Lol, but hopefully it sparks some better ones!
Stupid??? Never...Thank you, and you went to so much trouble to draw it out too.
Originally Posted by travelerjp98 http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484266
The ideas are probably stupid, I know, Lol, but hopefully it sparks some better ones!
Stupid??? Never...Thank you, and you went to so much trouble to draw it out too.
lcaldwell85
Member
Off topic from screens, but I made my lids for my bowfront out of recycled materials. My father in law built a green house, and he bought something sort of like a reeded plexiglass to screw to the frame. It works great on the green house, but even better on my fish tank (At least in my opinion.
) It's almost like the holes in between the reeds keep the water from evaporating. As if it does evaporate, condensate against the reeds, and then run back off into the tank. It may be my bias to the material, but I swear I top off so little now days it -has- to have something to do with it.....
travelerjp98
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484280
Stupid??? Never...Thank you, and you went to so much trouble to draw it out too.
Your welcome and thank you for those nice words. Anytime.
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484280
Stupid??? Never...Thank you, and you went to so much trouble to draw it out too.
Your welcome and thank you for those nice words. Anytime.
flower
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sparry67 http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484096
I have a 75 gallon bowfront tank and looking for some type of cover(not the glass tops) don't like the look of egg crate? Has anyone used the reptile screen covers? or any input on this topic? Also is there a place that custom makes them for bowfronts? THANKS!
I have my stretchy material and I'm at the moment sewing by hand, while on my canopy (removed off the tank when I sew) I attached it with pins until I get back to the project. I have arthritis and I can't sew by hand for very long at a time. It is washable and form fitting, it doesn't seem to block out the light. I paid $5.00 for the material on e-bay, just do an e-bay search for mesh material and it will come right up. I used 1/2 inch band sold in the sewing section at Walmart..I attached two to fit around the tank.
I stretched the material and held it in place with the band, then pinned it all the way around. A bow front will be near impossible to find a screen cover for it unless you have it custom built.
Originally Posted by sparry67 http:///t/392405/screen-covers#post_3484096
I have a 75 gallon bowfront tank and looking for some type of cover(not the glass tops) don't like the look of egg crate? Has anyone used the reptile screen covers? or any input on this topic? Also is there a place that custom makes them for bowfronts? THANKS!
I have my stretchy material and I'm at the moment sewing by hand, while on my canopy (removed off the tank when I sew) I attached it with pins until I get back to the project. I have arthritis and I can't sew by hand for very long at a time. It is washable and form fitting, it doesn't seem to block out the light. I paid $5.00 for the material on e-bay, just do an e-bay search for mesh material and it will come right up. I used 1/2 inch band sold in the sewing section at Walmart..I attached two to fit around the tank.
I stretched the material and held it in place with the band, then pinned it all the way around. A bow front will be near impossible to find a screen cover for it unless you have it custom built.