Frustrated with fish choices

[Waters]

I have a 60 gallon open top reef tank which I have come to realize eliminates 90% of the available fish lol. Triggers, Angels, Tangs, Groupers, Eels, etc all get too big. The fish that don't get too big, will pick at corals or other inverts (Butterflies, Dwarf Angels, etc). If I finally find one that meets those requirements, they normally are jumpers and need a lid. I need a 900 gallon, FO tank with a top :wink:

 

[skinz78]

Have you thought about making a screen top for your tank?

 

[Waters]

Yeah but I don't want to diffuse any of the light.

 

[Dan1789]

The clear mesh 1/2" screens won't diffuse your light

 

[davocean]

The clear mesh 1/2" screens won't diffuse your light

Agree, and you can get the trim kit to fit inside the perimeter and use clear lid clips to maintain that open look.
We all get in this hobby pretty much wanting to keep tangs, triggers, sharks, dolphins, whales...as time goes on we often discover the more unique smaller fish.
I'm actually considering downsizing to a 60g and going only small fish, clowns, gobies.

 

[evolved]

The clear mesh 1/2" screens won't diffuse your light

Always use 1/4"; 1/2" is too big for small fish.

But correct on the light aspect.

 

[Waters]

Ok, thanks everybody. I will look into the mesh. That will at least give me the option of some of the reef safe flasher wrasses.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Ok, thanks everybody. I will look into the mesh. That will at least give me the option of some of the reef safe flasher wrasses.

Bulk reef supply sells the plastic mesh/screen pretty cheap...just in case you can't find it locally.

I love my flasher wrasses!

 

[davocean]

Agree the 1/4" is best, and then look at helfrichi's!

 

[Lemony Lemons]

Ok, thanks everybody. I will look into the mesh. That will at least give me the option of some of the reef safe flasher wrasses.

A few days late on this post... but I just finished making a 2 piece lid for my 90g, and it looks great with NO impact on the lighting. It's the 1/4" clear from bulk reef supply. And I bought the aluminum frame, corners and spline from home depot.

Super cheap and I'm so glad i did it!

 

[Waters]

That looks nice. I actually just ordered the kit from BRS (and paid too much :sad: ). I hope it looks half as good as yours turned out.

 

[Lemony Lemons]

That looks nice. I actually just ordered the kit from BRS (and paid too much :sad: ). I hope it looks half as good as yours turned out.

Im sure it will, it's pretty much the same thing... post some pics once you do it!

 

[Waters]

This may be a stupid question (I can't tell from your pictures)....how do you handle the rear of the tank where you have overflows, pvc, etc.? Do you just end the screen where the overflow begins....do you build the screen around it...?

 

[Lemony Lemons]

This may be a stupid question (I can't tell from your pictures)....how do you handle the rear of the tank where you have overflows, pvc, etc.? Do you just end the screen where the overflow begins....do you build the screen around it...?

I just shortened the depth by a few inches. I was going to run the cords, flows etc, through the screen but I was worried it would make the screen looser and also if I wanted to take the lid off - this seemed much easier.

I'm just hoping my fish don't aim for that one open inch in the rear lol

 

[Lemony Lemons]

Sorry the pictures are so dark, my LEDS make my phone camera do stupid things. I need a real camera... but I keep spending my money on my tanks :-p

 

[Lemony Lemons]

Also just fyi the pictures make it look a bit reflective from the lights onto the screen - but it doesn't look like this in person, and I lose maybe 1-2% light to my sand bed with the screen... really no big deal since I've got them running at only about 30%/50% and a little higher up than they will be in the future once my corals are moved from my 4x t5 tank to this one and acclimated :)

 

[Waters]

I was concerned about the light loss....you are right, 1-2% is no big deal. I will probably do mine the same way you did yours. The chances that a fish jumps in that back section is pretty remote.....eels on the other hand may be a different story lol. Thanks for taking the time to snap some pics.

 

[Culater94]

I have a similar setup, if you have a true jumper, they will find that opening eventually. I found out the hard way.. twice.. I thought I had it all blocked off, they found another small area out. What I did, although not clean was put additional mesh attached to my screen to sit over those open areas but remain a bit flexible to fit around the equipment.

 

[Lemony Lemons]

I have a similar setup, if you have a true jumper, they will find that opening eventually. I found out the hard way.. twice.. I thought I had it all blocked off, they found another small area out. What I did, although not clean was put additional mesh attached to my screen to sit over those open areas but remain a bit flexible to fit around the equipment.

**** smart fish.. sometimes I wish they were as smart as their size.. definitely not as stupid as they seem. What kind of fish did you have that jumped to his death?

 

[evolved]

I just shortened the depth by a few inches. I was going to run the cords, flows etc, through the screen but I was worried it would make the screen looser and also if I wanted to take the lid off - this seemed much easier.

I'm just hoping my fish don't aim for that one open inch in the rear lol

I hate to break it to you, but anything that's a jumper will eventually go right out that gap. Especially wrasses.

I have a similar setup, if you have a true jumper, they will find that opening eventually.

Yup.
It's not a matter of them seeing it, it's just a matter of chance and of course, time.