Help w cover for eels

coral_garage · Mar 22, 2023

I built a simple diy mesh cover w spare wood I had laying around. Aesthetic wasn't an issue. One of my two eels must have jumped out of a 2-3" gap I have near my overflow box that wasn't covered. I heard eels likeed jumping but didn't know how good of an escape artist they can be. I can easily modify the top by adding a chunk of wood to cover that gap, my real question is, if a weighted top is necessary. It has more weight then the diy metal top...wanted to hear other's experience w this.

lion king · Mar 22, 2023

What type of eels will determine if you need a weighted cover. Fang tooth eels as a rule will need something more secure or weighted as they tend to be more dynamic in their pushing ability and get much stronger as they mature. You can also clamp down the top or tack down the edges with gorilla tape. I have a tessa in a 210g with a 3 piece top, I tack down 2 tops and put a small weight on the center feed door. The tops just can't be sitting on top regardless of the species if it can easily slide, at least some gorilla tape or a frame that squeezes in tight. Time can literally go by for a year without instance, but one night they may just get curious and push through.

coral_garage · Mar 22, 2023

lion king said:
What type of eels will determine if you need a weighted cover. Fang tooth eels as a rule will need something more secure or weighted as they tend to be more dynamic in their pushing ability and get much stronger as they mature. You can also clamp down the top or tack down the edges with gorilla tape. I have a tessa in a 210g with a 3 piece top, I tack down 2 tops and put a small weight on the center feed door. The tops just can't be sitting on top regardless of the species if it can easily slide, at least some gorilla tape or a frame that squeezes in tight. Time can literally go by for a year without instance, but one night they may just get curious and push through.

Wow! Thank you for that insightful response. I have a white eye and a test a lot of that had actually jumped a few days ago. I just had him for a week. It explains why he didn't last long while the white eye lasted months. I plan to get three eels in total so your advice of a weighted top is very crucial. Thank you.

coral_garage · Mar 22, 2023

coral_garage said:
Wow! Thank you for that insightful response. I have a white eye and a test a lot of that had actually jumped a few days ago. I just had him for a week. It explains why he didn't last long while the white eye lasted months. I plan to get three eels in total so your advice of a weighted top is very crucial. Thank you.

*Tesselata