Michigan Cichlid Association

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Steve on March 14, 2013, 02:00:25 PM

Title: Preventing jumpers
Post by: Steve on March 14, 2013, 02:00:25 PM
I have two 55g tanks in my bedroom, one is my peacock tank and has glass lids under the canopy, the other is my mbuna tank and has a canopy but I never bought glass lids for it. Well last night I was having trouble sleeping (which turned out to be a good thing!) because about 5am I am laying in bed and I hear what sounds like a "wet flopping" on the wood floor ??? It's amazing how tuned into these things our hearing can be lol. Anyway I jump up and turn the light on and there's one of my 4" labs on the floor. I quickly grabbed him and put him back in the tank and he is perfectly fine now but I need to keep it from happening again.

Obviously the first thought is glass lids but I do not want glass lids on this tank. Reason being is one of my other hobbies is that I keep/grow Bonsai trees. Bonsai trees need high humidity so I keep them on top of my canopy on this tank which works out perfect with the humidity this room gets from the open tops on the tank. So I don't want to use glass lids and negate the humidity from the tank.

I'm thinking maybe going to Lowes and getting some light diffuser panel (egg create some people call it) and cutting it to fit the top so it keep the fish in and still lets the humidity out. Just wondering if there are any other ideas that might be better?
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: African cichlid Keeper on March 14, 2013, 02:13:06 PM
light diffuser panel (egg create) is what i am useing for my 40 breeder intill i can get a glass top.
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: jcunningham0295 on March 14, 2013, 02:27:15 PM
You could also use screens made for reptile tanks if they make them to fit this size.
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: Steve on March 14, 2013, 02:31:11 PM
Screens were actually my first thought, but with the canopy I don't think a screen would fit since the canopy sits tight to the top of the tank. I was even kicking around the idea of just making a screen to cover the open back part of the canopy though which may be another way to go.
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: Regalblue on March 14, 2013, 03:56:27 PM
Eggcrate
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: Steve on March 14, 2013, 07:29:04 PM
Thanks for the input everyone. I ended up going to Lowes and picking up some eggcrate and cutting it to fit. Now they are on "Fishy Lockdown" so I should have no more 5am suicide attempts ;D
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(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/466/eggcreates.jpg)
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: theoryguru on March 14, 2013, 09:57:52 PM
.. cheap AND effective  ;)
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: Steve on March 15, 2013, 12:03:20 AM
.. cheap AND effective  ;)

Yep only $12 and it's gonna work perfect for keeping them in yet letting the humidity out. Although I did spend about 15 minutes searching the lighting dept at Lowes over and over and over trying to find it. Only to finally see the guy that worked in that dept and then he told me "Oh yeah we have that, it's in the ceiling tile isle".... :o
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: Maize-N-Blue-D on March 15, 2013, 09:50:19 AM
Looks very clean and neat...Should have gotten the chrome ones, that way your light would have been diffused better into the tank !  :P  :P  :P
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: Steve on March 15, 2013, 11:08:44 AM
Looks very clean and neat...Should have gotten the chrome ones, that way your light would have been diffused better into the tank !  :P  :P  :P

Yeah but then Exhibit would have been knockin' at my door wanting to Pimp My Tank ;D
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: Michael Zebrowski on March 15, 2013, 05:42:49 PM
Does Menards have black egg crate?  Can anyone confirm?  This might be a neat option...
Title: Re: Preventing jumpers
Post by: theoryguru on March 15, 2013, 08:39:31 PM
Looks very clean and neat...Should have gotten the chrome ones, that way your light would have been diffused better into the tank !  :P  :P  :P

Yeah but then Exhibit would have been knockin' at my door wanting to Pimp My Tank ;D

I found some chrome ones at a Habitat ReStore dirt cheap...  I cut one up and to make some tank dividers.