PDA

View Full Version : open tank



tacks
Mon Apr 05, 2004, 11:01 PM
so far so good with my new discus but I have a question are discus jumpers I have a 90 gal heavly planted tank with no top will they or can they jump out thanks tacks

Proteus
Mon Apr 05, 2004, 11:08 PM
They will jump, and trust me... these fish can fly.

A year ago I made the mistake of leaving a lid open, went to the shops, was only gone 18 minutes, came home and one of my original Blue diamonds was all dried up, 12ft away from the tank.

His floppin around would have counted for 6-8ft, but there was not a drop of water on the ground in the immediate 4-5ft of the tank...

Currently I hear at least once every few days one of my Discus slamming its head on the lids, I dont know what they are thinking, but you give them an opportunity to get out, and they will...

(Lids are friends)

IKeepFish
Tue Apr 06, 2004, 12:31 AM
G'day,

I even put mesh guards on the tops of my weirs so that the fish can't flop over the top of them and get trapped between the sponge and the glass.

It does happen and you end up with a grazed / or dead fish. :cry:

I initially had them only in the tanks with fry and small fish but after a 10 cm fish went over a weir I have put them on all my tanks.

They are easy to make ...

Get a length of 6mm "U" shaped pvc :
The one I got has one edge slightly longer than the other, which I find is good as it gives more area to stick the mesh to.
6mm is the width of the gap. This should be the thickness of the glass used in your weir. The pvc is going to sit ontop of your weir.

Some Gutter guard, - Thin mesh - 5mm, not the one with 1cm square holes, that comes in a roll, that is useless.
The good stuff comes in much wider rolls ( 30 cm and 60 cm I think )
and is sold by the metre.
Hardware and General have but I have not seen it at Bunnings.

Cut a length of mesh equal to the total length of the top of the two sections of your weir and 4 - 5 cm wide. It needs to be tall ( wide ) enough
so that when glued to the pvc and placed on the weir, it fills the gap between the weir and the lid.

Cut two pieces of pvc the length of each side of the weir.
Silicon the mesh onto the two pieces of pvc.
Leave a gap on the middle to allow the mesh to bend around the corner of the weir.


|
|
|
|---||
pvc | || Mesh
| ||
||
||

Eg :
My weirs are 150 x 156 mm
PVC lengths : 2 x 145 mm
Mesh : 305 mm

I'll add a photo asap.

Regards,
James

tacks
Tue Apr 06, 2004, 12:41 AM
thanks guys for the imformation I will do something ASAP tacks

Mel
Tue Apr 06, 2004, 09:04 AM
I have always kept my discus in an open tank till last week when the male pigeon jumped out and down the back.Luckily we were there and was able to pick him up and put him back.....but a bit scary and the tank is now covered with glass!!


Mel