what's your tank top setup?

[Fishy1]

Hi!

I just got my first octo and he's trying to escape frequently as expected. I am now, however, paranoid about my tank top and how secure it is. I am using the two peices of glass for the front of the tank that came with it and used aquaruim sealant to attach a fine plastic screen from the second peice to the back, sealing around everything along the back. So far he hasn't got out, but there is quite an effort there unless he's playing in the little waves along the top, which I seroiusly doubt.

What is your set up??

Fishy1

 

[Jean]

Duct tape holding things shut is always good! We go more for the brick approach though (public aquarium so tank tops are not on view).

J

 

[Nancy]

I favor the brick plus duct tape - Jean is right, use lots of duct tape!
I keep a role near my tank with scissors and change out the duct tape frequently.

Nancy

 

[Seamonster]

I am still new to this but not to saltwater. I had a jawfish tank with other dart fish and I bought a reptile top then built my hood to accept the screen top. This is what I will be doing with my new octo tank. I just think this way would allow gas exchange and the weight of the wood canopy would hold it down. I am new so I could be wrong but what do you think?

 

[Illithid]

As long as it isn't a metal screen.

Condensation could cause it to rust and drip continually into the tank. I keep reptiles and know that most screen tops are aluminum mesh, but will rust on the sides.

I have heard that building in slitted acrylic panels or nylon screen attached to wood will work. But you have to watch out for condensation in the lighting system.

I sealed the top on mine because I have a sump with lots of surface area and a good skimmer. Gas exchange is not a problem if you have these.

 

[DHyslop]

The important thing is to make sure all the "pass-throughs" are safe. That is, any overflow, inlet or outlet has to be safe from the animal getting into it, or out between it and the top. There's a lot of "right answers" to this question, and it might take a bit of practice to find the one for your system. Be the octopus! How would you escape, or more precisely, where would you explore?

I've become very fond of drilling tanks for overflows. My sump return comes through a bulkhead then out a spray bar. The bar's holes are small enough that a moderate sized octo can't get through (Wrapping fiberglass window screen around the bar will prevent even smaller octos from getting out. My overflow is external, a glass box siliconed to the side of the tank, with slots drilled directly in the glass. The slots are protected by another sheet of screen held in place by zip ties.

This system involved a lot of creativity and elbow grease, but the advantage is that all pass-throughs are through glass and protected by screen. This way I can use the factory glass lid and weights without duct tape. Of course its all moot now that I have cuttlefish

Dan

 

[Fishy1]

wieght

Hello All!

All of these are very good ideas that make me think that my screen is okay, but lacking wieghts you are all mentioning. How much? All I have on now are the regular glass panels with the plastic screens under the back openings with a thin plastic sheet with cut outs over the back.

How much weight can these glass panels hold and how much is adviseable?

Is any type of tape safe if it is say on the inside, then the out side so the inner material will not get into the water?

Thanks!
Fishy1

 

[ravenschild]

Not Weights

Hello.

I'm also just starting out with octopuses, but from a scientific, not personal, angle. I've been told that bricks and other weights aren't good enough for the tanks that I'll be setting up because people passing through have a bad habit of shifting them. Yes, I intend to put up "No Touch!" signs, but beyond that, what can one do if one's weights aren't dependable?

Much obliged,

ravenschild

 

[Jean]

Hello.

I'm also just starting out with octopuses, but from a scientific, not personal, angle. I've been told that bricks and other weights aren't good enough for the tanks that I'll be setting up because people passing through have a bad habit of shifting them. Yes, I intend to put up "No Touch!" signs, but beyond that, what can one do if one's weights aren't dependable?

Much obliged,

ravenschild

In an institution that can be a problem, one of our students who was working with NZ Midget octopus (perke, a tonmo member.................who seems to have fallen off the face of the earth ) used 20 L buckets (of the type bakeries get flour etc in) which have VERY tight fitting lids, in fact our workshop wizard had to make a special tool to get the lids off, so she could feed, clean and work with the octis! The buckets were sitting in a water table and each bucket had a hole the diameter of the hose drilled into it (again a very tight fit) and a drainage hole smaller that the octis beak. Worked a treat. Only Perke, myself and the technicians knew where the lid remover was!

How much weight can these glass panels hold and how much is adviseable?

Is any type of tape safe if it is say on the inside, then the out side so the inner material will not get into the water?

Depends on the glass, is it safety glass? Many use perspex instead of glass (we do), it's much tougher and doesn't shatter if it does break.

As for the tape, most use duct tape as it adheres in the wet, many other tapes do not...also the adhesive doesn't appear to be toxic.

Cheers

J