Ideas for blocking overlow

[eartaker]

So yesterday I traded some coral for a 5" baby snowflake eel, and today I found him in the sump. I'm adding a top to my overflow box to keep him from going over the top but the slots are 1/4". I'm wondering if I could add some kind of large screen to keep him from going through them or maybe something to keep him from going down the 1" returns. At the worst It would get clogged and stop water flow, but there is not enough water in my sump that the pump can push out to cause the DT to overflow onto the floor.

Ideas?

 

[kpiotrowski]

joanne fabrics has a plastic mesh used for needle point or something. comes in like 1 foot squares...maybee someone else will chime in with what its actually called.

 

[eartaker]

I went to Lowe's and picked up some gutter guard and a smaller mesh screen as well. Ill make it as part of the top of the overflow. Ill post pics later.

 

[mfinn]

I thought I would have to do something similar for my pipefish. So i used some mesh type material my wife picked up at a fabric store.
I found that within a couple days it was clogging up and just proved to be a pain.
I removed it and so far the pipe fish stays away from the overflow.

 

[blk822822]

I went to Lowe's and picked up some gutter guard and a smaller mesh screen as well. Ill make it as part of the top of the overflow. Ill post pics later.

How much did you have to buy??? I was going to go get some of the gutter mess but didn't want to buy a 30' roll.

 

[mojoreef]

joanne fabrics has a plastic mesh used for needle point or something. comes in like 1 foot squares...maybee someone else will chime in with what its actually called.

This stuff works perfect.

 

[Derbird]

I used a sheet of cheap acrylic from ace. Cut it to size and layed over the over flows. Before I did that I had my melanarus wrasse in the sock three times and my RBTA once. It has worked perfectly. Oh my tank is acrylic so I had a hole on the top above my overflow as well so I cut a second piece.

 

[eartaker]

How much did you have to buy??? I was going to go get some of the gutter mess but didn't want to buy a 30' roll.

it was $3 for a roll and then the smaller mesh was $9. I don't need the whole roll as well but I'm sure I can find a use for it sometime.

 

[aaron1987]

Gutter guard, though, as mentioned you'll be buying 15-30'. Still cheaper than losing an eel. You could also use window screening.