flying fish!!!

[Doc]

So, I dropped in a cube of frozen food just about 5 minutes ago into my 90 gallon reef tank. I followed the same routine as I usually do, walk over to the tank, drop in the cube turn around and wash my hands (the cube make my hand smell like my first girlfriend) so, as I reach the sink, I hear a splash and a <thud>. Yup, you know where this is going.

I run back towards my tank and about 10 feet away, lying on the hardwood is one of my Bartletts anthias. not breathing, just wet and lying flat. I scooped it up and tossed it back into the tank. 10 FEET! It must have got quite a running start to try to commit suicide that way. My best guess is that my Regal Tang, who can get territorial during feeding times, scared it and it jumped out of fear. WOW.

It got blown around in the current for about 1 minute, but started breathing. Then, it just settled on the bottom of the tank for another minute, breathing hard with its mouth wide open. He kept his color though throughout all of this.

About a minute later, he lept up and starting swimming as if nothing had happened. Stupid fish. I am not OK with a $30 suicide. My clowns...fine. Gramma....go ahead. NOT an anthia. Bastard. From now on and I going to thaw the food cuz I think eggcrate blocks too much light and is ugly

-Doc

[Alexander]

for some reason i was pretty sure you rocked glass tops all the time doc. why was i mistaken on this?

[reeffreak]

This story sounds familiar.

I had a Bartlett jerky about two months ago.A $50 jerky here,btw.Me hates eggcrate to but I put it on the tank.Doc,we need an alternative solution,any ideas?

I've so far had a dispar leap 10 ft away from the tank too.I can't believe it survived.I also had a carberryi do the same thing when I was trying to put seaweed on a clip.Anthias are some skittish,paranoid ass fishes.I don't dare run the magfloat across the glass while the lights are on.All you hear is fish banging against the crate.

[Doc]

yeah, no kidding. Alexander, I have a glass top for my 125, but my 90 is wide open. I can't really use one unless I want to put in a sump cuz not enough oxygen will get transferred to my water if I close off the top.

Eggcrate is just not an option for me. I have thought of plastic wrap with many holes poked in it with a toothpick for oxygen tranfer, but how much more redneck and white-trash can you get than that? So, for now, I will risk the carpet surfing. I hope that by adding the food melted in water, it will not cause such a scare for the fish. Who knows. I thought that the lights could cover enough territory that they would not make it out. I guessed wrong

-Doc

[reeffreak]

I'm thinking of getting the canopy that matches my stand and try to retrofit my light fixture somehow.There was another product to cover the tank that didn't cover so much of the light.I need to find that thread from another site.

I don't think I will be trying the saran wrap trick.

[Alexander]

im trying to picture the plastic with holes doc.... wow it just sounds so redneck..... even at that i bet yote wont even do it

[Doc]

Originally Posted by reeffreak

I don't think I will be trying the saran wrap trick.

good call. You are not quite that desperate. I won't either, I am just going to risk it. I have thought of cutting plexiglass to fit with finger thick holes drilled into it for a cover, that way light gets through with oxygen transfer, but I just don't have the time. Maybe you could figure that one out and try it for me?

-Doc

[Doc]

Originally Posted by s13redline

im trying to picture the plastic with holes doc.... wow it just sounds so redneck..... even at that i bet yote wont even do it

doubt it. he would just sit there with a fishing net waiting to catch the little bastard airborne in his net and toss it back in.

-Doc

[reeffreak]

Originally Posted by Dr Marco

good call. You are not quite that desperate. I won't either, I am just going to risk it. I have thought of cutting plexiglass to fit with finger thick holes drilled into it for a cover, that way light gets through with oxygen transfer, but I just don't have the time. Maybe you could figure that one out and try it for me?

-Doc

Nope,thought of that already.Plexiglass scratches to easy and you loose to much light also with glass or acrylic top.Cleaning glass tops sucks too,algae and dried salt is a pain.

I've seen plexiglass that was use all the way around the parameter about 12'' tall.Glued together and a slot cut down on the end to fit the light.Sounds like to much work for me.I'll keep looking.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by reeffreak

I've seen plexiglass that was use all the way around the parameter about 12'' tall.Glued together and a slot cut down on the end to fit the light.Sounds like to much work for me.I'll keep looking.

that sounds really ugly to boot. Guess there is no way around it. oh, well

-Doc