Fry in overflow

[WendyFish]

Ethan already made a post about the record number of fry we found in one of our canisters this weekend. We haven't bothered prefiltering because we open up the canisters relatively often and take out anyone who makes it through.

What was more disturbing, though, was finding two red zebra fry (now inch long) living in the overflow to our sump. Obviously we neither want them to grow up in there, nor at any point once they get big swim down the magical tube to block up the wet/dry filter at the bottom, due to flooding potential if tank can't drain. We have a redundant pipe but still don't want to have to test it.

Getting them out was... AWFUL. Due to having two pipes going down the overflow, in a 24" deep, 21" high tank that we can only access from the front, we couldn't just net them out; almost impossible to reach and catch them that way. So we had to take out both pipes and drain them out. Sounds like no big deal but then the pipes get sand in the threads, hard to screw back in, etc. etc. debacle.

I would prefer not to do this again. So two things I'm wondering about.

Is there a way to keep them from going on there to start with? I worry about putting anything over the "teeth" at the top of the overflow box because of possibly impeding flow/skimming. What else?

I thought about maybe trying to fit some foam (or other physical barrier) in the box below the intake levels in the overflow so they just can't go that far down and hide from us. Worried we can't fit it around the pipes well enough, though.

Or, is there a better way to get fish out once they've gone in there? It's not quite possible to drain all the water out with our current python system -- type of deal where you get enough of a puddle after the syphon that these very small fish can probably still live in it. Plus our overflow box leaks slowly (sigh) so more water will keep coming in to relieve them.

Would welcome any thoughts. The tropheus are in a similar setup and are looking to breed as fast and furious as the mbuna (4 holding right now) so would like to get a more workable solution than taking the tank down once a month.

 

[TeamPisces]

Is there anyway that you could put some type netting over teeth? Maybe some type of mesh or fishnet netting, if that make sense. Just a suggestion.

 

[ezrk]

Is there anyway that you could put some type netting over teeth? Maybe some type of mesh or fishnet netting, if that make sense. Just a suggestion.

Yeah it does, my worry is restricting flow too much. I sort of wonder if you could do something at the very bottom of the teeth, I don't think they are very likely to jump into the overflow if they have to completely leave the water.

I also have considered rigging some sort of "outrigger" of foam around the teeth (which would also work as a pre-filter for the sump)to keep them out. I worry that would hurt skimming, but maybe you could live with that...

it might be possible to fabricate something from say gutter guard that would hang off the teeth of the overflow with a gap to some Poret foam. Possibly could even "bend" the Poret foam into the right basic shape.

 

[Avatar]

Need a picture...

...can't presume to prescribe in this instance without one, but perhaps you're looking on the wrong side - could you just use very marge mesh foam in the intake rather than in front it? Then the fry would simply beach themselves.

In any case foam, with its variety and adaptability, is probably in the answer.

 

[ezrk]

...can't presume to prescribe in this instance without one, but perhaps you're looking on the wrong side - could you just use very marge mesh foam in the intake rather than in front it? Then the fry would simply beach themselves.

In any case foam, with its variety and adaptability, is probably in the answer.

We have considered solution along those lines. The challenge is that we need to make it easier to get the fry out of hte overflow. The challenge is that the overflow is in the center of a 4 foot long, 2 foot wide, 21" deep tank - so actually reach the bottom is quite a challenge...then there are the PVC standpipes in it...

I have thought about rigging up (using some combination of fishing line, eggcrate, acrylic, PVC, and foam) a foam "ledge" near the top of the overflow. So if fish do jump in, they get stuck near the top probably about 6" from the top. From that position they should be a bit quite a bit easier to catch.

HMMM....I wonder if you could rig up a prefilter for the sump as well....as part of this.

 

[Avatar]

Think I see it

Foam cut in the shape of the overflow channel and a large diameter PVC riser (or some-such) to hold it in position near the top close to or at the waterline - no reaching down into the overflow and easy to monitor for "strandings".

And now I finally understand that when I'm responding to Wendy that Ethan is there as well and vice versa. Parents eating babies, mothers and fathers breeding with their offspring, CCA members living together - this whole affair is beginning to challenge my delicate sensitivities, which is almost good because I was beginning to think they'd perished altogether...

 

[impala_man2003]

go to lowes or home depot and get the screen used for the washing machine lent trap work the best i tried useing some rubber washers with a concave screen attached i found them in the plumbing section in lowes they fit perfectly in 3/4 pvc tubing only problem it restricted water flow

 

[ezrk]

Foam cut in the shape of the overflow channel and a large diameter PVC riser (or some-such) to hold it in position near the top close to or at the waterline - no reaching down into the overflow and easy to monitor for "strandings".

Yeah something like this. The PVC riser is a good though actually. We could (probably) "wrap" the existing standpipes with a large diameter piece to which would simplify some space issues. hmm...

And now I finally understand that when I'm responding to Wendy that Ethan is there as well and vice versa. Parents eating babies, mothers and fathers breeding with their offspring, CCA members living together - this whole affair is beginning to challenge my delicate sensitivities, which is almost good because I was beginning to think they'd perished altogether...

haha. the hive mind strikes again.

 

[ezrk]

After recovering yet more fish from the overflow box and 8-10 plecos actually living in the wet/dry filter (don't ask) action was definitely needed.

What I have done is take a very thin stip of Poret foam about 1" high and wrapped it around the lower half of the teeth for the overflow. So there is foam sitting about 1mm above the waterline in the tank - which I think should be enough to discourage littles fishes from heading into the overflow. They won't be able to see a "cave" they can go hide in just this wall of foam.

Since I was only using the lower half of the overflow teeth as it is, there should be enough buffer that if the foam clogs it will just rise up a big it should be fine. As bonus it seems to trap flake from getting into the overflow which may keep it a bit cleaner.

 

[Greengirl]

Someone taught me about using old pantyhose to wrap around the intake pipes or the rims of overflows. The water passes right through and you can just rinse the hose if they get too gunky. They don't disintegrate if they are nylons.

 

[ezrk]

Hahaha devilfish win again. So somehow another fry made it into the overflow after fortificatin. So I put a new layer of Poret foam in the teeth, this time covering the teeth entirely. There is still overflow protection as the top of the weir is a 1/4 to 1/2" or so below the brace on the tank so it should still drain even if the Poret clogs completely....

Let's see if they can overcome this...<-famous last words.

 

[ezrk]

modified this again, but how realize what I think should be the best solution.

What I am going to do next week is basically do a mattenfilter around the teeth of hte overflow. The current solution is working but it clogs up too quickly which is sort of not desirable. It was enough that there was noticeable amounts of water transferred from sump to main tank (i.e. sump was low).

So what I am going to do is take Poret foam at full thickness and height bend it all the way around the overflow from the top of the teeth down about an inch or two below the level of the teeth. I think this should stop the clogging as even if some gets clogged there is plenty of Poret foam volume/surface area for water to flow through.

I will hold it onto the weir with zip ties looped around the overflow teeth.