Re: Overflow boxes and freshwater

[Bill Wichers <billw at waveform_net>]

>Good afternoon.  Does anyone have any ideas or tips to keeping fish out of
>your filter?   I glued a screen around the teeth on the overflow box, to
>keep the fish out.  The problem now is that the screen clogs with gunk and
>plant matter daily and needs to be cleaned, I've already pulled 2 dead fish
>and saw one of my new amano shrimp in my sump this morning, from when the
>screen clogs and the water level raises and goes over the teeth of the
>overflow, instead of through them!   If I take the screen off, it will stop
>my clogging and water level changing issue (tank fills, sump emptys and
>blows air til I unclog the screen once or twice a day), but then some of my
>smaller fish or shrimp will get sucked down for sure.

Take a piece of acrylic sheet, maybe 3/32"-1/8" thick, and cut some slots 
in it that are as large as possible while still keeping your smallest fish 
from slipping through. The larger the slots, the less they will clog. If 
you round the endges that should help to reduce clogging a bit too since 
algae and the like will be less likely to snag on a smooth edge than on a 
sharp squared-off edge.

>Anyone have any ideas?  or things they use?    Also concerend about backflow
>if the power goes out, the tanks return is 6, 1/2" pvc outlets from a
>manifold around the top of the tank...Some fish can get sucked up through
>there too, maybe the outlet of the return is a better choice for the screen,
>but then I still have to deal with the overflow box :/

Just make sure your sump can handle all the water that will siphon in 
before your overflow's siphon breaks.  You probably need to screen before 
the overflow, otherwise your fish might just get trapped in a different 
location rather than not trapped at all.

>PS - The BDA (or light green slimey algae I had that was 5" long in spots)
>is gone, and the staghorn type is quickly receding, the 5 SAE I got mail
>order yesterday are already eating and doing great, I didn't know SAEs were
>such a schooling fish.
SAEs run in packs. My experience is that they are friendly with the other 
fish but curious and prowl around a lot. They are definitely happier when 
they can school with other SAEs in the same tank.

         -Bill, in the currently thawing frozen North...


>
>Thanks!
>Mark
>
>
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