Open Tops/Rimless Tanks with fish

[Rbacchiega]

For those running open top, what kind of fish are you housing? I know I won't have water in my 50 for a long time, but I like to have things at least partially figured out. This tank is going to be entirely SPS (seriously Doug!) and was thinking a shoal of 5 or 6 Green or Blue Chromis would be just the right touch...

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Myka]

My tank is open top...as are all my tanks, always. I've had a few carpet surfers; a Yasha Goby, and a couple of small freshwater fish/shrimp.

[Whatigot]

oh man.
I'm also all open top.
you can see my fish in my sig, but I have also had a yellow tang in there in the past without it surfing.

I used to have three zebra dart gobies but now only 1...
I have only ever had one CONFIRMED carpet surfer (a pink/blue spot prawn gobie) as I have a couple cats and a dog who watch over the tanks for me during the day and night when no one else is around so if one jumped, it might wind up lunch or buried in the kitty litter before I found it.

I have lost in the past a gramma, a few jawheads (though none to jumping, they all died before they had the chance) a couple clown gobies and a carpenters flasher wrasse...

Virtually all of my fish are known surfers but I think as long as there isn't a major aggressor in the tank, once a fish is established, there is very little reason for it to jump.

[Rbacchiega]

herm. Thanks. Now more too think about. I know I only want a couple fish, with the main focus of the tank being the corals. But it definately gives me something more to think about.

[Delphinus]

Is building a wooden skirt (like an open top canopy, so to speak) an option at all?

I could see a chromis jumping is the only thing. I've been using an eggcrate cover over my 115g but it wasn't enough to stop a canary wrasse from surfing. I've been meaning to look into bird/garden netting locally, seen some tanks on RC with that and it's not offensively obtrusive.

I used glass covers over my golden dwarf moray tank, I thought it was pretty well sealed up but he still found a way out. If I ever try an eel again it will be with a wooden top, may still go with an open top if it's tall enough, but at least with walls that they can't slither through.

Anyhow guess what I'm saying is there's always a risk. Sometimes it's not a problem and it's fine, sometimes no matter what you do it isn't enough.

[Rbacchiega]

I hear you, Tony.

The only thing is, I want this tank to be as clean as possible. That's another eason I'll be going with a barracuda pump. I might just be able to get enough flow going through the tank that I won't need extra powerheads. Bare Bottom tank, lots of flow...might need to upgrade my skimmer though now that I think about it...herm...

[justinl]

i used to have a rimless 60g, but after i had my first carpet surfer (a red coris), i vowed never again. now i used a DIY open topped canopy. I don't advise anyone for the rimless thing anymore though i can still see the appeal. Just pick fish that are known NON jumpers. could you maybe have a rimless but not fill the tank full? like by leaving six inches or so of clearance? it would essentially be like having a small clear permanent canopy; keep in mind that that would effectively make your tank volume smaller than its standard rating.

[Whatigot]

I swear to you, every fish I have ever bought was a "jumper" and as long as nobody in your tank mess with them too much, they have no reason to jump...

I had a chromis for about 6 months without it jumping but he was bugging my grammas too much so I ousted him....


You definitely take a bigger risk with an open top, but as with a lot of things I am finding in reefing, reports of the ill effects seem to be greatly exaggerated.
at least from my own personal experience.

and I tell everyone this, but one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in reefing is getting my 3 grammas to form a harem in my 72 gallon.
So rewarding to watch and in a tank without too much else you might even get to breed them.
Mine lay eggs, but never seen a fry....

[Rbacchiega]

Whatigot...
What about your chalk bass? I like the looks of them.

Justinl: I don't really want to lower the tank volume for a number of reasons. The overflow wouldn't work for one LOL. Two, by the time this tank is grown in I can see the tank having a higher coral to water ratio than most. We'll see though.

Thanks for the suggestion anyways!

[JDigital]

My 75 is open top... for now... What I got in my tank is all in my sig. No carpet surfers yet.