Cat-proofing aquariums?
- Thread starter psyche
- Start date
BettaFishMommy
finkids make me happy :-)
air flow into and out of a tank has nothing to do with whether there is a lid or not. air flow/oxygen exchange happens from surface disruption (filter flow returning to tank or bubbles coming up from an air stone).
i personally would not have an open topped tank any more. ran one of my 55 gallons open topped for a while and i found the evaporation rate was just too much. also worried daily about fish jumping out. heck, with my 20 gallon with a glass lid that covers 90% of the tank, i still ended up with a lil shrimp on the topside of the lid, all dried out and 'death curled' not long ago.
i personally would not have an open topped tank any more. ran one of my 55 gallons open topped for a while and i found the evaporation rate was just too much. also worried daily about fish jumping out. heck, with my 20 gallon with a glass lid that covers 90% of the tank, i still ended up with a lil shrimp on the topside of the lid, all dried out and 'death curled' not long ago.
If a cat is curious, it is bound to get in trouble. I had a tank when I was younger and the cat would sit on the top and watch the fish go buy in the cracks of the lid. Well, one day I looked over and he had fallen through the top and was swimming in the aquarium. I'll tell you what, he stopped swimming on the top of that aquarium after that.
BettaFishMommy
finkids make me happy :-)
let me guess, you use an incandescent bulb on this CPO tank? if so, that is why the temperature went up - incandescent bulbs give off tons of heat.
as long as there is surface disruption, you can have a lid completely covering your tank. for some fish species, that like to jump/escape, this is a definite requirement.
as long as there is surface disruption, you can have a lid completely covering your tank. for some fish species, that like to jump/escape, this is a definite requirement.
On this occasion the risk is about who might get in. And the lids will not be standard sizes for the most part so I can't just get them from Petsmart. I need a circular and a 10 inch square. So, to me, the easiest option seems like it might be rigid mesh (or acrylic or whatever) and something to clamp it to the rims. The advantage of mesh is that I can feed out without opening it.
You have to wait and see how your cat reacts. All are different. I have three cats and two aquariums. The cats rarely even seem interested. Occasionally they will look, but they rarely even bother.
Good luck
Good luck
Yeah my cats are actually very interested but they never try to go on top. If there is a spot on the side or front of the tank for them to sit they love just hanging out there. Their favorite is my gold algae eater because he's hyper and gets right on the glass. Lol they just try to pat at him but don't put their claws out so their feet just slide down the tank.
Sent from my ADR6300 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
You might be better off with nothing covering the tanks. Most cats aren't going to bother an open top tank. No place to sit, since the edge isn't wide enough. If the tank is small enough (like one on a counter or table), the cat will probably drink out of it. My cat preferred fish water to fresh water for some reason. If you have a good solid cover, the cat might like to sleep on it, especially if it is warm. The mesh you are talking about putting on your tank might be just enough for the cat to think he can walk on it...
I'd wait and see if you really need to make any changes. I've found fish and cats to be quite compatible. The cats like to watch the fish, but they dislike water enough that they don't cause any problems.
wren
I'd wait and see if you really need to make any changes. I've found fish and cats to be quite compatible. The cats like to watch the fish, but they dislike water enough that they don't cause any problems.
wren
I'd would watch the cat and see how it acts around the tank. Each cat has their own personality. I've had cats and tanks all my life, some cats sit and watch and others don't care. I had one cat the would lay on top of the tank and bat at the fish as they swam by. I had another cat that wanted absolutely nothing to do with the tanks and another that forced me to get creative with locking the lids downs cause he would literally open the lid and "fish out" my fish despite the no fishing sign.