Acrylic & Mesh Tank Cover

[RyanG]

Kathy has the plexi remained clear over the life of its use so far? Ive just seen a lot of plexi that clouds over time. Thanks for the quick answer. Ill try not to be a PITA!

 

[KathyC]

Kathy has the plexi remained clear over the life of its use so far? Ive just seen a lot of plexi that clouds over time. Thanks for the quick answer. Ill try not to be a PITA!

Not a problem...yes, it's remained clear...as long as you keep any salt creep off of it!

Booze...some of the pieces, and maybe a few entire covers, were made totally of acrylic rather than plexi. I sincerely disliked working with it as it was a royal pain to cut...much harder than the plexi.

 

[cono]

hey kathy what about me????lol Trade ravioli for a cover

 

[boardryder]

I'm trying to make one of these for my 46 bow. However, the bow part is a little tricky, unless I were to cut and glue many different angles, or somehow get a piece that is bent or cut to the bow. Anyone have any input on this? I see that most people with a bow front end up using the metal screen frames.

 

[KathyC]

I do have a solution for bow front tanks and hopefully will have a pic posted by the end of the week.

Cono... I'll contact you, but no pasta please..lol

 

[anin]

hey kathy,i left u a PM! :splitspin

 

[KathyC]

Finally - the Flexible Mesh cover!

I've been meaning to get this posted for a while now..when did life get sooo busy?!!
After receiving many emails and PM's asking if the acrylic cover could be adapted to bowfront tanks (not without great expense & trouble) and easily made to work with some of the odd shaped equipment we have on our tanks, like a Wavy Seas, I decided it was time to come up with a Plan B. I brainstormed with a friend of mine who makes parachutes and we came up with an idea that morphed into the new flexible tank cover pictured below.
Here are a couple of pics of it in use on 2 different Tech tanks owned by members right here on MR

Here's what I like about this new design...
Looks clean
Attached easily
Can fit a bowfront or tank with odd shaped equipment
Able to span wide tanks with no sagging
Can be made with different colored edging ..black, beige or white for eurobraced tanks
I can pop it in the mail
Can be folded over for easy access to any section of the tank
You can feed right through it
It's washable, rinse & drip dry, doesn't shrik
And like the original acrylic cover - it saves the lives of your fish

I am in the process of making one for my 120g AGA tank and it's being make in 2 seperate pieces (centerbrace) so that I can remove either piece when I really want to access a larger section of the tank. Hope to get some pics of it up over this weekend:flower:

Thanks for looking!!

 

[melev]

How does parachute making help in the designing of the one for a bowfront? How does it affix?

 

[Domboski]

Kathy you should take steps to protect your design if you haven't already. Someone can easily steal it from the web. You are onto something with the soft cover. You may not care though. In that case nevermind

Great idea. I wish my brain worked liked yours. I use velcro to hold my koralia wires in place on my 120. Never thought of using them to make a cover! SWEEEEEEET.

 

[KathyC]

How does parachute making help in the designing of the one for a bowfront? How does it affix?

Not necessarily for the bowfront, just the need of working with a different material than acrylic. I needed strength and every material used in parachute making is ultra strong..and flexible, so that is where I looked to
It affixes with tabs of stick on velcro.

Dom...that is the main reason for the delay in posting this I've learned a lot about parachutes and patents during this process! lol

 

[gusto10]

Here is a wonderful job KathyC did for me, Thanks again Kathy I love them..

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Do you still get the shimmer effect with the MH lighting?

 

[gusto10]

Mine are actually Power compacts..

 

[KathyC]

Do you still get the shimmer effect with the MH lighting?

Yes Chief you do, the netting doesn't affect that at all.

They look great Gus, glad you like 'em!
Need to know 2 things...is that a huge Fiji in there? If so, I want to see more pics please!!!!!!!! ...and second...why is there a small man hanging on your wall? lol

 

[gusto10]

That's my Elvis clock, his hips move left to right., I'm a big fan Thank ur Vvery muuch

Here are my leathers too:

 

[anin]

can't wait for kathy to make one for my 75G! :spin:

 

[chanman]

anyone have one for a RSM by any chance?

 

[samksy]

kathy PM sent.

 

[samksy]

Thanks Kathy, here's the mesh cover on my tank

yeah! no more flying fishes.

 

[coralcruze]

Kathy,

can you let us know a bit more about the type of parchute material used? I would like to try this out on my tank. where do I buy the material? and how do you bond it to the meshing? thanks