Question on how to craft something for tank lids

[Shidohari]

If anyone has seen the marineland 10gallon starter tank lid (the one with the LED lighting fixture), it has an opening where the filter box hangs for the biowheel and filter. With the filterbox in there is still space to the left, right and front of the filter box that things can escape.

I'm planning on investing in a nerite snail or two for both of my ten gallon tanks but i need to figure out a way to cover that opening so that they can't crawl out of it while i'm at work in the event that they don't have any algae available (this shouldn't be a problem but i have heard on the forum repeatedly that nerites like to do the escape thing)

I was thinking of maybe an old chinese plastic entree container, one of the round or rectangular ones, not the cardboard box. However the problem i have is the one i made would WORK, but it's still got a slight gap on one side because i measured wrong.

Does anyone have any other suggestions that are budget friendly and won't harm the snail or impede the filterbox function? I know the space is probably there for oxygen generation in the tank at the sides of the filter boxes.

Thanks in advance for help.

[SueD]

I'm not really picturing this, but can you cut a piece of sponge filter material and wedge it in there?

I have nerites in a couple of tanks and while I know that they can escape, mine never have. I have spaces around the filters and one tank has about an inch across the entire back. Maybe I've just been lucky.

[Shidohari]

Ah so you think i should keep an eye on them before trying to craft something?

And you may have enough food in there that they don't try to escape maybe?

[Lady Hobbs]

My snails never crawl out of my tanks and I have them in 4 open top tanks. But you might want to just put some duct tape over the opening.

[Shidohari]

would that interfere with the oxygen of the tank...i have some blue crafting tape which is easily removable would that work?

[Lady Hobbs]

That will work perhaps for a while but might start to lift up. Cost nothing to try it. You do not need that hole for oxygen. the filter does that.

[Goes to 11!]

My snails never crawl out of my tanks and I have them in 4 open top tanks. But you might want to just put some duct tape over the opening.

+ 1

While they have gone out for a cruise on occasion over the years I have no regular issue with escapees either and I have the in 4 or 5 [can't recall ] open top tanks also.

[Shidohari]

good to know i may invest in some duct tape for that reason then. It is after all the handyman's secret weapon...at least according to Red Green anyhow...

I didn't know that that hole was unnecessary til you clarified that for me Lady Hobbs. Thank you.

[korith]

Walmart sells some plastic mesh in the craft/sewing area of the store. You could easily cut it to size and tape that to the opening.

About the duct tape.... what if the snail gets stuck to the tape?:p

[Shidohari]

Thanks korinth, i was actually thinking about that when someone suggested that. I will use the tape to secure the mesh to the opening but will not be using he duct tape to cover the opening....

Thanks again.