Next time I'm going pay someone else...mesh screen top

[FollyFish]

I recently had a wrasse jump so hard that when it hit the glass lid on my tank I heard it in a near-by room. The wrasse died from its injuries. I decided that the glass lid was to risky and would make a mesh screen top instead. Lots of videos, forum notes and 2 days later, with the help of my DIY handy Dad we build our first and last ever mesh screen aquarium lids. I am very sure that if this needs to be done again I would very much rather buy the materials and pay someone else to build them. List of materials used, screen frames, screen corners, rubber string, hinges,(hardware store) and tulle fabric (fabric store). List of tools, hack saw, clamps, screwdrivers, drill, file, hammer, and a bunch of other tried but didn't workout right tools. The biggest problems were how to do the cutouts around the light and return on the one side and the light and HOB sump drain on the other. The screen corners could only be used in one direction so we had to cut them down so that they would still fit when we reversed them this made the cutouts flimsy and they distorted when we tried to pull the tulle fabric tight. The other main problem is there is more space then I would have liked around the HOB sump drain but baring duck tape I'm not sure how to make that section more tight fitting.

[Tired]

Not bad for a first try. Frame looks pretty decent, at least. 

 

Hey, at least it'll keep a fish in. Though I would take a look at those gaps around your filters, make absolutely sure there's no way a fish could get up there. Even if it's one of those "well, it would have to jump at this exact angle" things, better not have any open spots. Murphy's Law and all.

[Irishreefer]

Looks good.  If you want to close up the gaps completely you could go with an acrylic and mesh lid that you could get to the exact spaces.  Its the only option I could come up with for my irregular shape tank...

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[jservedio]

What did you do your cutting with? If you have a chop saw and a fine blade, it makes getting perfect, crisp cuts incredibly simple and they are always exactly 90 degrees and perfectly straight. Also makes plumbing go by much faster!

[DSA65PRO]

To smooth up the edges there’s two cheap approaches. Sand them with 1200 grit sandpaper followed by 1600 grit. If the edges are extremely rough you may have to use Fine Sandpaper. The 1200 and 1600 are available at NAPA. The other way is use a Propane or MAP Gas Torch. The trick is to use the side of the flame not the tip. Practice on your scraps, and a pair of Leather Work gloves is a must. There are YouTube Videos on how to do this. 

[Elizabeth94]

I think that looks just fine and will do its job! I made one from a cheap window screen kit on amazon that included the corner pieces, and some netting also on amazon. I only needed a hacksaw. Unfortunately mine had a small 1/4 in gap that was enough for a fish to jump through. Now I am using a kit made by Waterbox that actually sits in the rim of the tank. 

[DSA65PRO]

My reply about the cover was for Clear Acrylic Cover. like someone  else posted. I have a bunch of salvaged Acrylic Sheet and it can be frustrating to get a nice polished edge on it. I have a Table Saw and a Router with Table to work the Acrylic. Hint if you use these, spray the cutting blade with a Teflon Dry Lube. Also have a Trimmer. One thing I’ve been dying to get is the bender with the  Heating Element and the two Ice water tubes on either side of the element. I have used a heat gun to bend the Acrylic, but can’t get a real sharp and even bend across the bend radius this way.