How to work from top of tank?

[ej797]

I have in in wall mount that I can't access from the front of the tank. I can only get to it from the back. Anybody have any tips on how to work on the tank from the top?

Right now I just shut off my pumps so the top is like glass but it really limits my movement. I am about to break out my snorkel and Mask!!!

I had thought about building a small acrylic viewing box with buoyancy and weight so that it floats at the top and allows me to view through it.

Any Ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[YankyTexan]

My 150g is an in-wall installation. It is a PIA to aquascape. My spouse assists by giving directions "a little to the left" etc. I turn my pumps off as well. I need to invest in a long pair of tongs.

Good luck

[ej797]

No Snorkel & Mask? LOL

[ej797]

any other ideas?

[chrismunn]

i cant see why both of the options you gave wouldnt work?

a shallow acrylic box with some styrafoam zip tied to the ends to keep it from flipping over and sinking.
personally i like the mask and snorkel idea. whats wrong with that? as long as you dont have a lion fish you should be ok right? :lol:

[chrismunn]

oh, video camera pointed at the tank from the front, and a small tv in the fish room...

[ej797]

Given the poisen that zoas contain not to mention some of the other stuff in our tanks it makes me nervous to stick my face in. The video camara idea would work but it is not practicle in my situation. I am going to see about the acrylic box idea.

[ej797]

Look what I found:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16821

[miwoodar]

I'm not a fan of the mask and snorkel combo. I wouldn't want to add the possibility of contaminating my tank with my jerrycurl :lol:

The box is a great option - I sometimes use one on my tank even though I do have access from the front. You might also try collecting a few pairs of tongs (small skinny pair and a larger pair) so you don't have to be a contortionist to get a good view through the box while positioning your corals/rocks/etc.

[LobsterOfJustice]

2.5g plastic aquarium from petsmart - $11.99.

[katpurdy]

a mirror....hold it in one hand at an angle you can see where you are working and use the other to do what needs to be done. Good for finding lost items too!

[Mark426]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12539615#post12539615 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by miwoodar
I'm not a fan of the mask and snorkel combo. I wouldn't want to add the possibility of contaminating my tank with my jerrycurl :lol:



I get a chuckle every time I hear about zoa poison. I agree with the quote above, we are the ones that poison our tanks, not the other way around.