Creating An Archerfish Shooting Range!

Shovelman · Dec 26, 2011

Hey guys! Was wondering if anyone could give me a hand/ideas as to how to go about making a top caged in space so i can feed my archers crickets on plants or twigs above the water but yet have it so they cant jump out? I was thinking get glass panels that would basically make a copy of my tank and put it on top...just have it not as tall as the actual tank.

any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!!!

minnnt · Dec 27, 2011

If you purchased an extra tall tank then you could create a paludarium type tank and then you wouldn't have to worry about any lose crickets etc.

You could have branches in the open bit for the crickets to walk along and this would give the archers plenty of time to spot them and fire at them.

There are some great videos on youtube regarding archers and paludariums.

Shovelman · Dec 27, 2011

minnnt said:
If you purchased an extra tall tank then you could create a paludarium type tank and then you wouldn't have to worry about any lose crickets etc.

You could have branches in the open bit for the crickets to walk along and this would give the archers plenty of time to spot them and fire at them.

There are some great videos on youtube regarding archers and paludariums.

Thanks minnt, as of right now the tank has an pen top, but i tried lowering the water level and it just looks odd since my tank is much more long than it is tall...maybe i could just put a screen on it and when cricket feeding time comes i can just take off the screen or something.....and cut a hole in the screening for the driftwood that is jetting out if the water...idk i just thought making the tank extension would be neat because then i can grow some emersed plants as well..

Shovelman · Dec 27, 2011

Anyone else have any ideas?

thereverendturtle · Dec 27, 2011

I think your original idea is a good one. Thought about doing that years ago, for some afb I had. What about using screen instead of glass.

Shovelman · Dec 27, 2011

thereverendturtle said:
I think your original idea is a good one. Thought about doing that years ago, for some afb I had. What about using screen instead of glass.

GENIUS! I spent 3 hours thinking of something less expensive then what would be (priced out the 2 48"x12" and 2 18"x12" glass panels id need) less than the 75$ that my local glass cutting store had priced out for those pieces! Why didnt i think of that

any ideas on how to make a frame? maybe have the front viewing portion being a see through plastic? Any ideas of what kind of plastic or see through? or ill just use the whole screen idea...

Million · Dec 28, 2011

How about using plexi-glass? Doesn't have to be thick, 3mm should be stiff enough. You can cut it using a hack saw, or score and snap for clean edges, you can also usually get 90* corners to glue on (or if not just PVC right angles) and sit your hood on top? Screen would still let water spray through potentially, and also water vapour

thereverendturtle · Dec 28, 2011

I was going to use egg crate lighting diffuser and zip ties, that way I could easily notch it for filters, etc... I think these days I'd make the frame out of 1/2" pvc painted black to blend in with the screening.

Shovelman · Dec 28, 2011

Million said:
How about using plexi-glass? Doesn't have to be thick, 3mm should be stiff enough. You can cut it using a hack saw, or score and snap for clean edges, you can also usually get 90* corners to glue on (or if not just PVC right angles) and sit your hood on top? Screen would still let water spray through potentially, and also water vapour

If only the plexiglass wasn't more expensive then the actual glass around here then yes id have done plexiglass in a heart beat :crazy:

thereverendturtle mind if i borrow your idea? :hey:

Love both the ideas of the pvc as the frame, i can hot glue or just duck tape the screen mesh along the pvc i suppose

thereverendturtle · Dec 29, 2011

Use away.

Oh and I would still use zip ties to hold the screen in place.

Shovelman · Dec 29, 2011

thereverendturtle said:
Use away. Oh and I would still use zip ties to hold the screen in place.

woot! but if i ever come across cheap see through plastic im switching it out lol...

maurizio · Jan 7, 2012

Hello,
I have something quite similar to what you're planning, or already made. I indeed used a sheet of plexiglas (I had it spare...) on top of my tank, and I cut a hole through it so that I can feed the archers normal food. I also mounted some fake "mangrove" leaves hanging from the plexiglas, and this is the archers' hunting ground. I got my first critters (crickets) few weeks ago, and I still have to find the best way to allow them into the tanbk through the hole, and reach the leaves (the hole in the plexiglas is not on top of the leaves, but one can always cut through a new hole).

Have a look at my (b)log, My aquarium. Plenty of photos there, but I believe a photo from top is missing; if you want I can easily take one and post it.

Cheers

Shovelman · Jan 8, 2012

maurizio said:
Hello,
I have something quite similar to what you're planning, or already made. I indeed used a sheet of plexiglas (I had it spare...) on top of my tank, and I cut a hole through it so that I can feed the archers normal food. I also mounted some fake "mangrove" leaves hanging from the plexiglas, and this is the archers' hunting ground. I got my first critters (crickets) few weeks ago, and I still have to find the best way to allow them into the tanbk through the hole, and reach the leaves (the hole in the plexiglas is not on top of the leaves, but one can always cut through a new hole).

Have a look at my (b)log, My aquarium. Plenty of photos there, but I believe a photo from top is missing; if you want I can easily take one and post it.

Cheers

YES! ITS YOU! Ive read your build before on another fish website! Really wanna ask, where did you get the roots from?! did you make them yourself? Or are they real pieces of driftwood? Im tempted to make my own structure as i cant seem to get all the tannins out of the water and am tired of staring at a tank full of tea. Also want to make those cool stumps so i can plant some terrestrial plants on top of the stumps, or at east thats my concept so far... Thank you for commenting on my thread!

-from a fellow archer fish enthusiast

maurizio · Jan 9, 2012

Hello Shovelman,
see all my answers to this thread: My link. I gave a number of links there, including to zooplus, where I bought my roots (two large, one small). Not cheap stuff, though.

As an alternative, if you're good at DIY, see what this guy has done: Mudskipper paludarium. It's a different environment, but it's a striking inspiration for making your own roots.

I added a few pics of the environment, in case you need further inspiration, from my trips to Brazil, in: My pics

Hope it helps!

Cheers

maurizio · Oct 18, 2013

Long time since Shovelman has been around the forum...

I am now in exactly his same need, that is, vertically extending the volume of air above the tank (in my case to give room to my growing mangroves, and raise the lights, which are causing too many diatoms). He eventually made it with screen and PVC tubes, but I'm aiming at using plexiglass, as suggested here. My doubts/questions:

- what's the best way to glue together a box of plexiglass to put on top of the tank? Are there pre-made "corners" to facilitate the task?
- I'm considering to sit the plexiglass "box" on the internal horizontal glass supports of the tank, and then on top of that have the original lid with lights. Will those two glass supports stand the whole weight? I never actually understood what their use is in the first place...

Thanks!!