Cat In The Tank

ellio · #1 12/07/2007, 12:00 AM

Need some help from my fellow reefers. I've got my eye on a 70 gallon Oceanic Tech tank and stand with a Coralife Aqualight Pro fixture. My LFS has a combo package that includes the tech stand, sump and Octopus Skimmer. Problem is my wife is afraid that one of our three cats will jump up and into the aquarium. I think the chances of that happening is nil. When I had my NC 12, our cats would stand on their back legs and touch the glass with their front paws but never jumped on the top. Building a canopy is not an option, it would distract from the clean lines of the tech tank and I like the open top. I'm hoping somebody with cats will reply to my thread with experiences that will reassure my wife that our cats will be safe. She will let me get a tank with a canopy or an AIO like the 28 NC but I really have my heart set on the tech tank. Thanks

temec_luver · #2 12/07/2007, 12:10 AM

i have 3 cats and if they wanted to they could jump in.. they just like watching the fish.... on my 12g nano they would do the same as you

jdieck · #3 12/07/2007, 12:13 AM

Can You use some eggcrate to cover it?

Craig Lambert · #4 12/07/2007, 01:03 AM

Most cats have to be coaxed into eating food from a bowl. There is no way ones going to go for a swim to try and catch a fish.....

Hormigaquatica · #5 12/07/2007, 02:13 AM

I have 4 cats and 3 aquariums, 2 of which they could get into pretty easily if they wanted. I have Never had an issue. In nearly 16 years of keeping tanks, with cats in the house at all times, I have never had a single one go for my fish. I had one take a swipe at my hedgehog once... and only once. Thats about the only close call though.. lol

MTB · #6 12/07/2007, 02:58 AM

My cats could jump right into my tank but never have. They just watch the fish. One did taste the water once. It won't even go near the tank any more.

anr211 · #7 12/07/2007, 08:01 AM

I have two cats and the canopy is an absolute must for me. Even with the canopy I had to add gutter guard to the open back of it to keep cat feet out of the aquarium. They would stand on top of the canopy and reach back behind it and stick their feet in the water.

Pmolan · #8 12/07/2007, 08:03 AM

I have an open 100gal rubbermaid and a 60 gallon rubbrmaid laying on the floor full of water. The cat is smart enough not to go in for a swim. However, my cat constantly jumps up from the floor to try and catch any yellow fish swimming by. She just attacks the front glass. And she loves to sleep on the canopy if she could get up there.

Dustin1231 · #9 12/07/2007, 08:06 AM

My tank is set up so the back of the canopy is level with a couple of the stairs. The cat will sit on the stairs and watch the fish from the top, but has never tried anything.

ellio · #10 12/07/2007, 08:16 AM

Eight replies, that's awsome. Thank you each and everyone for your replies. Can't wait until my wife reads this.

stevedola · #11 12/07/2007, 08:30 AM

ive got 2 hymies and a 75 inwall. The cat loves watching the fish and corals but has never went swimming. The closest ive caught them is looking into the sump but thats floor level and neither of them went for it.

shawnkfl · #12 12/07/2007, 08:33 AM

my cat won't go anywhere near mine. they will not jump on the top unless they know whats up there first. cats don't jump into the "unknown". plus they hate water. i've watched my cat get on the back of my sofa and stand up to try to see whats on the top of the tank. i'm assuming she was wondering if she could leap over to it. seeing the water moving around, she decided not. you'll have an occasional cat that like to play in water, but only the paws. try to give them a bath and that changes!

landlord · #13 12/07/2007, 08:35 AM

2 balinese, 2 orientals not a brain between them. They prefer to get into the fireplace ashes. They watch the fish but I believe they suffer from cat ADHD so they do not look for long.

FishhyRen · #14 12/07/2007, 10:03 AM

Like MTB said, once they taste it most likely they'll stay away...
When's the last time you saw someone walking their cat at the beach

Philby · #15 12/07/2007, 10:09 AM

Now I will admit that my cat is odd, but it loves water. I currently don't have my canopy on the tank (had FW in the tank until last night, now it's about 1/2 full of SW) but my cat would constantly be up on top of the tank drinking the water in the tank. I'm guessing that would change once it got it's first taste of SW - but it probably wouldn't stop it from walking around on top of my tank. So for me a canopy is a must.

again I will stress that my cat likes water more than any cat I've ever heard of - it's been known to jump in the bathtub with my GF. It doesn't get all the way wet - but it will walk around with water up to it's belly.

nauticac4 · #16 12/07/2007, 10:10 AM

I had a cat jump in my 50 shattered the glass top when it jumped up there. I still find glass in the tank from time to time. The cat jumped out as soon as it hit water. Never happened again. So if something does happen it will probably only happen once. I also have 2 20L frag tanks with open tops that they dont get near so go figure.

Giga · #17 12/07/2007, 10:13 AM

I have a tidepool tank 55"x22"x12" that is rimless and totally open. The top of the tank is only 42" and my cat could totally jump in if she wanted to. What I did is just use a spray bottom with water and when she thought that getting in the tank looked like fun I just sprayed her a little and now she just likes to watch the fish. She doesn't jump up at all. Sometime I find myself watching the fish with her....................

dendro982 · #18 12/07/2007, 10:15 AM

My old grey longhair cat never bothered open top tanks - 4 to 20 gal, easily accessible from from the his watching post on the same desk, as the tanks are.

For a big tank, eggrate would work, but it reduces the light and quite inconvenient to remove each time.

There was illustrated thread about building the nylon mesh top - from details of window screen (flat, white, not distracting), only problem with transparent mesh - the maximal width, available in HD gardening center - something for roses, half of inch cells - is ~1.5 ft/ 45 cm wide.

The whole screen rests on the top tank moulding, very accurate.

useskaforevil · #19 12/07/2007, 12:28 PM

just so everyone knows, having a top on the tank reduces the risk of having a cat fall in, but it also increases the chance that the cat will drown if it does fall in. it works alot like falling through the ice and not being able to find a way out.

j5aliv · #20 12/07/2007, 01:00 PM

i'd say get rid of the cats

miwoodar · #21 12/07/2007, 01:10 PM

My cat never got in my tank but I used to have a snake that would escape from his tank - I could always find him taking a bath in my sump.

Myrddraal · #22 12/07/2007, 01:15 PM

One of my cats likes to get on top of the FW tank, but can't reach the SW. I spray him with a squirt bottle every time he does, and he's not doing it much at all anymore, at least when I'm home

Sk8r · #23 12/07/2007, 01:20 PM

If a cat gets up on the tank and falls in, no big deal: just skim heavily and use a filter to grab the hair: cat will walk on water getting out, and will also encounter hot lights. A cat may be attracted to the freshwater smell, but trying to wash off saltwater [you would need to hose kitty down in the shower] would not be good for the kidneys. About once, I give it.

We had a cat that had no concept of water---walked halfway across the swimming pool on the surface---made the rest of the way dogpaddling.

It's a learning curve.

A squirt bottle is a good deterrent.

capn_hylinur · #24 12/07/2007, 01:30 PM

just throw in a dog fish LOL--boo hiss--there's always one smart guy in the crowd

AquaKnight407 · #25 12/07/2007, 01:43 PM

All I know is I've seen plenty of cats go swimming in tanks on America's Funniest Home Videos. Though 99% have been FW tanks. And then it's been because the glass top/light gives out. If it's an open top, with a fixture the cat can't get on, your probably good to go.