after weeks of thinking of something to cover the outlet-inlet tube corner that has been causing so many problems i came up with the idea of making a box for it. then it was what on earth could i make a box with that would be goldie safe, but at the same time allow my loches to use it as a hidy hole. I found in my local LFS some plastic, what look like UGF plates, that fit together like a jigsaw. i did some measurements and bought 10. then i had to figure out home to put them together. after an hour of fiddling around i made my contraption!!
i then glued 4 river stones to the bottom to raise it up so as to give enough room to the loaches but not enough for a goldie to even try and fit under. (mine are too big)

that was last week, and on Sunday my mum rings to say Mika, the orange oranda had got herself stuck behind the pipes again and had ripped some of her fins and bruised herself by her tail. But there was nothin i could do until i came home from uni as i have been packing ready to move out. I came home yesterday and she doesnt look to bad, fish are quite tough really!

I had asked last week about what i could use to tie the box to one of the pipes so as it couldnt fall. I was going to use fishing wire, but i was worried about the loaches cutting themselves, so i was thinking of what i could use to cover it and thought about using tubing that you connect to your air pumps, and i decided to just use it on its own, It fits nicely and holds it in place well, (fingers crossed!!)

I put it in today, and all seems to be okay, loaches can get under, goldies cannot get in. I didnt even have to cut any off the top, it just fits in nicely right to the top!
I have included some pics, but you will have to excuse the mess on the pipes and in the corner, i was about to clean, and i am undergoing gravel removel at the moment!!
Apologies for the long post, but you will get the idea of why i had to make this box. Mika is just too curious for her own good!

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f366/cla.../waiting531.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f366/cla.../waiting587.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f366/cla.../waiting586.jpg

i have made a few minor adjustments by tying some fishing line at the very top (out of the water) around the intake pipe, as the loaches had decided to knock it slightly, so now it shouldnt be able to move.

I sure hope this works as i no longer want to wake in the middle of the night thinking is Mika ok, and then trundling downstairs to check on them!

Good job Claire! It sounds (and looks of course) like it should do the job well. Well done!

Thank you, im just hoping that it doesnt move in the night or something. I freak out now as she has been stuck there 5 or so times now, and after last sunday i dont want her stuck ther again. if it does move i will have to remove the rocks from the bottom so as the loaches cannot get in and therefore cannot knock it at all.

Im not usually immaginative like that, and after Hagen could not provide any advice to help me, i decided i had to think of something.