securing tank lid

Question
Hi there, i recently bought a bigger tank for my goldfish, holding around 80 litres, i had to buy a new lid for this tank, which has 2 spaces in the back corners for the wires, what is happening now though, is my original weather loach who i had for 6 months, escaped once i i found him alive in the morning and put him back, he escaped again and found him dead, so i bought another weather loach, and after only having him for 3 days! he escaped and i found him dead too.

If there anyway i can secure these back 2 corners to allow the wires to go down but not the loaches out?

Any help would be appreciated, i love my fish and hate to lose them.

Kenny

Answer
Hey Kenny,

Weather, or Dojo Loaches seem to be little escape artists! Be careful, they're known for finding ways to adapt to their escapee environments. A quick bit of research shows that these guys are heavily banned in many areas because once escaped, they can survive quite well most anywhere in the world...

As for your tank specifically... I'd recommend (if you're capable) watching the tank over night on a Friday / Saturday kind of thing. If you see the fish lift up the top completely, which is quite possible, then just add weight to it. If the fish is finding ways up and over the edge through the wire holes, get a zip tie, or any other wire tie, bunch up some of the wire and fasten it together in place blocking as much of each hole as possible. If you dislike the "tacky" look when it's done, you could also consider returning the lid to the place you bought it, and finding one more suited to your needs. One in which you can cut a small strip (2 cm long, 1 cm wide) and feed the wires through it to make a tight, secure fit that the fish cannot escape through.

Be warned: Your loach can grow up to be one mighty big fish. I've seen them pulled out of lakes at 30 cm long before. And I hear they can get even bigger!