Water bottle problem

I dont know if that would really change anything. My tubs are kind of curvy on the sides, so the hardware cloth isnt completely flat.

Get some Lixit bottles. They don't leak and they don't "dry up". What I do is fill the bottle to the brim, put the lid on tight, stand it upright and squeeze the bottle. Then I hold my finger on the spout until the inside pressure regulates itself and water stops dripping.

The ones I use are the big 32oz(I think) neon colored(pink, orange, green) bottles. Petsmart has them.