surface and jumpy fish, and “tightly fitting covers”

[Magnum Man45 159]

it appears now, that I have several fish that are typically listed as needing tightly fitting covers…

all of these fish are currently in open topped tanks, that’s not to say covers aren’t always needed, I’ sure my cray fish would crawl out if there was any openings big enough for them to fit through…

however with fish, I think one needs to look at what makes them leap… the tanks that I have noted jumping fish in, have a lots of plants around the edges growing out of the tanks, and I have used the term “hedge” before, but most present as riparian vegetation to the fish…

I was just reading on the seriously fish site, about my African butterfly fish, and there is a big warning about a tightly covered tank… mine seems content to hide in the roots from the dwarf cichlids in that tank… I personally think we need to address the reason some fish jump, if they are missing something, and feel trapped, no matter how nice the cage we give them to live, and try to jump out every time we open the top to feed them, they are obviously not happy… the plants seem to help with noted jumping fish like my hatchets, and butterfly…

sometimes all we need is a speed bump… the panda garra, and hillstream loaches I keep are also in an open topped tank… they are listed as needing a cover, as they can actually climb about the water level on the glass… I’ve never had one climb out, as my tank has the plastic frame, and does not have a smooth surface to the top edge, that 1.4 inch plastic ridge is all that is needed to keep them from climbing out…

I gave an adult bichir, that I keep in an old acrylic aquarium that has a full acrylic top, with access holes made in the center of it,,, they are 2-3 inches from the joint of the top of the tank, which prevents running up the sides to get out… it is said they leap when mating… I only have the one, and I’ve seen it break water, chasing feeder fish, but they tend to ride up the side, and the fish has never leapt from the center of the tank, in a way it has escaped..

in fact 80% of my tanks are open topped, and I can’t even remember the last fish that escaped one of my tanks…

I cover some tanks to control evaporation, or to keep critters like cray fish from climbing the air lines to get out… but on most tanks, having vegetation growing out of the tanks has been enough to keep my jumpers, from jumping…

 

[Magnum Man45 159]

butterfly at 1st light

 

[Magnum Man45 159]

marble hatchet, in my open topped tetra tank…

 

[GaryE5 3]

Sometimes they jump because they're happy. I've seen Epiplatys killies coil their bodies and spring up at flies, for example. It's a hunting reflex as well as an evasive one.

I have had fish that jump in partly filled tanks. Some waited a year or two before one of their leaps killed them - but it happened eventually. How long have you had those leaper species?

It may be too soon to expect anything.

A lot of the things we warn each other about take time. A predatory fish can live with its prey for years before one day, they get inspired. A leaper can decide to try its luck long after it went into the tank. I can't cover all my tanks and take measures to reduce risk - emergent plants, and overhanging leaves help, as does being high enough up my shadow doesn't pass over the tank. But I also make a point of breeding those fish if I have them in heavily planted set ups where plants interfere with the lids. You have to have a plan B for now, 6 months from now, next year...

 

[raylove1]

I've not lost any fish from them having jumped out of a tank, though mine have always been covered. However, fish known for jumping do are likely to keep an eye on what is going on above them, and if something catches their eye they ware apt go for it. I had a group of red Scissortails once and one of them jumped at 'something' it thought it could see the tanks brace bar. Once one started they all started launching themselves at whatever they thought they could see. It went on for several minutes - I thought they were going to knock themselves out! It makes me think that any small access holes left in a tank cover might be seen as a target, hence why fish sometimes escape through unlikely gaps.

On a related matter, I did once find a dead hatchet fish dried up and stuck on top of a fluorescent tube. Clearly it had leaped up there and somehow got stuck to it.

 

[emeraldking24 75]

My halfbeaks are also known for being jumpers. But in all the years I've got them, not one single one has ever jumped out of a tank. And the tank they're in is semi open.