# How often do you lose fish...



## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

...to jumping? I've had my first open top tank running now since March, and until recently, no problems. However, in the past couple weeks, I've had two harlequins(perhaps one twice) and an Sae jump ship.

I'm thinking it is because the tank has been rather hot for a while (80-86) and all the fish seem a bit twitchy, especially on the very hot days.

So, I'm wondering what others experiences have been with jumping and open top tanks?

At any rate, this is starting to bum me out, both the dying fish and that they are always found by the wife!


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

in the past 3 months... I had 1 flagfish & 1 cherry barb going kamakazi. Mine is half open too..

yeah, the heat might be the cause. No air condition? Or is it by a window?
Or is there a big predator in the tank?


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## oblongshrimp (Aug 8, 2006)

In 2 yrs I have had maybe 4 fish make the jump. 2 SAE's, which are notorious jumpers and 2 rainbowfish. I have also had 3-4 rainbows jump out at me when I put food in the tank and they got a little excited.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Over the past 4 years of keeping open top tanks I've had around 5-6 fish jump, some died others where saved.


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## Angry the Clown (Aug 26, 2006)

In the past year and a half of having a fully open top, I have only had one jumper.


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## Gilraen Took (Apr 19, 2007)

I haven't had an open top until recently(and even that isn't totally open since I have to have my lights setting on something since I don't have a fixture for them yet >.<) but the only fish I have lost was one of my bettas and I still don't know why she decided to jump.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I've kept 2 tanks mostly uncovered for over 6 months. Since I've been doing some home improvements they have been going back and forth between covered and uncovered as I try to keep the dust out. None of the fish in either of the two tanks has jumped although the giant danio make some big splashes when I feed that tank. The only jumpers I've had are silver hatchet fish from my COVERED aquarium. They sometimes get too frisky when I feed them or they get spooked when I'm trimming plants or cleaning. So far I've managed to get them all back in with no losses.


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

I have hoods and/or cover glasses on all my tanks and have still lost fish to jumping over the years. They have mainly been hatchetfish that have somehow got onto the coverglass then been unable to flip back in, or killifish that can get out of the smallest gap ever!


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

At that temp most everything will jump out....


I lose fish from time to time but it's usually my fault or my doing.


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## JustOneMore21 (Mar 19, 2007)

In my open top tanks (29g, 5.5g, 3g) I've not had any jumpers. But in my 55g, I've had 2 Yoyo loaches jump (could have been the same one) and the 2nd time that loach didn't make it. I had glass tops on that tank and had about a 1-1.5" gap that the crazy things jumped out of.  Now I have some egg crate over the top, so hopefully they don't fit through the holes.


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## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

Thanks for the responses everyone! It seems jumping fish are pretty random but rather rare, so hopefully I won't have any more problems...
At least until I can rig up some sort of aesthetically pleasing netting system for the top to ease my new paranoia 

Anyone know where I can find monofilament netting with 1/4 inch holes?


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## elaphe (Aug 24, 2006)

I've had one of my green fire tetra's jump out when I scared him by squirting in the fertilizer while the lights were out. Just picked him up and back he went; still doing great!

The only time I've had other fish jump out of my open top tank is when the CO2 gets high. I've had Otto's, SAE's, and Amamo shrimp leap out when this got out of control.

The Amano shrimp are the worst, they crawl off and you find them later. My wife freaked thinking it was some sort of strange bug  

I do run a lunar light (LED) at night, and that seems to help keep them in for some reason?????


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