Fish that jump

[flip_lx]

Can we get a list going of fish that are known to jump? I had 2 pineapple swordtails that i was told are known jumpers but they didn't, however i've had guppies and zebra danios jump out of my tank. I'm in the process of restocking and have a lidless tank and would like to avoid "suicides' (a lid is out as my lights are the type that hang on the sides of the tank)

 

[hsherman1986]

don't get ANY type of hatchet fish. ALL of them are known jumpers. I would also aviod butterfly fish (they just look like that type), and dojo loaches (they can flip out of the tank). I have also had bettas jump

 

[drobertson]

Bala sharks are also a real good jumper. Needs a real good cover with no gaps.

 

[flip_lx]

what about corys? i've read they make dashes to the surface for air will the jump or just stay up at top of the tank for a bit

 

[hsherman1986]

you will be fine with cories. I have never actually seen them leave the water. They just go up to the surface for air, then swim immediatly back down. They do not linger at all.

 

[Regen311]

I've had suicidal snails. My aquarium doesn't have a top. And the biggest problem I've had is with snails. They just cruise up the walls and flop right over the other side. Fortunately, this has only happened when I'm in the room, so I've been able to rescue them. I've had one gold barb do this too, he did it twice in a row, also while I was in the room. Luckily, as I said, this has only happened when I was in the room so Iw as able to rescue the fish. I've had no successful suicides yet!

 

[MyCatsDrool]

Jumpers I have had so far:


Peacock Eel (I found him in time)
Betta
Tiger Barb
Rosy Barb
Danio

 

[triazole]

IME,
gold gourami
african jewel (hemichromis sp.)

 

[WaterPond]

I have had these jump out: lucky i was there when some of them did it:

gold wonder killifish(during feedeing time, i was there)
african butterfly fish(during feeding time, i was there)
dojo loaches(jumped out when i spooked it)
bettas(jumped over night )
sarasa comet goldfish (jumped twice, didn't find him alive the second time)
koi (this is how all of my koi die)

 

[hulkamaniac]

I think pretty much any fish will jump if spooked or if they think they're seeing something to eat or sometimes just because. In nature, it's not a problem as they just crash into the water mere feet away. With the exception of maybe plecos or other bottom feeding cats, I'm going to guess pretty much any fish will jump under the right (or wrong) circumstances.

 

[JustOneMore20]

Loaches will jump. I had a Yoyo loach go carpet surfing and I know someone else recently had another type of loach jump.

I've never had cories jump...so you should be safe with them (I have about 13 in a topless tank).

 

[squawkbert]

Yup - most all hatchets, loaches, eels

I had a JD bail out of a bucket once. I've had pineappleswords - no issues there for me either.

I think any fast fish that gets spooked (white clouds, zebra danios, the more torpedo shaped tetras...) are all going to be candidates for at least an occasional leap.

 

[QTOFFER]

Any and all fish have the capacity to jump over small barriers - even bottomdwellers.

Why do they jump? It's not suicide - at least I don't think it is. Maybe they're fleeing aggression, looking for food, or looking for mates. Aquarium fish soon learn that glass is a barrier, but they can see through it. Why wouldn't they think that there is more water on the other side?

Anyway, that said, I've had firemouths, red jewels, and blue acaras jump. I've also lost quite a few bloodfin tetras through the teeniest hole near my filter hoses. :?

 

[LandGhoti]

Loaches will jump. I had a Yoyo loach go carpet surfing and I know someone else recently had another type of loach jump.

Was that me? I just lost a zebra loach that jumped out of a 1" gap, and the next morning at 4 AM I found my yoyo playing around in the filter (HOB), eating food off the cartridge (dumpster diving). I think he does this regularly.

hulkamaniac is probably right.

 

[JustOneMore20]

Yep I was talking about you LandGhoti. (sorry....couldn't remember your username)

 

[hulkamaniac]

It's definitely not a suicide thing. Like I said, if they did it in the wild, they'd be fine. In fact in a lidless tank, it's possible that it actually happens and the fish just plop back into the water. Or in a lidded tank, the fish clunk their heads into the lid and land back in the water with a headache.

 

[MyCatsDrool]

LandGhoti

My peacock eel is also a dumpster diver. He even likes to sleep in there.

 

[kansei]

My pleco has hit the canopy twice - never got out or hurt.

 

[Stephen]

Based on experience, hatchets jump with very little provocation. Cyprichromis leptosoma are also quite the athletes. Surprisingly, bichirs are great escape artists as well.

 

[LandGhoti]

LandGhoti

My peacock eel is also a dumpster diver. He even likes to sleep in there.

That actually makes me feel a little better. Thanks. I haven't caught the yoyo in there again, but I was watching him real good last night during bloodworm feeding and just *waiting* for him to leap into the out-stream.