Fishy Reaper

[Blueiz]

The fish reaper visited my house last night and took back with him my newest rope fish. This fish had a death wish. It's first attempted suicide was about 3 weeks ago when I found him on the floor almost dried up, I surmised that he had been out of the tank about an hour. I plopped him back in the tank and after a few moments he started to swim around, the next day it was as if nothing happened. This morning I was cleaning the den and moved a chair to sweep behind it and on the floor lay the rope fish. This time he was dried to a crisp, I new that he was in the tank last night when I went to bed. I got a big net and put him in it and floated him in the tank for about 30 minutes, he didn't come back to life this time

My husband really liked this fish and hes going to be sad when he finds out.

 

[DragonFish71]

Sorry for your loss. We've had suicidal fish too, yoyo loaches. The best thing I've found was using saran wrap to cover any areas they could jump out. Then we went to using the glass canopies instead of the formed plastics and not even our hatchets get out.

 

[Blueiz]

We have the tank covered with plexi glass lids. I did a water change yesterday and filled the water up higher than I usually do. I'm thinking he may have escaped through a small gap where the lid doesn't shut completely, either that or he got out at around 430 this am when I fed them but considering how dried up he was, the later isn't that plausible. I have 2 other ropefishes in my 75 gallon, have had them for about 3 years now and they have never escaped... although I have heard they are notorious for finding an escape route.

 

[ScottS]

Just curious, but how big is the biggest gap? Nothing like finding dead fish on the floor. Ugh.

 

[Blueiz]

The gap was under half an inch. I don't think it jumped out of the tank so much as slithered out... It was just a juvy, about as big around as a pencil and 6 or so inches long.