My fish got out!

[Gvillboy]

So I come home today after about 6 hours of leaving and there's a fish missing. So I'm like where is he hiding? I looked front back and side to side no sight of my "red chest" cichlid. I have a holding "thick skin" that I wanted to catch, so I was like I'll just take the stuff out my tank and kill two birds with one stone! I took everything out and it hit me...he still wasn't in there.... So I'm irritated now, looking all over the floor behind the wooden tank stand, on the sides and everything, still no sign. So I opened my door on my stand to get something and there he was dried out as could be. My heart dropped as if I had lost my best friend. lol So as sad as it Is to say one of my favorite friends died tonight... Irritated, cause my lids were closed and I make a effort to keep them down even at night time. But does anyone have any idea of why he just decided to jump out of a tank?

 

[redsea]

Sorry to hear about your fish.

 

[LyndaB]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

There are only a few reasons I've heard why a fish will jump, aside from those fish that are natural jumpers and will do it because it's instinctual.

1) poor water parameters (they are actually attempting to escape the environment)

2) algae on the lights (they will jump to attempt to eat it)

3) change of decor/adding new fish (both will create a need to re-establish the hierarchy in the tank)

 

[mdawg75]

Sorry to hear, that would surley suck.

 

[IvanMike]

Cichlids are accomplished jumpers. Any holes they can fit through they will over time. Some reasons for jumping out are being harrassed by other fish (common in cichlid communities. Often the plastic covers on "full hoods" are easy for a cichlid jumping in earnest to blow open. On many of my full hood tanks I've placed a rock to prevent this. With larger cichlids such as oscars I've even put several rocks on the part of a heavy glass hood that doesn't have a light or anything on it.

sorry 'bout your loss. It's happened to a lot of us - self included.

 

[Gvillboy]

Well I guess I don't feel so bad now since it's happened to more than me! Lol Anyways, there were no new fish added and he was too big to be bothered by any of my other fish so I don't know and I stay on top of my water conditions so I don't know what it was....by any means, the fish was given to me by a cichlid farm owner so I didn't lose any money, just a fish..... Thanks for the info though.....

 

[jetajockey]

I had a bunch of JD juveniles in an open top 40b once and had half a dozen of them jump out one night for no apparent reason. Ever since then I keep their tanks covered.

I think they'll jump when they get startled also.

 

[Gvillboy]

Nobody was in my room to startle them so I don't see why they would jump out. I put some pictures up so you can see why I'm so shocked, there is really no where for my fish to jump out!

 

[IvanMike]

I've seen fish make it out of gaps where the HOB filter goes, gaps near heater/powerhead cords & airlines, and of course, being big enough to pop the light plastic feeding lid of a full hood.

 

[Gvillboy]

....lol you can't be serious, the hood...why would any fish hit the hood? Must be really trying to die!

 

[T-man02]

my dads oscars would jump and hit the plastic hood and jump out we had a bell conected to the hood every time we heard the bell one of us would run upstairs and through him back in lol

 

[Termitehunter]

Sorry to hear about the fish.

I had an experience with my Arowana (natural jumper). I left one of the plexiglass backings off the back of the canopy by mistake, after doing maintenance. I left the room to watch a movie with the kids. I walked in after the movie to feed and didn't see the Arowana at all. I knew he wouldn't be in the rocks so i started by looking behind the tank, didn't see him. I opened up the cabinets and started pulling stuff out of the bottom. There he was, barely moving his gills. I scooped him up and tossed him in the tank. He was lethargic for about 2 min but he came around. He was 6 inches at the time and now he's 10".

The strangest one I ever lost was a Blood Parrot. Not a jumper at all as far as I know.

I purchased some commercial light grating and cut it to fit to reinforce the plexi. I have heard of full Arowanas cracking glass canopies before.

I got lucky on that one.

 

[Gvillboy]

That's funny, a bell? But thanks for the info now I have to find a way to keep my small openings covered....I've never seen a fish jump out the water so this is all very new and funny to hear about!

Oh and I received a message for some "so called" bad language during this thread....guessing somebody reported me....but my bad if I offended any of you with what I said earlier!

 

[Gvillboy]

Sorry to hear about the fish.

I had an experience with my Arowana (natural jumper). I left one of the plexiglass backings off the back of the canopy by mistake, after doing maintenance. I left the room to watch a movie with the kids. I walked in after the movie to feed and didn't see the Arowana at all. I knew he wouldn't be in the rocks so i started by looking behind the tank, didn't see him. I opened up the cabinets and started pulling stuff out of the bottom. There he was, barely moving his gills. I scooped him up and tossed him in the tank. He was lethargic for about 2 min but he came around. He was 6 inches at the time and now he's 10".

The strangest one I ever lost was a Blood Parrot. Not a jumper at all as far as I know.

I purchased some commercial light grating and cut it to fit to reinforce the plexi. I have heard of full Arowanas cracking glass canopies before.

I got lucky on that one.

Would you post a picture of your fish?

 

[IvanMike]

Usually you can cut something to fit over the small openings - I've even used tin foil in a pinch. You kind of have to judge what to use based upon the size of the fish - I used cardboard cut out from a cereal box for a long time with smaller fish. All fish jump to a degree (go watch a pond sometime) - some more than others. cichlids can jump a lot. Sometimes it's to escape aggression or predation, sometimes it's to chase another fish or try to eat something they see as a food item above the surface (I've even seen fish jump to try to get a fly outside the tank). For bigger fish I've often put a rock on top of the feeding lid of a full hood (sometimes a few rocks) - you can often find a decorative piece of wood or something to use for this if you have a problem jumper.

 

[Gvillboy]

Well it was my first experience, so now I just make sure I have all my opening covered. My fish are all a half to Maybe 3 inch long. I'm guessing I don't need to put anything on my lid being that they are so small....

 

[Gvillboy]

It's funny cause my fish don't even come to the top of the water unless I put a small insect in my water....other than that they're at the bottom waiting for flakes and pellets to sink.

 

[Termitehunter]

Would you post a picture of your fish?

This is Slider. My silver Arowana....

 

[T-man02]

Some one reported you? There was nothing I saw looking through your thread. so that's really weird

 

[Bl80]

Some one reported you? There was nothing I saw looking through your thread. so that's really weird

It was prob edited or deleted...