One of the saddest things are fish jumping to their death...

[revhtree]

One of the worst things in this hobby is fish jumping to their death. I believe it has happened to most of us and to me it's probably the worst thing besides a total tank crash and loss. Let's talk about it today.

1. About how many fish have you had jump to their death in your reefing career?

2. What measures do you take to make sure your fish don't jump out of the tank?


tank cover image via @Poseidon

 

[DC Reefer]

I have had a few (3-4) that took a leap. 2 were blue spot jawfish that were in QT. I had egg crate over the top but they still got through. On tanks the I have jumpers on I use screen tops to keep them in.

 

[Shon]

Both of the wild caught (invasive to Florida) asian tiger shrimp disappeared and was only found after the smell started. Somehow jumped out and got behind the sump (open back stand).

No issues with fish though.

Eggcrate cover on a standard 75g.

 

[Fezbearer]

I'm going to admit that I'm pretty lucky here. I've never lost a fish to jumping though I've heard my carpenter's wrasse bounce off my lid a couple times. The only fish I've ever had launch himself was a zebra danio I kept back when I had a freshwater tank. Luckily I was in the middle of a water change so I was near that tank.

 

[KingTideCorals]

I refuse to not have a lid over my lagoon.. I am too partial to my fish and would hate to lose one now! Far too committed and on top of it wrasses are known jumpers. Gotta keep that Hawiian Cleaner Wrasse in the tank!

 

[Beau_B]

One goby during QT despite a cover. He only had a couple days of treatment left.

Have had a couple take the leap while I was working in the tank. One wrasse has taken 2x skydives. He seems to be ok despite the hard landing.

 

[driftin]

I had voted none but just changed my vote after remembering one jumper. Female egg-laying ocellaris clown, somehow jumped through a 1" hole in the eurobracing. Right above her nest. No idea what spooked her... or how she found the only hole to fit through.

 

[garbled]

I had a cleaner shrimp jump once. I have no words for that.

 

[AdamB]

I just had a Lubbock's wrasse jump 6 ‘ out of my tank while I was mounting new frags last week with the acrylic lid off . The Wrasse ricocheted off exercise bike and was in floor as I had one hand of super glue and a JF favia . I didn’t want to drop to quick but rushed over to bike and found fish and quickly thrown back in after looking for some time !
Anyway he survived but I had lost a few fish last year in my rimless so I actually bought a piece of acrylic to cover tank instead of net. My humidity levels were getting up there in my tank room and wanted to hold the tank evaporation down some so it’s had worked pretty good !

 

[Daveobrien]

Tank tops alone don't stop jumping fish deaths. Recently a diamond goby decided to try jumping, and caught its gills in the netting. Netting is 1/2" spacing, and being replaced.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I've had a few over the years, but it's probably been 2-3 years since the last one. I don't use a screen because I have a rimless tank and it just doesn't look right. If I had a eurobrace, I'd probably use one. One thing that I think helps on my tank is that I had the tank built with a lower water level. Many tanks have about 1/2" between the water and the tank rim. Mine has 2". Also helps with splashing!

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

Way back in the early 1990s I had a Leopard Puffer that jumped, once while I was in the room (so I was able to save it), and then later while I was at work, which resulted in the demise of the fish. I so hated that because I loved that puffer !

 

[Crashnt24]

Lost fish before I got a screen lid:

Green mandarin
Copper banded butterfly
Pearly jawfish
Fairy wrasse
B cardinal
Neon dottyback


Learned my lesson and got a clearview lid

 

[RedReefer]

Tank tops alone don't stop jumping fish deaths. Recently a diamond goby decided to try jumping, and caught its gills in the netting. Netting is 1/2" spacing, and being replaced.

I had something similar happen with a sixline. Sometimes the screen won't save them.

 

[itsken37]

I was just thinking about this, I had designer wyoming white clownfish jump after he lost his partner to an ammonia spike.

 

[itsken37]

Oh I completely forgot to say this but I one had a mandarin goby jump out of my Fluval when I was working on it once and I could not find him and I was so sad. 3 month later I am replacing the pump in the back of my fluval when what do you know he comes up with the pump after being 3 WHOLE MONTHS IN THE SPACE THAT'S 2 BY 3 INCHES WHEN HE WAS A 3 INCH FISH!!! I had no idea how he lived, but he must of been feeding off of copepods in the pump for that long. I thought he had died but I was always confused why I never found the body! After I found him... Geez, I will never forget that fish. RIP Toby you will always be remembered!! <3

 

[polyppal]

No fish, but I've found multiple petrified emerald crabs outside the tank before

 

[vetteguy53081]

1. About how many fish have you had jump to their death in your reefing career?

APPROXIMATELY 8 and were 6 fire fish goby, 2 dart fish, ph and 1 orange spot goby.


2. What measures do you take to make sure your fish don't jump out of the tank?

I always utilize covers on my tank. It happened while covers were off for maintenance or I forgot to place back on tank

 

[Seamore2001]

For those who use netting - do you find it cuts down on lighting at all? I've considered buying a proper net lid (in fact my wife asked me last week if I was planning to) but I've been nervous about impacting the lighting to my SPS.

 

[garbled]

For those who use netting - do you find it cuts down on lighting at all? I've considered buying a proper net lid (in fact my wife asked me last week if I was planning to) but I've been nervous about impacting the lighting to my SPS.

BRS did a video where they tested this. I think it was something silly like a 3-4% loss...