Do all wrasses jump?

[plancton]

I ask this because I had a carpenters wrasse one, that would jump a lot and my T5s and reflectors were always splashed and I had to clean them and it was annoying, plus it commited suicide. Never the less it was a beautiful fish.



At the same time I had a whipfin wrasse, and a ruby head wrasse. They never ever jumped.

Then recently I bought another carpenters wrasse, though female and not as pretty, it came very small and grew and never jumped, and it is a flasher wrasse.

[SHOW ANGELS]

All wrasses will jump so keep those tops covered.

[iFisch]

Why do they jump?

[jimmy n]

6 lines don't have a tendency to jump.

[evsalty]

I have currently a 6-line that has never jumped and have had other non-reef safe wrasses in the past that never jumped. I would have to believe that like most other fish species it all depends on that particular fish.

[TP123]

Fairy and flasher wrasses are known to jump. Some individuals more than others, but they all can/will.

[noahm]

I just bought a small aluminum framed window screen, cut it to fit the tank openings and replaced the mesh with 3/8" square bird netting for gardens. It hardly blocks any light and does a good job of keeping the wrasses/gobies in.

[Yogre]

Noahm,

How long have you had the 3/8" bird netting, and what kind of wrasses do you have? I currently have the same thing over my tank, and am thinking about getting a quartet of McCosker's wrasses, but I don't want any suicides.

If I need to I'll use 1/4" mesh, but I'd rather not have to redo my screening.

[amkelly802]

my sixline wrasse went floor surfing.. didnt end so well poor guy

[Cozmo4]

I just recently had a Ruby Head fairy Wrasse jump - one of my favorite fish and I didn't know it had jumped until it was too late. Not only do wrasses jump, they can somehow find their way out of pretty small openings, no matter the angle they have to take. My tank is euro braced, so there is about 6 inches that covers the top of the tank all the way around. I have a canopy on top with a 2 inch slot running across the back for cords to be fed through. The bugger somehow caught just the right angle to get over the euro bracing and through the slot in the back. Time to staple some mesh to the back slot...

[noahm]

Yogre. Just make sure you get the 3/8" mesh bird netting. A lot of it comes in 3/4"-ish size and is no good. I just pulled the screen spline and reinstalled the new mesh, trimming the excess w/a razor blade. As long as its tight, they can't jump through it or get caught in it. I tried regular screen, but it cut out way too much light. That being said, if you leave the cover off, accidents happen... If you can't find the 3/8", pm me. I've got enough to cover a small garden left over. Could probably ship a decent sized piece for a couple bucks.

[snorvich]

Originally posted by jimmy n
6 lines don't have a tendency to jump.

Sorry, I disagree.

[snorvich]

If you want to keep fish in, you need 1/4 inch holes. Mesh works great.

[Yogre]

Originally posted by noahm
Yogre. Just make sure you get the 3/8" mesh bird netting. A lot of it comes in 3/4"-ish size and is no good. I just pulled the screen spline and reinstalled the new mesh, trimming the excess w/a razor blade. As long as its tight, they can't jump through it or get caught in it. I tried regular screen, but it cut out way too much light. That being said, if you leave the cover off, accidents happen... If you can't find the 3/8", pm me. I've got enough to cover a small garden left over. Could probably ship a decent sized piece for a couple bucks.

Thanks, noahm. I do have the 3/8" already here at the house, I already built the tops. As far as I know it's been effective with clowns and green chromis. I know what you mean about leaving the cover off, though. I left the cover open about 4" one night, and had one of my clowns jump through the gap. Bonehead move on my part, he was a beautiful fish.