Carpet-surfing: jumping fish and how to prevent them...

[Sk8r]

...hitting the floor.

You would not BELIEVE how I lost a yellow-headed jawfish. My tank is a wedge 102 gallon with monster-thick glass, glass also glued as a top cover---with a square hole in the middle of this top glass for access, hole for a feeding tube dead center of the bow, and two little one-inch holes at the corners where there's access for cords and thermometer cable, etc.

The YHJ found the corner hole, with the thermometer cable, and managed to jump 1 inch clear of the water, through a 5/8ths inch glass thickness hole, and then to wriggle across 6" of glass top to reach the side vent and fall from there to the carpet.

THIS is the kind of escape you're trying to prevent. They can ride currents and find holes you wouldn't believe.

Now, over the holes in question, I have a small square of plastic needlepoint canvas (hobby store or yarn/needlework shop) which I have cut to lie there.

Gutter-guard (Lowes or HD) and plastic needlepoint canvas are your best fish-preventers, outside of an impermeable barrier. Eggcrate won't do it if they can fit through the holes.

You can, however, use eggcrate as a temporary barrier in the tank to keep one fish from murdering another until they can calm down.

But jumping? Fish will find a way to sail over the teeth of your downflow, through the holes for your outflow hoses, through the slits of your downflow intake, and land in your downflow box. They will find ways through any hole, any aperture. The only creature that exceeds their escape skills is newborn skink lizards, that can fit in an opening the size of a matchhead.

For shielding holes where cords MUST be, cut needlepoint canvas with a slit to admit the cord.

And be careful with shipped fish. Put the stopper in the sink drain before opening a bag. Some of these little fish can exit a bag in an Olympic-record jump.

Just sayin'.

[Megatrev62]

Sticky.

[Mael]

I hadnt thought of the plastic needlepoint material before, will look into that. I had a clown in my brothers small tank who could jump out sideways through a slit and(luckily) into the filter area while I was house/reef sitting. So we were lucky he stayed in a water filled area, but he also didnt want to come out....had to chase him out with a spoon into my cupped hand to pop him back into the main tank area.

[Suohhen]

More great advise as always Sk8r, awesome!

My most terrible loss was a Canary Blenny that somehow found a way to jump through the 1/2" slit on my slider, not to amazing until you realize it is a vertical opening. Poor guy landed and quickly cooked under a MH. Such a terrible memory.

[Sk8r]

Some people make a frame with bird netting and put it over their tank. If you have jumping fish, I'd recommend putting another sheet of it on the diagonal, to increase the number of threads and decrease the size of the holes [without much decreasing the amount of light that gets through. But look on every hole as something that yawns like a massive skylight to a 2" blenny.]

[mrpergo]

did the fish survive or did you have to play taps ?

[Sk8r]

Alas, found him too late.

[gam3ovr]

Wow - after reading this I've got some work to do

[r_okeanos]

so what do you guys suggest is the best thing to cover an aquarium? i would be worried that birdsnetting would rust over time and contaminate the tank. plastic with needlepoint? i want to get a few flasher wrasses for my upcoming tank

[mrsensi]

you

[Fish Biscuit]

Bulk Reef Supply sells 1/4" plastic netting. You can purchase it by itself or buy the kit that includes everything to make the top.

I have a few spots on my top for each strainer to fit through & I've tucked the screen into the strainers for a tight fit & a slit for my heater cord. If you just cut through the middle of the squares on the screen enough to slip the cord through, the opening is still only 1/4".

[thegrun]

I made a u shaped bracket out of 3/8" thick acrylic and then hot glued the screen top to the bracket to get around probes sticking out of my overflow:

[msderganc]

Originally Posted by thegrun

I made a u shaped bracket out of 3/8" thick acrylic and then hot glued the screen top to the bracket to get around probes sticking out of my overflow:

I tried this, and it works for maybe one small cut out, but the issue comes in when you have multiple cutouts. My screen supports starting bending badly. I got around it by using black egg crate for the back of the tank (where it didn't block much light) and then using screen for the front.

[mayjong]

yup, use black eggcrate along the whole back, with as many cutouts as needed. the front edge of the eggcrate will be straight. attach netting/screen to that...

[KingSmith]

I had snowflake eel for 3 years and he got really big and was quite a beautiful creature in a tearing things to pieces sort of way, Unfortunately I didn't have adequate protection and he was found under the tank. Lessons learned the hard way

[billiehendren]

that's very unfortunate. Escapes can't be prevented without proper knowledge .and what knowledge you bring ! Thanks a lot

skiing tours

[geckoejon]

thanks for sharing.

i have a new 75g that i was trying to figure out how to rig up the back with the return area. i have a bunch of the 1/4" nylon netting from brs. great stuff! still... how to cover an oval outlet??? i will give the gutter guard a try....

[IluvAggfish]

just lost my canary blenny believe he jumped still MIA
lost my longnose hawk too jumping too!
bought a roll of screen at menards might not look good but plan to put that over all openings!

[Raptor72]

I found a freeze dried Yasha Goby on my carpet that apparently sailed right through my 1/4" screen. When they wanna go, they're gonna go.