how many of your fish have actually bounced?

[Ballyhoo]

just curious how common it is when people don't have lids that their fish leap out of the tanks

 

[Allenh427]

Even with a lid, I've had 3 gobies find the absolute smallest holes imaginable if it's not sitting on the tank perfectly. I resorted to buying a Kraken one now... Itll pay for itself.

 

[skey44]

Red Sea regal angel, so sad. Also had some tilefish turn into doggie treats on the fly, smh.
Countless others but these are the most memorable.

 

[Kmst80]

Even with a lid, I've had 3 gobies find the absolute smallest holes imaginable if it's not sitting on the tank perfectly. I resorted to buying a Kraken one now... Itll pay for itself.

I am in the same boat, lost 4 gobies before I changed the cover. The holes are now 2x 1.5 mm.

 

[littlefoxx]

Only lost two Dalmatian mollies to jumping while converting them to saltwater

 

[AydenLincoln]

Once! I had a near tank crash and my diamond goby jumped ship sadly when the lid wasn’t all the way on because I had a placed a uv sterilizer in the tank.

 

[DED65]

I’ve had a Yellow Coris Wrasse and a Flame Angel jump, probably due to one mean Maroon Clown. Unfortunately the dogs have better sniffers than I. In the freshwater, I have a Clown Loach that likes to explore. I have found it dried out, thrown it back in the tank and it has been fine for many years.

 

[Spare time]

The dogs having fresh seafood is cracking me up

 

[Spare time]

I had a yellow coris wrasse manage to get through the innovative marine mesh lid (somehow went through the mesh).

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I currently have 3 tanks, I have about 17 fish right now between all my tanks, been keeping aquariums for over 15 years, always lidless.... I would guesstimate that I have lost less than 10 fish (by jumping) in all these years.

The jumpers have always been new fish, with me less than one week. Once the fish is established, it won't/shouldn't jump. With that said, I won't keep jawfish or chalk basses anymore because they jump no matter what.

I feel the main things are don't overstock, don't stock with aggressive fish, and provide lots of hiding spots in the rockwork.

 

[Waters]

I have lost a handful of fish over the years due to jumping (clowns, lionfish, wrasse). I now no longer will keep a tank without a lid. It isn't worth the stress to me of having to check the carpet every morning when I walk by the tank. I have even had a fish jump out of a 5 gallon bucket only half filled with water while acclimating.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

My watchman and fire fish did not enjoy the tank whenever I got the light power supply fixed on the tank. After that they haven’t jumped again

 

[CrimsonTide]

I had a regular clown jump once through a lid somehow. I found it on the floor the next morning. I think the bigger clown scared it right out of the tank. I got a replacement and the other clown has never scared its new mate out of the tank again. It has been 3 years since that incident. The big clown however used to somehow jump through a tiny hole a land on top of the mesh. I made the lid myself with a window screen making kit and it was a little saggy. Luckily the fish would land and be semi in water but still on its side. So the fish could breath but not flip over. So the fish probably gave itself a sunburn from an AI Prime 16HD I think 4 times but it never died. I would find it and put it back in the tank and like someone who fell asleep at the beach on one side it had a crusty side and a nice side. After about a week the crusty side would go away. It hasn't done this in probably a year or so now but that clown is happy and healthy today. No scars. They always healed. It was a Darwin clown too.

 

[findingsimple]

Lineatus and pencil wrasse jumped. Even had a leopard wrasse jump. I think my tangs chase em out.

 

[LPS Bum]

A few years ago I lost an 8 inch Queen Angel that I’d had for years. She jumped out despite having a lid (small uncovered section in the back). Broke my heart.

Never again. Now all my tanks are as close to 100% covered as possible.

 

[DIYreefer]

I use a tight fitting canopy specifically to eliminate jumpers killing themselves. It's not the sleekest look, but I haven't lost a fish to jumping in many years.

 

[Ghostweim]

I am in the same boat, lost 4 gobies before I changed the cover. The holes are now 2x 1.5 mm.

I lost a goby also - switched to a Kraken Reef lid (which are amazing) and added some additional reinforcement on my IM AIO overflow section. I had picked up a tailspot blenny and did not want to see him carpet surfing!!

 

[JHSteepat]

Had a foxface jump after six months without a lid, and I was days away from finishing my “custom” lid (diy). Glad it went behind the tank with my Bernese mix puppy who eats everything….

 

[Ballyhoo]

maybe i jumped the gun on ordering a Krakken but i guess it can't hurt too much.

 

[Joe.D]

I have a tight fitting lid and it does its job. However, I’ve still lost fish to jumping when cleaning/doing a water change. 1 watchman goby, 2 diamond gobies (one of those was forgetting to replace the small feeding cover one night), and a Da Vinci clown.

I have a 4’ tank and have since added some safe guards. I took a piece of corrugated plastic 4’ long and cut it to about 10” wide. I then cut a couple of notches to fit around the arms of may lights. It rests against the wall and overlaps the lip of the tank. Some of my jumpers would end up behind the tank and I wouldn’t see them until I noticed they were gone and would look back there. This prevents fish from ending up behind the tank as they’ll hit the guard or the wall and slide back in.

I’ve also purchased a pice of 1/4” thick plexiglass 4’ x 2’ and had them cut it in half at Home Depot. I keep one in place if I’m working in the tank and slide it over when I move to the other half. If I walk away, I put the other one on.

I now do a roll cal every time I have the lid off. Pretty easy as I only have 8 fish and I know all of their hiding spots.

Get a lid, the investment pays for itself and safeguards your fish friends.