# Non-Jumping Fish?



## WallaceGrover (Jan 15, 2011)

I have a 10 gallon I'm working on that has a large piece of driftwood that sticks out. I really like the way it looks and want to keep it open topped. Apparently all betta species and all rasboras jump, but do dwarf gouramis or ?

If I can't find a S.E Asian fish suitable I can always cut fiberglass window screen to fit over the top, but I would like to see if there is a way I can avoid this...


----------



## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

I do not believe there is 'non-jumping' fish: if it's startled - it will jump.
I had everything from shrimp to tetras, loaches to discus, mollies to plecos jump out over the years.


----------



## WallaceGrover (Jan 15, 2011)

How do people do uncovered tanks then? I see them ALL the time?


----------



## CatB (Jan 29, 2012)

i have an uncovered tank with a betta, fish don't always jump but there's always a CHANCE that they will. i keep my water level two inches below the top of the tank, and i have a lot of plants floating on the top of the water, which also helps reduce the risk.


----------



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Gouramis jump. 
I had one (a moonlight) jump out od a 5 gallon bucket that only had a gallon or so of water in it. 

In a 10 gallon tank the best way to reduce jumpers is to use floating plants, and, of course use fish that jump less than average.


----------



## Aquatic Delight (Mar 2, 2012)

In six months of fish keeping I have never had a fish jump out. I have however had 3 bamboos jump and one amano. I just recently bought some killifish and also bought a cover for them. I hear they jump a lot


----------



## pandamonium (May 14, 2012)

I have frogbit and water lettuce cover which greatly reduces jumping (I have hatchetfish). It also helps I guess that I have a glass top haha. But plants really do deter jumping


----------



## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

Some that like to stay in the lower parts of the tank might not jump but if you fill the tank to the brim and have no rim, there's always a chance. Maybe they're startled by something, they might get confused and go to high up. I tried to remedy it by adding a DIY screen border on top of the tank so it's literally just the border which protrudes out an inch that way if they want to leap out, they'll really have to clear the sucker and not just ride up the side of the tank which seems to happen often.

I can't say for sure if it's worked that well. I have some missing espei rasboras and I suspect my cat hid the evidence somewhere. If I get more jumpers I can turn that screen border on top of the tank and put in a mesh which is what it's intended for and then no more jumpers.

Glass tops work and I've found if you use that aforementioned screen top, you can place a glass panel right on top of it so it's not so close to the water that it condensates up everyday and I've been using that on another tank.


----------



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

guppies are the only thing that come to mind.


----------



## WallaceGrover (Jan 15, 2011)

Ha, I never knew this was a fish-wide problem. That's actually kind of a relief, I don't have to limit my choices. Thanks everyone!


----------



## will5 (Sep 30, 2005)

I have found that Scissor tailed rasboras do this all the time. I have a 29 gallon in the basement. And every time one of the kids goes running down there out flies a fish. Some times it happens even when they are playing. I love them because they happen to be one of the best schooling fish that I have ever had, but they are very skittish fish and will jump at the slightest sound.


----------



## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

A friend of mine with larger fish uses the kind of plastic mesh sold for gardening. It is very thin plastic mesh, about 1/2" squares. He put it on a screen (like window screen) frame, and made it just big enough to cover the part of the tank where the lights do not already cover it. 
He had some jumpers before the mesh (I do not remember what species, but there are Discus and others in the tank), and none since.


----------



## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

mistergreen said:


> guppies are the only thing that come to mind.


+1. I don't know that guppies contain the mental capacity to jump...:bounce:


----------



## Snowflake311 (Apr 20, 2011)

I have had a pictus cat jump I found it dry on the floor. I had a few tetras jump but that's because they were with big fish that scared them. I had a SAE swim full speed up and hit the glass top and die on impact that was crazy.

Fish jump for a reason. They just if water quality is poor of if spooked. It's been years since I had a jumper. It's not a big problem as long as you keep your fish in good conditions with the right tank mates.


----------



## Jjensen187 (Dec 30, 2011)

I have a dragon scale betta in my open 10g and he's been in there for 2 months. This thread has me worried now! Lol


----------



## Cynical Fish Guy (Feb 19, 2012)

My dwarf gouramis jump!!!


----------

