# Jumping Killifish



## trixella (Jan 24, 2011)

I just set up a riparium for my gardneri killifish and the water level is 10 inches below the rim... I know they're good jumpers but does anyone know if they can jump as high as 10 inches? I'm really not wanting to put a top on the tank.


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## elbandito78 (Apr 23, 2011)

Here's a pretty cool link on some killi's in their natrual habitat. I think they may be F. gardneri, but it's kinda hard to tell and I don't think it says. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sy3R3f_GCY 

Have you thought about some floating plants to cover the top of the aquarium? I've heard of people adding duckweed to the top of the aquarium to lessen the chance of jumpers. I have been thinking about raising some killies and have been doing quite a bit or research. Do you feed live food exclusively, or do you feed flake as well?


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## kuni (May 7, 2010)

trixella said:


> I just set up a riparium for my gardneri killifish and the water level is 10 inches below the rim... I know they're good jumpers but does anyone know if they can jump as high as 10 inches? I'm really not wanting to put a top on the tank.


In the wild, killifish migrate from pool to pool by jumping. I suspect they're more than capable of leaving your riparium if they wish to.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I never had a problem with my Gardneri with the tank filled to the top and a 5.5 inch valance and I have never lost a fish by jumping, not even hatchets.


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## trixella (Jan 24, 2011)

elbandito78 said:


> Here's a pretty cool link on some killi's in their natrual habitat. I think they may be F. gardneri, but it's kinda hard to tell and I don't think it says.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sy3R3f_GCY
> 
> Have you thought about some floating plants to cover the top of the aquarium? I've heard of people adding duckweed to the top of the aquarium to lessen the chance of jumpers. I have been thinking about raising some killies and have been doing quite a bit or research. Do you feed live food exclusively, or do you feed flake as well?


I will put some floating plants in but will not let them completely cover the surface cuz I will have some plants in the water. I mostly feed them live food (usually black worms) but do also give them frozen blood worms, freeze dried blood worms, and flake food occasionaly. 



kuni said:


> In the wild, killifish migrate from pool to pool by jumping. I suspect they're more than capable of leaving your riparium if they wish to.


Right, but are the pools/puddles they jump out of 10 inches below the top of the puddle? I'm wondering how high they jump.



150EH said:


> I never had a problem with my Gardneri with the tank filled to the top and a 5.5 inch valance and I have never lost a fish by jumping, not even hatchets.


That's really good to know! How long have you had your killi's? Also, what does your valance look like... does it have a lip/ledge on it that may prevent the killi's from making it out of the tank?


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## chiefroastbeef (Feb 14, 2011)

I bought five clown killifish a year ago, they all jumped out of my open top tank in 2 days.


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## MrBobby (Apr 6, 2011)

I lost 1 of my 5 clown killifish recently to jumping. He made it through the small crack around the lid of the fluval ebi that they were in. Saw him the other day all dried up on the floor, it was a sad sight to see. :icon_cry:


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## valerietheangel (Jan 6, 2008)

We had a small school (6) of the golden wonder killis and lost all but two due to jumping. They were in a 40 breeder with a glass top (versa top) and jumped out of the gap in the back. One survivor actually jumped OUT of the 40 breeder and INTO a 10 gallon quarantine tank sitting on the ground about 2 1/2 feet away. It jumped to its death later. The last killi I kept for almost 4 years with no jumping problems. Gorgeous fish but I don't think I'd keep them again.


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## trixella (Jan 24, 2011)

I'd like to hear from more people who kept them in tanks with the water level way below the top of the tank. I definitely wouldn't keep them in a tank that was filled all the way up without a cover. Currently they're in a 10 gallon that has a reptile screen over the entire top of the tank... I'm using an internal filter so I wouldn't have to have any cutouts on the top for a hob filter. 

I'm thinking about leaving a shallow bowl of water on the ground underneath the tank... just in case they jump over 10 inches high out of the tank then maybe they will jump into the bowl on the ground.


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## trixella (Jan 24, 2011)

Hey 150EH, does your valance have a lip/edge on it? I'm trying to figure out if I should rig up something on my riparium.


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