Lost my first fish

[weaglereefer]

Well, headed home Wednesday night, turned the lights on the tank off (since everyone seems to be trying that 1 day without light cycle) and put the eggcrate on top of the tank. Came back earlier today and my yellow headed jawfish was on the floor, still damp. I put him back in the tank but he was already gone. My eggcrate is cut to fit around the hood so it sits on the little ledge inside of tanks, and he appears to have jumped out the front where there are no openings for powerhead wires, overflow box, etc.

Anything I could have done different? I run open top and he's never jumped out before. I put the eggcrate on every night so it's nothing new to them.

Readings:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
S.G. 1.025
Phosphate 0
Calcium 420
Alkalinity 11
Magnesium 1250
Temp 79.5

Everyone else is fine: firefish, chromis, clowns, flame angel, and six line, plus all inverts are accounted for. Just bad luck?



On the bright side, I did stop at a store in Montgomery on the way home and found that they had Purple Firefish, so I picked one up (been looking for 2 months for those) but had I known the jawfish went tile floor surfing, I wouldn't have gotten one. He's eating fine though...

 

[jmaneyapanda]

au01st;263440 wrote: Well, headed home Wednesday night, turned the lights on the tank off (since everyone seems to be trying that 1 day without light cycle) and put the eggcrate on top of the tank. Came back earlier today and my yellow headed jawfish was on the floor, still damp. I put him back in the tank but he was already gone. My eggcrate is cut to fit around the hood so it sits on the little ledge inside of tanks, and he appears to have jumped out the front where there are no openings for powerhead wires, overflow box, etc.

Anything I could have done different? I run open top and he's never jumped out before. I put the eggcrate on every night so it's nothing new to them.

Readings:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
S.G. 1.025
Phosphate 0
Calcium 420
Alkalinity 11
Magnesium 1250
Temp 79.5

Everyone else is fine: firefish, chromis, clowns, flame angel, and six line, plus all inverts are accounted for. Just bad luck?



On the bright side, I did stop at a store in Montgomery on the way home and found that they had Purple Firefish, so I picked one up (been looking for 2 months for those) but had I known the jawfish went tile floor surfing, I wouldn't have gotten one. He's eating fine though...

No one ever believes that eggcrate WILL NOT HOLD IN FISH, until they find a fish that has jumped through.

Jawfish are notorious jumpers.

 

[weaglereefer]

jmaneyapanda;263442 wrote: No one ever believes that eggcrate WILL NOT HOLD IN FISH, until they find a fish that has jumped through.

Jawfish are notorious jumpers.

I didn't say I didn't know they wouldn't jump through. The owner of my LFS recommended eggcrate as a line of defense, and since he has it on all his tanks, but doesn't sell it, why wouldn't I believe him?

I guess I'll use some Xmas money to construct a plastic mesh top...

 

[jaydm93teg]

i have always thought of gluing some screen to the piece of egg caret but i figured the screen would rust and get saltspray and stuff all over it so i have never done it

 

[jmaneyapanda]

au01st;263472 wrote: I didn't say I didn't know they wouldn't jump through. The owner of my LFS recommended eggcrate as a line of defense, and since he has it on all his tanks, but doesn't sell it, why wouldn't I believe him?

I guess I'll use some Xmas money to construct a plastic mesh top...

I am not saying in particular. There was a thread here not too long ago about this exact topic, and the common response to "dont use egg crate" is "Ive used it, and have never ahd a problem". Fish can and will fit through it. And once theyre through it, they aint getting back in. Search "mesh top" and you should see what Im talking about. But again, not pointed at you.

 

[weaglereefer]

Depending on when I get off work, I plan to stop by Home Depot and pick up the material needed for a mesh (non-metal) screen top.

Any idea how much light that blocks?

 

[stickx911]

dawgdude;263483 wrote: My jawfish jumped out of an eggcrate top that was wrapped in 3 layers of plastic mesh. The next canopy I make will not have any holes or opening except 14" above the water in the top. The fans will all have metal guards so it will be pretty much jump proof. If a fish is determined enough to jump over a foot up and out of the water through slats in the top.......well that fish had a death sentence.

eh...just the image of a fish going through the fan...

 

[jayguerreso]

Arnt firefish jumpers as well?

 

[weaglereefer]

Yup, and my Orange Firefish was the third fish in the tank after my clowns. He's never shown a hint of jumping.

 

[weaglereefer]

OK, so if I make the screen lid, and in the future I have to change the stuff coming in the top (since I'm not drilled it's got a return and the HOB overflow tube) will I have to remake the entire top?

Can I leave a 1" gap at the back to allow me to run tubes/wires over the tank? Or will the fish just jump through that gap when they find it?

 

[weaglereefer]

Well I'm currently designing a stand/canopy that I hope to install this spring. The back will be open, as in no wood, but have mesh screen (again, non metal) going the length of the opening to hopefully bounce jumpers back in. I guess for now I'll construct something that works, and worry about it later.