Accidental Fish Suicide Prevention

Hey everybody!

I'm in the process of setting up my new 65 gallon rimless planted tank and was hoping to get some feedback on jumping prevention. I have a 8 inch common pleco that will be moved into the tank once its been cycled, and he has been known to swim rather quickly to the top of the tank. I now know that can be a sign of poor water quality (but thats not why im here). My mom and I both have reoccurring nightmare of fish jumping out of tanks and we are very much hoping to not turn that into a reality.

ANYWAYS, I've been researching different methods of how to prevent fish jumping out of rimless tanks (good water quality, hiding places, compatible tank mates, mesh lid, glass/acrylic cover or lip, and floater plants).

I would love to keep the tank open so I'm hoping I can just keep the water level a bit lower so he isn't able to make it over.

Any thoughts on how many inches would be a great enough distance to where he couldn't clear the edge of the tank? I'm worried that due to him being 8 inches, he could probably get some serious air.

 

Hey everybody!

I'm in the process of setting up my new 65 gallon rimless planted tank and was hoping to get some feedback on jumping prevention. I have a 8 inch common pleco that will be moved into the tank once its been cycled, and he has been known to swim rather quickly to the top of the tank. I now know that can be a sign of poor water quality (but thats not why im here). My mom and I both have reoccurring nightmare of fish jumping out of tanks and we are very much hoping to not turn that into a reality.

ANYWAYS, I've been researching different methods of how to prevent fish jumping out of rimless tanks (good water quality, hiding places, compatible tank mates, mesh lid, glass/acrylic cover or lip, and floater plants).

I would love to keep the tank open so I'm hoping I can just keep the water level a bit lower so he isn't able to make it over.

Any thoughts on how many inches would be a great enough distance to where he couldn't clear the edge of the tank? I'm worried that due to him being 8 inches, he could probably get some serious air.

Don't know how many inches you would need, but i did have a common pleco jump years ago, right through a gap. So i certainly feel the concern is valid.

 

If it’s 8” long I’d guess that it could get up more than half of that at least. You might need a bigger gap than expected

 

Don't know how many inches you would need, but i did have a common pleco jump years ago, right through a gap. So i certainly feel the concern is valid.

I can only imagine the heartbreak. I may ultimately have to go with a custom lid. Or at least start with keeping the water level down and hardcore surveillance to better assess what kind of power my pleco has.

 

A little bit of reading online and it sounds like they might be hardier than some other species for surviving out of water.

 

I can only imagine the heartbreak. I may ultimately have to go with a custom lid. Or at least start with keeping the water level down and hardcore surveillance to better assess what kind of power my pleco has.

That would certainly be a sound start to a plan

 

You can buy fiberglass screening fairly cheaply and being quite flexible use it to cover the top or the holes on the top if you have a lid with gaps. About a year ago i picked up enough to cover 49x99 area for $10.

 

Apart from good water parameters, I suggest you never leave the aquarium room dark. Keep a small night lamp on. It replicates the effect of moonlight in nature. I had a couple of fish jump out of the tank at night when I didn't leave some light on.

 

I have used these in the past. Cheap, easy to fit onto a rimless aquarium using the available clip gizmos...they have a feeding flap so no need to lift the entire thing off to feed the hooligans and being plastic, they are extremely lightweight, invisible from outside the aquarium and clear unobstructed view from above....but most importantly of all, the Houdini inclined hooligans stay put in the aquarium and not on the floor beside it.

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