Red Eye Tetras Jumped Out

I lost 3 out of 9 Red Eye Tetra a couple of weeks ago (within a few days of purchase). They jumped clean out of my 50g.

Each had jumped at night when I was sleeping and found dead on the floor the following day.

I quickly fashioned an overnight cover for my open top tank out of plastic mesh fencing.

Since then I've brought the Red Eye Tetra population up to 16 and covered the tank every night. Haven't lost one since.

I thought all was well then at 11am this morning my alpha Pearl Gourami jumped.

My wife was in the living room and quickly put him back in the tank, but it a 4.5 ft drop onto a hard tiled floor.

He hid himself under some driftwood in a mass of plants and didn't move.

A little after 8pm this evening (9 hours after jumping) he still hadn't moved. Not sure if he was alive I put a hand in the tank and gave him a gentle nudge.

He swam off instantly, but came to rest at an odd angle, on the filter Intake sponge, a few seconds later.




He was there for a couple of minutes, then the other male Pearl Gourami (the submissive one that the alpha has been bullying for the last month) came over and seemed to run him off.

He came to rest flat on his side on the substrate at the back of the tank.

Stayed there for another couple of hours.

Again thinking him likely dead I netted him about 2 hours ago. He has no marks on him, and is a good color, but he could hardly right himself in the net.

Seeing him still to be alive I dropped him gently onto a bed of Egeria Densa where he has been for the last 2 hours.

He hasn't moved at all, but he is still breathing.

I suspect he is not going to recover, but I'll give him a chance and see if he is still alive in the morning.

I can't think of anything else I can do for him?

 

Give him more time. Put a dose of stress coat in the tank.
Gouramis, bettas and other fish jump out of water in nature to 1. Grab the errant winged bug 2. To escape predators and 3. (In the case of fish trapped in puddles or closed water systems) to escape intolerable water conditions. What are your water parameters, temperature? I always check those things first when my fishes behavior/energy level changes. Then I make sure there are no 'other fish' aggression or bullying issues.
If I were you, I'd put a permanent cover on the tank. Worse thing that can happen then is mild concussion....

 

You need a hood for your tank fast!! It is a good idea, even if you don’t have fish that jump!! And usually, the hoods have lights. As far as the Pearl Gourami goes, I can’t help you there.

Give him more time. Put a dose of stress coat in the tank.
Gouramis, bettas and other fish jump out of water in nature to 1. Grab the errant winged bug 2. To escape predators and 3. (In the case of fish trapped in puddles or closed water systems) to escape intolerable water conditions. What are your water parameters, temperature? I always check those things first when my fishes behavior/energy level changes. Then I make sure there are no 'other fish' aggression or bullying issues.
If I were you, I'd put a permanent cover on the tank. Worse thing that can happen then is mild concussion....

I agree, my DG sometimes tries to jump out of my tank, but I have a lid.

 

I've seen fish recover from some very unlikely situations. The best thing to do right now is to just completely leave him alone, and maybe add some stress coat like another person suggested. Are there lots of hiding places in the tank? The jumping is the fish trying to run like someone else mentioned. Can we get a pic of your full setup?

 

Give him more time. Put a dose of stress coat in the tank.
Gouramis, bettas and other fish jump out of water in nature to 1. Grab the errant winged bug 2. To escape predators and 3. (In the case of fish trapped in puddles or closed water systems) to escape intolerable water conditions. What are your water parameters, temperature? I always check those things first when my fishes behavior/energy level changes. Then I make sure there are no 'other fish' aggression or bullying issues.
If I were you, I'd put a permanent cover on the tank. Worse thing that can happen then is mild concussion....

Thanks Momgoose56
I checked water quality a couple of hours ago.

Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 10, KH 3, GH 6.

All normal. The tank is at 28c, again no change.
I've been removing the plastic netting during the day as it sits on my lights and I have some concern it may melt with the lights on.
This will force my hand to test if it can cope with the heat. Probably can. I just didn't want to chance it.
If not I will look for another perminant solution.

Open tops seem all the rage. My local fish shops don't sell tanks with lids. Being a novice I didn't understand just how likely fish are to jump.
I'm learning the hard way.
Hope he pulls through, but he doesn't look good.

I've seen fish recover from some very unlikely situations. The best thing to do right now is to just completely leave him alone, and maybe add some stress coat like another person suggested. Are there lots of hiding places in the tank? The jumping is the fish trying to run like someone else mentioned. Can we get a pic of your full setup?

He's by far the biggest fish in the tank and the absolute boss.
The only other fish anywhere near his size if the second male Pearl Gourami who is completely submissive to him.
The tanks heavily planted with some driftwood and a few artificial caves.

 

I personally dislike open top aquariums. As seen here it creates an issue with jumping fish and I also hate how much faster the water evaporates. It feels like I lose at least a gallon of a water a day without a lid. I suppose this keeps the water cleaner as you’re constantly adding fresh water, but I still dislike it. I personally use glass lids as they have a similar aesthetic to an open top tank minus the jumping and evaporation.

 

He's by far the biggest fish in the tank and the absolute boss.

The only other fish anywhere near his size if the second male Pearl Gourami who is completely submissive to him.

The tanks heavily planted with some driftwood and a few artificial caves.

View attachment 536041

The smaller fish could still spook him enough to make him jump. Any fish can get startled. The top half of the tank looks pretty open and empty. Would maybe adding some floating plants be something you might be interested in?
That would help their comfort level while near the surface.

 

The smaller fish could still spook him enough to make him jump. Any fish can get startled. The top half of the tank looks pretty open and empty. Would maybe adding some floating plants be something you might be interested in?
That would help their comfort level while near the surface.

I agree.

 

He passed in the night.

Not sure what my lid options are.

The tank doesn't have any ledges for mounting a glass lid.

My Fluval Fresh & Plant 2 lights also sit on the top.

Maybe a piece of transparent perspex cut in two pieces for either side of the lights.

 

Sorry to hear that you could like cut plexiglas and put it on top of your tank? I don’t know.

 

Sorry to hear that you could like cut plexiglas and put it on top of your tank? I don’t know.

Yeh, I've made a temporary solution. I've been using plastic mesh fencing at night when the lights are off.

Now I've added some bamboo struts that keep it off the lights and provide general support. So I can use it 24/7.

It's a bit ugly and not 100% reliable, but it will do until I can get a plexiglass cover made up.

 

It’s good for now. They do make custom lids, but they are expensive. I don’t know what to tell you!! I’m sorry.

 

It’s good for now. They do make custom lids, but they are expensive. I don’t know what to tell you!! I’m sorry.

It's a shame, he really was a splendid looking fish.

The important thing is to make sure I don't lose any more.