zozo
Member
I like to get in a bit more into this question, because i also notice when i google it, there is not very much to find about other then forum topics where people share their experiences and fish databases warning and stating you need a tight closed lid when keeping this fish. The only thing you read is "Oh they jump!? And that's it.. And another says "Mine never did!!". ????
But there are actualy some basic factors in how to identify fish which are most likely to jump if triggered to do so.
The first thing you should look at at is the position of their mouth, than you'll see fish are devided in several anatomical variaties. This tells you a great deal on what and where the fish likely is to feed on and obviously most of it's time is to find in it's natural habitat.
The 3 most obvious for us are the superior, terminal and inferior.
Lets start with:
Inferior mouth, in aqaurium seen on some cyprinids but most commonly on catfish family, loaches and anything else reciding and feeding of the bottom the most of it's time. These fish are less likely to see in the higher regions of the tank, if they do, you see them do that usualy near or on the glas. The vertical glass panel is nothing more than an extension of the bottom for fish like this. Loaches can be notorious jumpers or escape artists because of that.. Getting exited and have no other way to go than up the vertical bottom we created for them. Or others like corys and otos are far descendants from the lung fish and still have the urge to gulp for air. And out they could go. But for the rest they are relatively unlikely to jump.
Terminal mouth, these you see in f.e. (micro) predatory fish, chiclids, gouramis, barbs and tetras.. These fish you'll see everywhere in the tank, they are where ever is the food to be found. But generaly if there is no other reason for them they stay rather midrange, where they hunt for (micro) organisms or other little fish.
Superior mouth, f.e. the rasboras and danios, these are the fish which look for food at the surface region, edible things falling in the water from plantparts to insects.. These you'll see rarely in the lower regions, there isn't much to find for them down there, they would need to swim upside down to feed from the bottom. These are also the most notorious jumpers.. Most of the time when getting excited for what ever reason up is the most obviuos way for them to go, escaping down would only bring them more down the foodchain, because 9 out of 10 times that's where the threat or cause of excitement comes from.
This is what you also could observate in nature.. Sitting at a lake on a windless day when the water surface is flat like a mirror. You'll see nothing happening for hours. And all of a suddun you'll see small fish jumping over a rather large erea. If you are a fisher man, then you most likely now what to do, rig a little spinner throw it in, 95% chance there is a schoaling bunch of perches in feeding frenzy on a shool of little minnows and you'll probably catch a perch. And if they are gone again, you could rig your fly rod, most likely there are also large schools of minnows in this lake tracking around bellow the surface.
Anyway, my point is, fish if not flying fish, do not jump out because of the fun of it. There's always is a trigger for them to make them. The sp. equipped with a Superiour mouth are the ones most likely the jump the surface when a trigger occures.
These triggers can be a lot of things.. next to the obvious bad water quality irritating and over exciting them or a pinch in the but by a nasty paracite..
A few other examples are..
Almost all schoaling or schooling (still don't know the difference) also have a hierarchical social bond. Males like to battle of their differences, if a school contains to many males there are obviously to many fights going on which can trigger a jump.
Shoaling fish dwelling the lower parts have this behaivor too, them fighting can trigger the fish reciding above them to flee and jump.
Take for exmample Botia's they are quite boisterous alway in for a fight especialy when there are not enough hidding places for them, fights can go on all night long. And in the morning after you did a nice night snorring you wonder why some of your rasboras jumped out. Obviously boisterous or rather active mid range fish are not the best combination to go together with a school of danios above them..
So these are a few simple things you need to take in consideration.. Match your layout and planting with the fish and their needs and behaivor.. Provide hiding places, fish are well aware of their surroundings and use these places to flee to if they feel like. If you have fish jumping, try the find out what triggers them to jump, just taking for granted they do is actualy nothing more than a blind eye and not knowing what's going on.
All schoaling fish can jump if you give them a reason to do so.
But there are actualy some basic factors in how to identify fish which are most likely to jump if triggered to do so.
The first thing you should look at at is the position of their mouth, than you'll see fish are devided in several anatomical variaties. This tells you a great deal on what and where the fish likely is to feed on and obviously most of it's time is to find in it's natural habitat.
The 3 most obvious for us are the superior, terminal and inferior.
Lets start with:
Inferior mouth, in aqaurium seen on some cyprinids but most commonly on catfish family, loaches and anything else reciding and feeding of the bottom the most of it's time. These fish are less likely to see in the higher regions of the tank, if they do, you see them do that usualy near or on the glas. The vertical glass panel is nothing more than an extension of the bottom for fish like this. Loaches can be notorious jumpers or escape artists because of that.. Getting exited and have no other way to go than up the vertical bottom we created for them. Or others like corys and otos are far descendants from the lung fish and still have the urge to gulp for air. And out they could go. But for the rest they are relatively unlikely to jump.
Terminal mouth, these you see in f.e. (micro) predatory fish, chiclids, gouramis, barbs and tetras.. These fish you'll see everywhere in the tank, they are where ever is the food to be found. But generaly if there is no other reason for them they stay rather midrange, where they hunt for (micro) organisms or other little fish.
Superior mouth, f.e. the rasboras and danios, these are the fish which look for food at the surface region, edible things falling in the water from plantparts to insects.. These you'll see rarely in the lower regions, there isn't much to find for them down there, they would need to swim upside down to feed from the bottom. These are also the most notorious jumpers.. Most of the time when getting excited for what ever reason up is the most obviuos way for them to go, escaping down would only bring them more down the foodchain, because 9 out of 10 times that's where the threat or cause of excitement comes from.
This is what you also could observate in nature.. Sitting at a lake on a windless day when the water surface is flat like a mirror. You'll see nothing happening for hours. And all of a suddun you'll see small fish jumping over a rather large erea. If you are a fisher man, then you most likely now what to do, rig a little spinner throw it in, 95% chance there is a schoaling bunch of perches in feeding frenzy on a shool of little minnows and you'll probably catch a perch. And if they are gone again, you could rig your fly rod, most likely there are also large schools of minnows in this lake tracking around bellow the surface.
Anyway, my point is, fish if not flying fish, do not jump out because of the fun of it. There's always is a trigger for them to make them. The sp. equipped with a Superiour mouth are the ones most likely the jump the surface when a trigger occures.
These triggers can be a lot of things.. next to the obvious bad water quality irritating and over exciting them or a pinch in the but by a nasty paracite..
A few other examples are..
Almost all schoaling or schooling (still don't know the difference) also have a hierarchical social bond. Males like to battle of their differences, if a school contains to many males there are obviously to many fights going on which can trigger a jump.
Shoaling fish dwelling the lower parts have this behaivor too, them fighting can trigger the fish reciding above them to flee and jump.
Take for exmample Botia's they are quite boisterous alway in for a fight especialy when there are not enough hidding places for them, fights can go on all night long. And in the morning after you did a nice night snorring you wonder why some of your rasboras jumped out. Obviously boisterous or rather active mid range fish are not the best combination to go together with a school of danios above them..
So these are a few simple things you need to take in consideration.. Match your layout and planting with the fish and their needs and behaivor.. Provide hiding places, fish are well aware of their surroundings and use these places to flee to if they feel like. If you have fish jumping, try the find out what triggers them to jump, just taking for granted they do is actualy nothing more than a blind eye and not knowing what's going on.
All schoaling fish can jump if you give them a reason to do so.
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