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Stocking for rimless tanks- how do you keep the fish inside?

How about CPDs and Rosy Loaches together, none of mine jumped and they are gorgeous together.

Great suggestion! I've wanted CPDs for quite a while, I'd been concerned that they are as likely to jump as "true" danio species....

@zozo , I agree with everything you have said. I love SeriouslyFish and use it a lot. I guess that right now I'm at a loss, and looking for very specific suggestions. For example, I was thinking of a pair of Rams for my 72l, someone on another forum smacked my hands for considering it because the footprint of the tank is only 60x30cm. It seems like every time I think of something I like, someone gives me a reason why it's a terrible idea. I need good ideas!
 
My CPDs rarely went near the water surface, pairing them with the Rosy Loaches seemed to work well. I had a lot of cover, not floating plants but well planted which by the sound of your tank, yours is well planted.
 
It seems like every time I think of something I like, someone gives me a reason why it's a terrible idea. I need good ideas!

Yeah!? That's a bit of a grey area, isn't it... With a lot of advice given in the literature and or sponsored websites it's given based on a commercial source. My personal take on it this also goes for seriously fish when it comes to advising on fish and minimal tank sizes. It's a don't bite the hand that feeds you concept.

Then what is a good idea? An idea you like to hear? For many people it is...

For the rest is a strictly personal take based upon an emotional and or philosophical aspect...

Me personally I never would put a pair of rams in a 60x30 footprint. Simply because i wouldn't like them seeing in such a cramped up perspective. That actually makes me unhappy with the idea. If the fish would be happy or not is beyond my grasp...

In this quasi a tad morbid hobby, we have to take our own responsibility for our actions in what is acceptable or not within the generally accepted morals.

It can also depend on the repliers nationality... :) For example in Germany, there is an official law in how large a tank should be in respect to the fish in it. And i once heard a well know German aquascaper in an interview. He was asked the question of "what is an ideal fish for a Nano Aquarium? He said I can't say, referring to this law I'm reluctant to answer the question, i could be held accountable if i'm wrong. If the same question is asked in my country the answer might be anything that fits!? "Who gives a flying figure?" We still put goldfishes in small bowls don't we?.. 💪
 
I've just posted shots of the tank we're discussing over here. The two others are still in the setup phase, the 72l isn't even planted yet...

@zozo , I am actually a huge fan of the German animal welfare laws (though I know they'd frown on my single 20l betta tank)... it's pretty important to me to not stock something that will be unhappy in the space and always wish to keep that in mind. My fish are not simply ornamental, they are living beings and pets. Still, I'm hoping to find a couple of centrepiece fish for the 90l. I might try Bettas again in the 72l as I can lower the water level a good bit, though my original plan was sparkling gouramis and a lid. :D
 
I am wondering if I'm not getting specific responses because my tanks are so small?

I'm wondering if I could put an Opaline Gourami in the 90 liter (again, 90x30x30, densely planted) with the acrylic lid? Or is it likely to try to escape through the tiny gaps at the edges, like the imbellis did? SeriouslyFish says the footprint is fine...
 
I have not had a problem with jumpers although I am thinking of adding hatchet fish to the next tank, which will be lidless, and they have a reputation as being jumpers.
 
original plan was sparkling gouramis

I've had a few dozens of them over the years and they are really lovely fish. I didn't experience them being jumpers. even had them reproduce spontaneously in one of my tanks. I love their croaking sound you can hear when the room is silent. Sounds a bit like tiny Magpie birds in your living room.

All though I experienced them not to live very long. The ones that lived the longest were the ones born in my tank. Maybe a year or 2, all I got as an adult were gone before that. It's keeping restocking them if you like them for the long term keeping. It's about impossible to determine at what age you buy them. In my case, I could only get them wild caught.

But never the less they are gorgeous little fish with interesting behaviour to observe. :thumbup:
 
I have not had a problem with jumpers although I am thinking of adding hatchet fish to the next tank, which will be lidless, and they have a reputation as being jumpers.

Could you be specific about what you've kept that hasn't jumped out of a rimless tank? When I asked on another forum, everyone basically said "lol, just add a lid, there is literally nothing that won't jump". I don't frequent that forum anymore.

But never the less they are gorgeous little fish with interesting behaviour to observe. :thumbup:

(Talking of sparkling gouramis) I agree- I actually had five of them in the 90l when it was first set up, but lost them all within six months. I assumed it was because the tank was pretty sparsely planted back in those days and/or that they were weak stock. Several of them jumped, which is why I added the lid to that tank, but with the 72l I can just keep the water level lower. Or maybe I will try them again in the 90l, which is the opposite of "sparse" nowadays!
 
Could you be specific about what you've kept that hasn't jumped out of a rimless tank? When I asked on another forum, everyone basically said "lol, just add a lid, there is literally nothing that won't jump". I don't frequent that forum anymore.

Discus, Angels, GBRs, Gold Rams, Cardinal, Neon, Ember, Neon Green and Gold Tetras, Endlers, Pearl and Neon Blue Gourami, etc. Not including the Corys and other catfish but did have a large Nerite snail that did crawl completely out of his tank a couple of times down to the floor.
 
Discus, Angels, GBRs, Gold Rams, Cardinal, Neon, Ember, Neon Green and Gold Tetras, Endlers, Pearl and Neon Blue Gourami, etc. Not including the Corys and other catfish but did have a large Nerite snail that did crawl completely out of his tank a couple of times down to the floor.

Thank you! I lost a few ember tetras to jumping before adding a lid to the 90l, but I want to keep the others lidless. Obviously I can't keep anything large (and I've given up on GBRs, my tanks just aren't big enough) but other tetras and dwarf gouramis are fish that I enjoy but also worry about finding on the floor.

And today I had a nerite try to jump ship and realised there's a place in the lid where the gap is a lot bigger than I thought...oddly I'm having trouble not taking it personally when things don't stay in the tank, my parameters are perfect, I'm using remineralised RO, there is no reason for things to want to look for "better homes" (though TBH the nerite is the only one of his species so he's probably just looking for a mate)...
 
I have about 20 Embers in a lidless UNS 60u that is topped off to the rim during water changes and I have not lost a single Ember. The tank is heavily planted and the fish retreat into the vegetation when alarmed.
 
I can join the club on CPDs being unlikely to jump. Have had a number for a couple of years, only one jumper.
Don't get lampeyes ;). Lovely fish, very airborne. Same for peacock gudgeons :(
Sparkling gouramis are loverly! Do they jump? I dunno, keeping a lid on mine.

But any fish can and will jump if it's startled, or 'excited', or if it's not happy with conditions. Surface dwellers are probably more prone as an escape strategy.
 
I bought 2 sheets of glass that sit on top of the tank.. One two big and heavy.

I got sick of losing fish and shrimps (Rainbows and cherries), whenever ran into the room the fish jumped out the far corner) I rescued a few.
I tried dropping the water level from about 10mm to 50mm and this helped a little but got tired of picking up dried out fish from the carpet.
I imagine you could get away with 2 - 100mm strips over either end. possibly even submerged.
 
I know that UNS makes glass lids for some of their tanks. You can always purchase clips and have a glass cutter cut a piece of glass to fit your tank as well. You can see the UNS lids at the bottom of this page. https://ultumnaturesystems.com/rimless-glass-tanks/

The UNS lids would fit (or I could have copies made- one of my aquariums is a direct copy of an UNS 90L)...but that 90L has an acrylic lid and my Betta imbellis both jumped out of a gap in the acrylic of less than 5mm. The UNS glass lids have gaps much, much bigger than that- I fail to see how they are much better (for preventing jumping in species known as escape artists) than no lid at all...
 
A Betta can jump through an opening of .19inches? Wow. I re-read your first post and you said the Bettas jump openings of 1 -2 mm, how big are these fish?

Edit and Post-Script: I would get the clips and have the glass cut so that there are no gaps. I would love to see the tank and fish.
 
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A Betta can jump through an opening of .19inches? Wow. I re-read your first post and you said the Bettas jump openings of 1 -2 mm, how big are these fish?

Edit and Post-Script: I would get the clips and have the glass cut so that there are no gaps. I would love to see the tank and fish.

Actually I found a spot where the gap is a little bigger- about 3 or 4mm. It's just wide enough for the tip of my index finger, but I can't fit my whole finger through (I'm a woman and have small hands).

There are pictures of the tank that the Betta imbellis escaped right here. The Imbellis have pretty much the same body size as a standard Betta splendens, without the flowing fins. I won't be trying any Betta species in that tank again- it's now home to some Dwarf Gouramis and has cling film over the spot where the gap is about 4mm.

However I have three other rimless tanks that I'm in the process of setting up. I don't particularly want to put lids on those. One is 10cm taller than the others and will probably have a lowered water level and emersed plants- a wild Betta could live happily in there I think, and not be able to escape.
 
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