Loaches Online Forum

I was recently treating my clowns for Ich & I think they're much much better now (no visible white specks).
Just to be sure, I'm still treating the water with meds & no carbon in the filter.
I notice that my clowns are jumping out of the water.
Is this normal? Or they're trying to get more O2?
I've increased filtration as recommended by lowering water level so water from HOB filter will hit the surface & create air bubbles.

I'm just wondering if this is normal, or my clowns are feeling funny.

i read a post a few weeks ago that someone lost their 9" loach from the fish jumping out of the tank. i would suggest trying to secure the top so they don't get out of it. i would hate to see you lose one to jumping over the edge....

doesn't sound normal to me. i have only seen mine jump this one time. but i have only been keeping clowns for a bit over 2 yrs.

today i had a few of mine slightly jump out of the water but this was when all of them were in a swimming frenzy.

you can use a sheet of eggcrate from the lighting section of home depot to keep them in the tank. Cut it to fit around your filters, etc.

I've never had my clowns come close to jumping, except when there's food to be had... I would definately secure the top. I had a weather loach jump out once, and I didn't find him immediately. He was lying on the carpet sticky with lint and cat hair, and I could have sworn it was dead, but I touched it and it wiggled! It was sticky too. I quickly put him back in the tank and he was just fine.

Though, I had another weather loach jump out, a different one, but I didn't get to him in time

It's only the clowns that are getting jumpy? Not sure what's going on... it's good you increased the filtration though. Also, I wonder if keeping the light off would help?

Did you remember to lower the temperature back to normal after raising it for the ich treatment? Warm water holds substancially less oxygen. Also, depending on the treatment used and the length of the period the tank was treated, you may have destroyed some of the beneficial bacteria and the tank may have to be cycled again. Check your ammonia/nitrite levels just incase. The only time my loaches ever wanted to jump out of the tank was when my tank was not cycled for long enough.

I did secure the top last night.
This morning, I thought that they had all stop jumping & decided to remove the top.
I went out, came back home only to find one of my loaches lying about 2 feet away from the tank
He was pretty dry & I blame myself for not putting the lid back on

That's sad.
Guess you should keep the ld on.

Did the poor little guy make it??

I'm with Vancmann. Fish that appear to be jumping more than what would be considered usual (or appear to be trying to escape from the water) normally points to a water quality problem. Do be sure to check all your water parameters.

Emma

Emma Turner wrote:I'm with Vancmann. Fish that appear to be jumping more than what would be considered usual (or appear to be trying to escape from the water) normally points to a water quality problem. Do be sure to check all your water parameters.

Emma

Will do.
Thanks.

Squishy is the only jumper out of our 10 loaches, but he obviously isn't normal in any way.

I would check your water and heater.

My oscar went from never jumping to suddenly launching at the tank top whenever he thinks there could possibly maybe be some sort of food coming his way, waters all ok, but he keeps hurting himself so I had to get a solid lid to keep him from cutting himself where the plastic meets and take half the tank water out to make it harder for him to jump. I also try to distract him and put the food in on the other side of the tank.

good luck, sorry to hear one jumped out. I lost a weather loach and a hilly that way. -hugs-

Many, many years ago I lost an Asian Arrowana to jumping. All fish can jump. I never have lost another, always keep a secure top even during maintenance when you guard is down. They might not jump, but they can.

so egg crate is the best way to secure?
how about artist canvas or
polystyrene light prism

Egg crate has an air flow advantage. Plexiglass, light diffusing material, plastic wire mesh, there are many things that will work. With small fish ALL holes, even thin tiny ones , must be covered. With larger fish you have to be concerned with the fish knocking the cover free. Sometimes it takes some ingenuity, but it is necessary, unless you like dried fish.

It was definitely water condition.
I did water changes & they're all fine now.
The water was quite warm, but they like it that way
They've been alright since the water change.