You have come to love your aquarium and the fish in it but lately you have noticed you are having problems with jumping fish. Jumping is a natural behavior in fish. Many species of fish are known to jump in the natural habitat and placing them in an aquarium does not prevent that behavior. Jumping can prove dangerous for your fish, but may be a signal from them to you that they need something they aren’t getting.
Read up on the types of fish you have in your tank. If you have a tank full of jumpers and don’t already have a good cover for your aquarium, get one. Tank lids come in different styles, shapes and sizes. There will be one suitable for your setup. Aquarium covers prevent not only your fish from jumping out, but also dangerous things from getting in, like pets and foreign objects. Having the right tank cover can protect your fish and prevent you from dealing with the loss of your pets.
Many times, jumping fish may be escaping an uncomfortable environment. If you have an aggressive fish (or a few) they may be causing less aggressive fish to try to escape their habitat. Consider removing the culprit or the victim to protect them. You could also get a partition to separate the fish from one another.
Have you tested your water lately? Unhealthy water can cause all kinds of problems for fish. If the water does not have the proper balance it can essentially burn the skin. The rate of damage varies based upon the problem present, but leaving a fish in imbalanced water will eventually kill it. When the water becomes uncomfortable for the fish, they may try to jump out of the water to relieve the symptoms that are affecting their bodies. If you do not have a test kit for your tank, get one. They are available everywhere and can be one of the best tools you have in supporting a healthy aquarium environment. If you do not have a kit, you can take a sample of your water to your local pet store for testing. Many offer testing services free of charge to regular customers.
Jumping fish don’t have to be a problem. You don’t have to watch your pets suffer and you can fix the issue.
