Blue Hippo dried up on floor

sparkee61

sparkee61

Member
I cried.....I have a 120 oceanic tank with the 4 inch lip to prevent fish from jumping out of tank. Found him on the floor the other morning dead. He was about 5 inches and a really cool friend. Any ideas what I can place on top of tank to prevent jumping? I don't want to get a canopy.
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
I must be the luckiest guy when it comes to jumpers. everybody said anthias were jumpers. when I put them in the male jumped out like a rocket as soon as I put him in the tank but none of the four ever jumped again. the back of the canopy was completely open. I was told midas blennies jump. mine never did. Now I'm told all the fish I have except the ocellaris clowns are jumpers (sixline, royal gramma and LMB all supposedly all have a higher propensity for jumping. Not flasher wrasse/jawfish probability but more than most fish). So far 1.5+yrs and the only fish that sticks his head out of water (for food only) is the clown.
My moto is if they jump it wasn't meant to be. I'm not removing screens and tops everytime I dose something, move something, feeding something ect. that would get old real quick. I'm just in the tank way too much.
Oh and sorry for your loss. I had a hippo for a long time (didn't die but tank broke and had to give him up). you do get kind of miss em when their gone.
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Get some eggcrate at Home Depot or Lowes. It's in the lighting section, often called "light diffuser". You can trim it to fit your openings. Personally I stay open and take the risk, because the eggcrate does diffuse some of your light (contrary to what others might say), but it will stop the jumpers for the most part.
If you are handy, you could also construct your own little top using panty hose. Build an outer structure to fit your opening(s), then stretch/staple nylon stockings over it. Your fish will think it's sexy too...
 
kaingers

kaingers

Member
I had the same thing happen to me. I highly recommend the light diffuser to prevent jumping. $10 goes a long way keeping your $60+ fish off the floor
 
t316

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by kaingers
http:///forum/post/3220841
I had the same thing happen to me. I highly recommend the light diffuser to prevent jumping. $10 goes a long way keeping your $60+ fish off the floor
Durham, NC......Hello neighbor
 
reeferrookie

reeferrookie

Member
Eggcrate defuses more light than you think. They don't call it "light defuser" for nothing. Go get some black alum. screen frame and get 1/4in. square black or clear bird netting or mesh and make a screen top. Looks much better than eggcrate also
 
R

rcreations

Guest
If you don't have a cover on your tank, it's only a matter of time before a fish jumps out. It's inevitable. I personally use an eggcrate cover. I have a FOWLR so I'm not concerned with the light being diffused. Be careful about using metal covers because salt and metal don't mix.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
I've lost a $120 Sargassum Trigger, and a 1-in-a-1000 baby 2" Harlequin Tusk to jumping, so I know the effects painfully well
(in addition to some know jumpers as well, LMB, pearly jawfish, orange-spot gobies, sixline). I call tell you exactly why each of them jumped though. The Sargassum was from aggression from a Naso tang, the Harlequin Tusk was from an aggressive lyretail anthias and possibly a leopard wrasse. Some of the others have been when the sump's run dry and the pump shoots air.
That said, my 90gal reef is open top-ish. A big halide/VHO fixture sitting on top of it with about a 4" gap on the front/back. Though my 240gal will have a completely covered canopy. And all of my holding tanks have tops.
 
7duster3

7duster3

Member
Just to throw in a kicker, I've had my 1.5 inch royal gramma and my 3 inch purple fire goby jump out of my tank with half glass half egg crate. I was able to catch them in time but nothing is safe!!
 
R

rcreations

Guest
Yeah, I had a flame wrasse jump right through an eggcrate, twice! First time I was there and put it back in, second time I found it dead on the floor.
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
The pond screen is the way to go. That 1/4 inch mesh wont destroy your Par readings. Ive done my share of reading on this, and a screen net like the ones used for covering ponds is my prefered.
Ive lost 4 fish to jumping.
The two that really hurt were my Lawnmore blennies. They had such a rad personality. They could tell if you were making eye contact from across the room. And instantly freeze whatever they were doing, and watch you intently. So I got my self a 1/4 acrylic sheet that covers the whole tank as a temp means. I can find the right netting.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
I guess I've been lucky as I keep my tops open. I hate the looks of egg crate and screen and nor do I wish to lift it off while trying to clean either. I also agree with the if it's meant to be attitude -- but I don't have any known jumpers (even though I have a yb blue hippo).
I know I'd be upset too though if I lost a fish to jumping :(
 
stanlalee

stanlalee

Active Member
15yrs always open top or back and ZERO jumps......yet, except the lyretail male that jumped as soon as I put him in but ever again, Go figure (just my luck after boasting something will probably jump tomorrow). like I said let em jump cause it just againt happening for me.
 
casper1875

casper1875

Member
I use a glass canopy. I know most people don't like them. I wipe them down so that salt creep isn't an issue. I kept my 75 gallon covered with a hob skimmer and filter. Now my 180 is covered, but the sump and refugium are not.
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/3221016
I've lost a $120 Sargassum Trigger, and a 1-in-a-1000 baby 2" Harlequin Tusk to jumping, so I know the effects painfully well
(in attention to know jumpers LMB, pearly jawfish, orange-spot gobies, sixline). I call tell you exactly why each of them jumped though. The Sargassum was from aggression from a Naso tang, the Harlequin Tusk was from an aggressive lyretail anthias and possibly a leopard wrasse. Some of the others have been when the sump's run dry and the pump shoots air.
That said, my 90gal reef is open top-ish. A big halide/VHO fixture sitting on top of it with about a 4" gap on the front/back. Though my 240gal will have a completely covered canopy. And all of my holding tanks have tops.
Sorry you lost that little tusk. I'd love one that small. Tusks are wrasse and wrasse are jumpers. A couple years ago I had a tusk jump and heard it splat two rooms away, lucky. I use eggcrate now.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/3221247
Sorry you lost that little tusk. I'd love one that small. Tusks are wrasse and wrasse are jumpers. A couple years ago I had a tusk jump and heard it splat two rooms away, lucky. I use eggcrate now.
A pic
 
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