The goldfish jumped out of the aquarium. Why does a fish jump out of the water? Why do fish die in an aquarium?

Health 18.06.2019
Health

There are several reasons for jumping out of fish, and jumping out of fish does not always mean an error in their content. The main reasons for jumping out are:

  • Poor aquarium water quality
  • Maintenance errors in the form of overpopulation of the aquarium or excessively bright lighting
  • A characteristic feature of a particular type of fish

Poor water quality includes everything that does not suit fish according to the conditions of their maintenance:

  • Acidity of water
  • Hardness of water
  • Water temperature
  • High concentration of nitrite, ammonia or hydrogen sulfide

For example, goldfish are cold-water, and optimum temperature water for them is 20-22 degrees Celsius. And if your aquarium is 30 degrees Celsius, then many tropical fish will feel quite fine, but goldfish can jump out. For them, the water temperature is too high.

Another example is Malawian cichlids. Hard water is an important factor in their content, but for many others aquarium fish ok, high water hardness is unacceptable, which leads to attempts by fish to jump out of the aquarium.

A high concentration of nitrite or ammonia in the aquarium forces the fish to flee. These are unacceptable conditions. An attempt to jump out in this case is akin to how a person strives to leave a heavily smoky room.

Match the conditions in your aquarium with the requirements of the fish to the conditions of detention.

It is important to populate the aquarium in such a way that the conditions are suitable for all the fish at once. You should not settle cold-water fish with tropical ones, and fish that prefer hard water to fish that prefer soft water.

Water parameters and its quality are checked with special drop tests or test strips, which are sold in aquashops. The drip test is much more accurate, but also more expensive.

Why is the fish trying to jump out

The reason for the jumping of the fish can be any stress factor:

  • Strong lighting of the aquarium, in addition, does not turn off at night
  • Sharp sound or impact on the aquarium
  • Maintenance of the aquarium with a scraper or siphon
  • Aquarium overpopulation

Overpopulation of the aquarium provokes constant skirmishes between the fish, which is further exacerbated by the joint keeping with territorial fish like angelfish, who seek to win back their own personal corner of the aquarium.

Constant aggression from the neighbors and the general overpopulation of the aquarium provokes jumping out of the aquarium.

A sharp sound or knock on the aquarium scares the fish. Frightened, the fish begin to frantically rush around the aquarium, accelerating and jumping out above the surface of the water.

But, jumping out of fish does not always mean the presence of a stress factor in the content. Fish jump out of the aquarium, prey on insects flying over the aquarium, or just play. I have personally observed how swordtails caught mosquitoes flying over the aquarium.

What kind of fish can jump out

By and large, any aquarium fish can jump out. Most often, large or fast fish jump out:

  • Goldfish
  • Petushki
  • swordsmen
  • Danio

Large fish overcome the side of the aquarium due to their size. Fast fish fly over the side of the aquarium due to high speed movement.

Preventing fish from jumping out of an aquarium is easy using several effective methods.

  • Cover the aquarium with a lid. The lid will prevent jumping out, but the fish can be seriously injured if it hits the lid.
  • Do not add water 8-10 cm to the edge of the aquarium. This is sufficient height to prevent the vast majority of aquarium fish from jumping out.
  • Keep your aquarium well maintained and your fish won't have the biggest reason to jump out in the form of a dirty tank.

Obviously, another aquarium problem lies in the improper maintenance of the aquarium, and is eliminated by correcting the conditions of maintenance.

Fish are wonderful pets that won't scratch the wallpaper or turn over your favorite flower. Silent fish will constantly swim in circles in the aquarium without making noise or raising dust. Only one insidious minus lies in this quiet lifestyle - it is unlikely that the fish will be able to give a sign if something in life ceases to suit it. One morning you may find that your favorite fish is lying on the floor near the aquarium. Of course, this situation will take any aquarist by surprise, and therefore today we will analyze all the reasons why fish jump out of the aquarium and give recommendations on how to avoid this.

Anyone who has been fishing has noticed how the fish splashes serenely in the cool river water, periodically jumping out of it, because of this, the owner of the fish may get the impression that there is nothing abnormal in such behavior. Of course, there are some species of fish for which such behavior is considered normal and has nothing to do with the conditions of detention. However, we hasten to warn that if your pets do not belong to this separate category of jumping fish - whatever the reason, its roots lie in the stress that the fish is experiencing. Let's start. Consider the main reasons for this phenomenon.

Aggression from neighbors

How to understand that the jumping out of the fish from the aquarium was preceded by the aggressive behavior of the neighbors towards it? First of all, carefully inspect the body of the fish, as well as the bodies of all other inhabitants in the aquarium for bites and injuries. The fact is that for some species of fish it is common to allocate a certain territory for food and spawning. The spawning area is intended for spawning, or (in species that care for offspring) it may be an area allocated specifically for growing fry, where no other fish can swim under any circumstances. Such behavior only looks like aggression from the outside, but in reality the fish defends its territory.

An aquarium owner can also make the mistake of acquiring a new "territorial" species and throwing it into an aquarium where all the space is already divided among its species. It would be a mistake to assume that she will be welcome, as she will pair one of the fish already kept in the aquarium. The guest should be immediately ready for spawning, and give certain signals to other fish, which in reality cannot happen. After being transported and placed in an unfamiliar environment, the fish is under extreme stress and needs time to get used to it. Therefore, she will become a victim of attacks from neighbors of her own kind.

Always check if the types of fish you want to add to the aquarium can get along. Read the information about the species contained in the aquarium and understand if this problem can affect you.

Chlorine poisoning

Another reason why aquarium fish jumping out of the aquarium, may be chlorine poisoning. Chlorinated water is designed to protect a person from impurities contained in the water. But what is good for humans is bad for fish. Indeed, in tap water, the concentration of chlorine reaches 3 mg per liter. The lethal concentration for fish is 3000 times less. What to say about the consequences for your pets after placing them in unsettled water.

The first signs of chlorine poisoning will be the formation of mucus in the gills. The fish will begin to breathe heavily and try to jump out of the aquarium water. Nervous excitement will provoke the fish to move randomly around the aquarium. Later, the excitation will be replaced by the stage of inhibition, the fish will stop responding to any external stimuli. From the outside, it will seem to you that all the inhabitants of your aquarium were bound by weakness. This stage is the reason for taking emergency measures to save your pets, if you delay, they will all die soon.

If you do not have settled tap water at hand, you can pass the water through powerful filters containing activated carbon, you can temporarily place all the fish in such water until you prepare comfortable conditions in their main aquarium.

Desire to migrate

Clariid catfish (Clariidae), labyrinth catfish (Anabantidae) and snakehead fish (Channidae) have a rare feature - they can breathe the same air as a person. In nature, they need this in order to leave a drying up body of water and go in search of another body of water nearby. All you can do to prevent the fish from realizing their sudden awakening instinct is to get a heavy lid that they cannot move with their powerful body.

Uncomfortable living conditions: high temperature, water pH, low oxygen content.

The answer to the question of why fish jump out of the aquarium can also be a failure to comply with the basic indicators of keeping your pets. Fish are very sensitive to their environment, so taking care of them requires creating and maintaining conditions that are optimal for their comfortable life. Often, aquariums are kept in a city apartment and are not equipped with a device that maintains the required water temperature. In the summer season, the water can heat up to too high temperatures, which negatively affects all the inhabitants of the aquarium. 36°C is a lethal temperature for most types of aquarium fish, but 32°C will not pass without consequences for your pets. Well-fed individuals will suffer the most. The fact is that in warm water the oxygen content decreases, and well-fed fish need it the most.

High temperature also affects the intensity of exposure to impurities contained in water. Protect the aquarium from direct sun rays, do not install it near a radiator, do not place powerful lamps on it to illuminate the aquarium, and do not seal the aquarium with a tight airtight lid, all of these factors contribute to an increase in temperature.

The pH balance of water is just as important for fish as temperature. For most tropical fish species, a pH level of 4 to 7 is optimal, the enemies of this level can be algae, which release carbon dioxide at night. This may serve as an answer to the question why fish jump out of the aquarium at night. Orthophosphoric acid or peat decoction will help adjust the acidity level, but be careful not to overdo it with dosages, carefully follow the instructions.

Aquarium overcrowding

Why do fish jump out of an aquarium if it is overcrowded? Let's figure it out. Overcrowding is fraught with fish poisoning with their own waste products. When populating an aquarium, be guided by the following principles: a small fish takes 1.5-4 liters of water, a large one from 9 liters. Do not forget to subtract the amount of gravel and other design elements from the total volume of the aquarium, for example, in a 120-liter aquarium, an average of 20 liters of usable space is used for various landscape elements. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate the number of fish not from 120 liters, but from 100. This simple principle will help to avoid unpleasant consequences in the form of poisoning and the need to change the water in the aquarium daily.

fright

Fear, stress, excitement are the main emotions that a fish can experience when in uncomfortable conditions. The reasons can be caused by the factors already described above, such as the aggression of neighbors, or the introduction of a new fish. But you should not exclude the fact that one of your relatives or other pets regularly scares the fish. This may also be the reason why fish jump out of the aquarium.

Pay attention to the compressor

The compressor is the heart of the aquarium. It supplies the fish with oxygen, but it can also create problems if you do not pay due attention to the choice that is right for you. The main parameter that is important to observe is to purchase the compressor that matches the volume of your aquarium. Otherwise, you risk creating a lack or excess of oxygen. Neither one nor the other is useful to the silent inhabitants of the aquatic depths.

Why do betta fish jump out of the aquarium

Fish are amazing creatures that can delight you with their beauty for many years. Please pay due attention to them, and remember that only the aquarium where they are created is beautiful. healthy conditions its inhabitants.

Poisoning of fish in aquariums with chlorine is very easy to avoid, since it is quite enough to defend the water before adding it to the domestic pond. However, this problem still arises for inexperienced aquarists who are just beginning to comprehend all the intricacies of keeping fish at home.

As you know, chlorine is a potent poison. For this reason, it is extremely dangerous in aquarium water, even at low concentrations. Chlorine can easily cause the death of all living things in a home pond, which makes owners very careful about the quality of the water poured into the aquarium.

The problem is that chlorine is a common disinfectant for tap water, where it is added at a concentration of about 3 milligrams per liter. For an aquarium, this is extremely high, since for fish a lethal dose is 3000 times less.

The clinical picture of chlorine poisoning in aquarium fish develops rapidly and almost immediately, as soon as chlorinated water enters the home pond. Chlorine affected fish begin to breathe heavily and try to jump out of the aquarium water. Aggressive environment stimulates the abundant separation of mucus, which on early stages intoxication is clearly visible in the gills, which visually appear lighter than usual. After some time, the whole body of the fish is under a layer of mucus.

The nervous system of fish poisoned by chlorine becomes very excited, which is why they move randomly throughout the aquarium. Later, however, the behavior changes dramatically as the excitation passes into the inhibition stage. Being in a state of chlorine intoxication, fish become apathetic, lethargic, practically do not react to external stimuli. The observer gets the impression that weakness has suddenly come over the inhabitants of the aquarium. At this stage, urgent measures are required to eliminate chlorine poisoning, otherwise aquarium fish will die soon.

It is easy to start treating fish in a timely manner even for a novice aquarist who does not have the proper experience, since the symptoms of chlorine poisoning are pronounced. The treatment itself should begin with the transfer of all fish to a quarantine aquarium, which should be filled with settled water. Such capacity is necessary in any aquarium economy. However, if settled water is not available, then powerful filters containing activated carbon as an adsorbent can come to the rescue.

The success of the treatment of chlorine intoxication in fish is largely determined by time. Since the inhabitants of the aquarium die quickly from chlorine poisoning, even a banal search for settled water can be fatal. Therefore, in order not to resort to emergency methods, it is easier to take necessary measures to prevent chlorine poisoning. Moreover, this poisonous element is quite easily removed from the water by simple settling. As practice shows, for ordinary tap water, exposure for 3 days is sufficient for the chlorine concentration to decrease to a safe value. However, in spring time for safety reasons, a larger amount of disinfectant is added to the water, so it would be better to slightly increase the settling time interval.

There are times when the aquarist cannot wait several days for the water to settle. This is where chlorine removal methods can come in handy. The easiest way is to buy a drug specially designed for this at a pet store, which will almost instantly reduce the concentration of a toxic substance in tap water to a minimum. However, this method is associated with serious financial costs, for this reason it is hardly advisable to use it often.

Much cheaper, but more labor intensive, will heat water up to 70 degrees Celsius. In this case, as soon as the water cools, it will be suitable for pouring into the aquarium.

This article will be useful to aquarists looking for information on the following queries:

Why do fish jump out of the aquarium

Why do betta fish jump out of the aquarium

Why do aquarium fish jump out of the aquarium

Aquarium fish jumping out of the aquarium

The fish jumped out of the aquarium what to do

Fish jumping out of aquarium

I think it's not a secret for anyone that water, whether sea or fresh, is the native habitat for certain species of fish. But it also happens that the fish from our aquarium are trying very hard to leave their “home”. And if such a situation could be the norm for a number of catfish and snakeheads that can breathe atmospheric air, then for the rest such behavior is nonsense. How to protect your fish from such a situation and what to do if the jump did occur?

Some fish in nature can migrate at the time of spawning from one reservoir to another, while others jump at the moment of danger, there are also fish that prey on flying insects and, when they see a fly over an aquarium, they may not think for a long time.

Stressing and jumping out of the aquarium, the fish can also escape from a predator or from a larger neighbor, especially if these species is coming fierce fight for territory. Also, fish of the carp family, such as danios, jump out of the aquarium very often, and sometimes it seems that they are doing it just for fun :)
I have already told about starving insect lovers, there are also fish of the Afiosimeon family that lay eggs outside the water ...

In addition to instincts, atypical behavior and jumping may be due to poor water quality or a reaction to water poisoning. If you notice that a calm fish begins to rush about in an attempt to jump out, then you should pay attention to the condition of your aquarium.

If you did not buy fish spontaneously and already know what to expect from them, then you should take maximum measures for the safety of your pets. Most often, aquarists use a lid that should fit snugly enough on your aquarium, without cracks and large gaps. I remember it was the case when I did not install the lid in the aquarium quite smoothly and I got a gap of half a centimeter, which I think is nonsense. I just turned off the light, went to bed and heard a meaningful DLAP ... blunder blunder blunder ... I jumped up, turn on the light and see that an elephant fish is frantically jumping near the aquarium, slightly breaking its proboscis when falling from a height of about one and a half meters. A minute later he returned the fugitive to the aquarium and went to sleep with a clear conscience. He was lucky that I immediately heard and saved his wet skin, otherwise I would have had a ram 6 cm in size and cost about 100 UAH in the morning :)
If you keep large and powerful fish in the aquarium, then it is probably worth putting extra weight on the lid or using a thick coverslip, as fragile lamps can be broken by fish in a jump.
Of course, there is an opinion among aquarists that floating plants can prevent the fish from jumping out and, in addition, they perform a series useful features, creating a shelter for the fry and giving it some protection from outside world. But on the other hand, all floating vegetation creates a "shadow" and blocks the access of light, which is so necessary for other plants.

If you have an open type aquarium, you can use a coverslip or a neatly stretched thin net. This, of course, is not entirely comfortable, but you will be calm for your restless aquarium inhabitants.

At the time of cleaning the aquarium, it is worth being careful and not making sudden gestures. In fright, even the disk fluttered out of the aquarium once, and all the other times the fish just washes me :) Now, before wielding a scraper or net there, I initially drain about 20% of the water to avoid “escape”, and then I do my usual , black business :D

What to do if the fish nevertheless jumped out of the aquarium.
1. If the fish stayed in the air, well, that is, a carpet or parquet, not for long. It is worth taking it very carefully with a net so as not to damage the fins and organs and rinse it in aquarium water, thereby washing away dirt and dust. It's a good idea to dip the fish in a methylene blue solution, this will help relieve stress and prevent the development of superficial diseases. After this, the fugitive can be returned to the general aquarium. Just don’t shout “wow-wow-wow” at the time of the whole procedure for the whole apartment or under your breath and make a stern look on your face so that everyone around you understands the seriousness of the current situation: D

2. The fish has lain outside the aquarium from a couple of minutes to an hour. Attention. Miracle. But you can still try to revive the fish. This requires a quarantine aquarium with very good aeration. As for the first time, the fish should be carefully taken with a net and held for several minutes in a quarantine, right above the aeration, in order to free the gills from dust and already dried dirt. If the fish woke up, then you can open the champagne and celebrate the victory to the solemn cries of "hurrah". Although the victim will still have to spend several days in quarantine in order to finally recover from shock and suffocation.
Of course, after such a jump, the fish can have not only external damage, but also internal ones that are not noticeable. At the time of launching into a common aquarium, a weak fish can be attacked by its relatives or be infringed by other, stronger inhabitants of the aquarium. Therefore, once again I will hint at the importance of the quarantine;)
You can read about it in this thread.

In the future, when I get another aquarium, I want to start a flock of wedge-bellies. This is where you need an eye and an eye. Because they not only swim fast, but also jump far: D

Novice aquarists sometimes, upon returning home, observe such an unsightly picture: the fish have escaped from the water kingdom, lie on the floor and greedily gasp for air. And sometimes, even at home, the owners notice how the inhabitants of the fish house turn into real gymnasts and try to jump out of the aquarium. What does not suit them there? Why is this happening? Let's try to understand in detail.

When bitterness is in the blood

And it seems that the water has remained the same, the aquarium is the same, and the plants. And the fish run away ... There can be two reasons for such a problem. The first of them is a feature of the breed. There are fish that are genetically jumpy and leave the fish house simply because their parents did so. The second reason is dissatisfaction with the environment. Pisces become uncomfortable, something does not suit them. Let's take a closer look at each of these reasons.

So, the jumping ability of waterfowl is their property that the owner simply cannot change. After all we are talking about hereditary predisposition to such behavior. Waterfowl jump high and leave the water world because they act instinctively, in natural environment so did their predecessors. Practice shows that those inhabitants of the fish house who like to swim in the middle and upper layers of the water are more prone to jumping. For example, representatives of the Kopeina Arnold family jump out of there during the spawning period. They even lay their eggs on those leaves of aquarium plants that hang down into the water. If we talk about the moth fish, then it jumps, chasing its prey, that is, insects. Jumping is also characteristic of representatives of the wedge-bellied family. Jumping upwards is loved by fish from the carp-tooth family. Macropods are also very jumpy.

So, the owner, buying these or those inhabitants of his water kingdom, must find out in advance whether they are characterized by jumping ability. If so, then he can not do without a lid for the aquarium in order to prevent the escape of jumping fish. If you do not do this, then the fish that jumped out of the aquarium, in principle, can spend several hours on land, which your linoleum, rug or laminate will serve for it.

When housing is unsatisfactory

The second group of reasons is dissatisfaction with living conditions. And very often, the owners simply do not take into account that the inhabitants of the aquatic world simply do not have enough space for free movement, that is, densely populated waterfowl force them to leave their homes. Fish need the right amount of water. When they are too large, they may not have enough free space. And then jumping is a specific protest, an expression of discontent. In this case, there is only one way out: the purchase of a larger aquarium. But you can give preference to another option: change the inhabitants of the aquarium to smaller ones.

Another reason for dissatisfaction with the habitat is aquarium lighting. When the lamp power does not match the volume of the fish house, it can provoke waterfowl to jump. Or maybe the other way around: the light is too bright for them. In this case, you just need to muffle it - and the fish will calm down.

Stress is a factor that causes many problems in waterfowl, including diseases. Jumping can also be the result of fright. For example, when the owner abruptly and noisily opens the lid or puts a net into the water to catch them, the fish can really get scared. They will, of course, flee. The adrenaline rush will make them jump out. And another stress factor can be the incompatibility of certain types of fish.

If the owner does not control the condition of the water, the hygiene of the aquarium is not respected, then it becomes too difficult to live there. Sometimes generous owners pour too much food into the water, which is not eaten by fish and decomposes. It produces an unpleasant odor. unfavorable water environment also becomes in the case when there are too many algae in it. All of the above, individually or in combination, worsens the quality of water, its oxygen saturation. The fish are uncomfortable there. Water changes by a third - The best way avoid deterioration of the living conditions of waterfowl. The owner should also monitor the acidity level of the water. It may be overpriced. It is necessary to maintain optimal rigidity and acidity in the fish house. Then you won't face the problem of waterfowl escaping.

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