Jumper

[Jaded_Pulse]

Hey everyone.

I have a slight "situation" on my hands, hoping someone can help me please!

My betta Titan just jumped out of his tank/bowl, landing at least 30cm (1 foot) from it, and only about an inch from the edge of my (his) desk where he lives. I had the phone sitting on the desk, and he came over all flaring when it rang. I grabbed it, bumped the desk on my way out & didn't think anything of the slight splashing sound I heard as I left. I must have been gone for at least 5 mins before I came back & saw him just lying there on my desk!!! PANIC MODE!!!!!!

He wasn't moving (good thing he wasn't flapping around or else he might have landed on the floor), but was still wet, & when I went to scoop him up he jumped and very nearly did land on the floor. He's back in his tank now, and it only took him a minute before he started swimming around again, but his tail is a little ripped and he's still breathing a little too heavy for my liking.

He already had some aquarium salt in his water, but I added a little extra dechlorinator because it has a slime coat helper stuff and I figured a little extra dechlorinator probably wouldn't hurt. I also put in some stuff called "BettaFix", which from the smell seems to be some kind of tea tree oil mix (Melafix?) because it supposedly helps kill germs, etc..

Sooooo......is there anything else I can do to help make sure he gets through it? My last betta jumped 2 inches onto the top of his heater, seemed fine & was dead the next day, assumably from internal injuries - is there any way to minimise that kind of thing?

Thanks a million for any advice! BTW, his bowl is now covered in glad wrap except for an inch at the side for air, so he shan't be pulling that one on me again! (I'm still shaking, lol)

Thanks again.

 

[xWendyx]

Yeah, one of mine did that, only he, um....passed on to better places.

*hugs you better* it's creepy when they jump. Mine are now in tanks for that reason.

 

[black angel]

my female jumps out when she sees food coming. its so frustrating as she nearly died the last time. all you can do is try to keep the tank somewhere where it wont be knocked and keep it covered which you have done. maybe test the water to make sure that he isnt jumping because the water isnt right.. he should recover ok with what you have done

 

[Jaded_Pulse]

Thanks guys. Sorry to hear about your fishie, Wendy. Titan seems to be doing ok, but I guess if he's still ok tomorrow then I'll be able to say he's fine. His water is fine, I think he just got a fright first from the phone ringing, then me bumping the table. He's taken a liking to doing a little jump thing if I reach to the shelf above my desk or when I'm feeding him, but he'd never jumped right out before. Hopefully he'll be alright though. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Angry_Platy]

Reminds me of the time my male swordy disappeared.....doing my daily fish check....no male swordy.....looked in and around the tank.....noticed there was some water on the wall behind the tank....looked under the stand...a.round the tank...etc. No swordy. I figured he had got eaten by the cat before or after he died. Was sad. My fave fish.

Then I started feeding the fish......and there was my male swordy.....in the 10gal tank below the one he "was" in. I hadn't moved him, the BF flat out denied it (yet said "you moved it and forgot"). At the time his GF was in there after having a nipped tail (she was in there with salt).....

Facts.....there is a 2 inch gap between the tank lids and the back of the tank (for HOB filters)......there is a 10cm gap between the tank and the wall....the 10 gal sits approx 75cm below the rim of the top tank.....the 10gal tank has a 2 inch gap at the back for the filters.

Noone else lives in the house.....BF didn't move it (I trust him as he still makes fun of me thinking I imagined it)....he jumped.....now take the facts I gave you and imagine the exact trajectory he would have needed to take to jump through a 2 inch gapto bounce off the wall at th exact angle to land in the tank below through another 2 inch gap.....

I still question myself....but my fish diary tells the story....everything I do to my tanks goes in that diaary....fish behaviou r etc.......I hadn't moved him......noone else had moved him.....he had moved himself.....

 

[Jaded_Pulse]

WEIRD