Why do fish jump out of water?

[Fish Buddy]

Lost my Terkish rainbow this mornign (or last night). I found him dried up on the floor by the tank. Which brings me to the question-Why do fish jump out of the tank if they are not being bullied, there is no loud noises or any other type of stress for them to excape?? It makes me mad because he was my favourite fish.

 

[Nuttygal! :0)]

Sorry for your loss. The only reason that I've known fish to jump is for food. Well, maybe he was just playing.

 

[Y2J]

why do people have tanks with no top/roof

 

[SimonA]

Maybe there allergic to water

You should really have a tight fitting lid.

 

[Fish Buddy]

Well the tank never came with a hood and I never bothered to get one-too expensive I thought.
I think I will home make one now...
But why do they jump in the first place? It's like they don't want to live any more and just jump out. This also happened to my molly and balashark- both in the middle of the night (my brother was up playing quietly on the computer and told me about it)

 

[SimonA]

I dont think anyone knows.

 

[rdd1952]

why do people have tanks with no top/roof

It's not necessarily a tank without a top or roof. I had a betta jump out of my 5 gallon hex front tank and die 2 weeks ago. It jumped out the 1" cut out in the back of the tank where the heater unit and cord goes in. I don't have a clue how he managed to jump right there and hit the hole. I now use an empty toilet paper roll (got this advise on this same forum after I posted a thread about losing him) stuck in that hole. It fits just snuggly enough to stay in place. You just have to cut it off a bit so it doesn't show over the top of the tank.

As for why fish jump. I'm not a scientist but I think it has a lot to do with just playing and being active. It could also be like an oxygen run to the top like corys do and they just don't know exactly where the top is so they come out of the water. I have had goldfish jump out of my pond too. I'm sure they are just playing and miss the pond when they come back down.

 

[Y2J]

When i was younger there are these fishing lakes that were closed during the mating season where someone said to me they jump about alot and sometimes out on to the banks. It something to do with mating maybe? or they are just stupid?

 

[Fishy411]

Im thinking that they think there's water outside of the tank too but when they get to the top its too late to turn back

 

[dolly_daydream]

fish sometimes jump due to bad water quality,especially when people dont let there tank cycle and just plonk there fish in a day after setting there tank up then when the ammonia builds up it starts to burn the fish so they jump to get away from it

 

[fishman 1]

A top koi judge and fish vet told me after I had 3 koi jump out of my pond that "new additions" to an established pond can have a tendancy to jump out within the first 24-48 hrs due to the change in water chemestry.

Another reason can be down to the type of fish... for example polypterus, clarias and channa. These species in the wild move (walk) from pool to pool via land. Killi's jump from puddle to puddle or jump out and stick to tree trunks when threatened in the wild.

Fish also take insects from the air. If you have a pond I am sure you have seen fish do this.

Weather loaches are supposed to jump around alot when there is a change in the weather (storm brewing). I am unsure as to whether this is true or not but I have lost a couple in the past through them getting out the tank.

There are a few reasons for you all.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

food maybe, if you throw some food in a pond of koi, they jump like crazy.

 

[Kinda Fishey]

Some fish use jumping as a defense mechanism. something scares them , they jump, and escape.
Fish live mostly by instinct , they don't have concepts like, river, aquarium, Why am I flopping around on the floor. Something ,a noise, or movement, scares them and they jump.
All fish tanks should be covered .
Luck KF

 

[Fish Buddy]

Well the tank has been extablshed for months (6 at least), and the water is not chorinated (comes from something like a well)-so I don't think he was burned out of the water. So I'll go with the answer that the fish is just stupid
I think it is just silly that only one fish happened to jump, out of all the tank inhabitants-but oh well- I'm glad they didn't.
Thanks for all of your imput guys