open top, wall height for JUMPING fish?

deadmanh · #1 02/28/2006, 11:47 AM

i want and nice open top tank, i will want firefish, wrasses, blennies... etc...

so yes these fish will jump and i want an open top tank... go figure..
SO how high must the tank wall be above the water line?

The steven liu · #2 02/28/2006, 11:51 AM

Maybe a foot or higher.. All the fishes you are hoping to keep will definately jump, especially the firefish. The blennies or gobies can even "walk" up the wall without water. So, yeah, you might want a tight led or you should build a canopy.

deadmanh · #3 02/28/2006, 11:56 AM

foot.... wow... a 20 inch tank height ... PLUS 12 is 32 inch glass tank height....

i know i know basic math.... doesnt seem feasible does it?

ObscurityKnocks · #4 02/28/2006, 01:13 PM

A foot isn't even enough. I saw a flasher wrasse at the LFS jump about 2 feet high out of the tank. Of course I didn't have a tape measure handy so it might of been higher. I know if was definetly over a foot though.

Fishfirst · #5 02/28/2006, 01:54 PM

my firefish jumped at least 2 and a half feet in the air when he flew the coup once... luckly he landed on top of my head first then my hand then my knee, and THEN the floor, otherwise that little guy would have been a goner from head trauma.

marrone · #6 02/28/2006, 02:10 PM

Just get some egg crates and place that over th top of the tank. You'll still have the open tank but it will cut down on the amount of space that the fish will have of jumping out. HD usually sells them or some times that come is shipping packages and places just throw them out.

Project Reef · #7 02/28/2006, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The steven liu
Maybe a foot or higher.. All the fishes you are hoping to keep will definately jump, especially the firefish.

I have to disagree with this statement. IME, most firefish cannot jump high distances. Don't me wrong, firefish are notorious for jumping, however usually no more than a few inches up in the air max.

Wrasses on the other hand can leap out a few inches, with relative ease. On my open top tank I have a 4" glass wall between the surface of the water and the edge of the tank, never had an issue with jumping fish. My fish include a pair of flame hawks, peppermint hog, mystery wrasse and helfrichi firefish. The firefish are incredibly weak jumpers IME.

TheGrimmReefer · #8 02/28/2006, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Project Reef
I have to disagree with this statement. IME, most firefish cannot jump high distances. Don't me wrong, firefish are notorious for jumping, however usually no more than a few inches up in the air max.
The firefish are incredibly weak jumpers IME.

Based on my own experience, I would agree with this. My firefish jumped several times with me there to observe it and I noticed it never got very far out of the water (nowhere near a foot in the air, not even half). It got a lot more distance horizontally than vertically, which still wasn't all that much.

BTTRFLYGRL · #9 02/28/2006, 09:08 PM

I had my 125 open and I had an Iridis Wrasse and a Candy Hogfish. The Wrasse never jump [although he could very easy] I think his instinct was to head for the sand when startled or frightened, that is where he slept and took refuge....the Candy Hogfish on the other hand

Jumped out 3 times. Once I startled him while feeding, the second time one of the kids threw a ball or something near the tank and the last time I don't know what happened, I was on RC

I came down to find him stiff on the floor but his mouth was still moving..I put him in the tank, he sank...he did come to after a couple of minutes..That really scared me, he was almost dead. So I put the dreaded eggcrate on.
I had a Salon Fairy Wrasse in my 90, that fish was a basket case! I would hear him hit the glass top of the tank when he saw me coming..I have no doubt that fish would have jump out and landed across the room had the tank not had a lid. Very strong jumper!

Sorry, that was rather long

I don't know if it would work but I saw a dark silver/metallic eggcrate that would look much better than the white. I didn't know if the color would chip off and what kind of effect it would have
It is also a lot more expensive than the white and I am taking my 125 down soon. Anyway, Its an option

You probably need a nap after reading this

Psyire · #10 03/01/2006, 12:26 AM

Eggcrate won't work, Firefish jump through it.

Ninong · #11 03/01/2006, 01:38 AM

My Scott's fairy wrasses would definitely clear a 12" wall. I have eggcrate 10" above the surface except where the light fixture is and it's 11" above the surface. They hit both of those with ease regularly.

deadmanh · #12 03/01/2006, 03:55 AM

so what am i to do IF i ever get a tank like this?

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Thurge · #13 03/01/2006, 05:58 AM

Don't get fish that jump. Sorry if that sounds contrite but your choices are: a full canopy with your lights inside the canopy; egg crate; pray a lot. Even saying Don't get fish that jump isn't going to eliminate fish jerky happening, as any spooked fish may jump...

My Fairy wrasses have BOUNCED, hard, off the top of my canopy that is 12" over the water, and I have had my Solerinsis land over 6' out from the tank. I would say a minimum of 24", and probably higher still.