Non-Jumping Fish Recommendations

[FlytheWMark]

I'm looking for fish suggestions in a 20g IM Panorama, more specific, fish that are not as likely to jump.  I don't have a lid on this tank (and would rather not use one if I can get away with it) because I really enjoy the clean sleek look of the tank without it.  Clowns are out (learned the hard way as I let my wife talk me into it even as I knew better) and definitely want a swimming fish (so no golbys)

 

Suggestions?

[Clown79]

Most can or will jump.

 

I've had gobies, blennies, clowns, firefish they've all jumped at one point. Mesh lid stopped clowns, the rest made it through. 

 

All it takes is a fish to get spooked and they jump.

 

Bangaii cardinals, chromis, damsels, filefish, royal gramma, are a few that come to mind for a 20g.

[ninjamyst]

Will second the banggai cardinal.  Fish to avoid are wrasse, blenny, and goby.  Surprisingly, most bottom dwelling fish are the biggest jumpers.  

[Melfy77]

Pufferfish are jumpers...learned it the hard way 😕

[BlennyBoi]

On 8/15/2019 at 2:01 AM, ninjamyst said:

Will second the banggai cardinal.  Fish to avoid are wrasse, blenny, and goby.  Surprisingly, most bottom dwelling fish are the biggest jumpers.  

i can agree that bottom dwellers are the biggest jumpers. i lost my falco hawk and (nearly) my bicolour blenny to carpet surfing. when i first added the blenny i dripped him for an hour, netted him, put him in the tank. he swam around for twenty seconds and then sprung out of the tank. i was there with a net when it happened. the second he hit the water when i put him back, he jumped into the overflow. took half an hour to get him out.

[Aunduril]

On ‎8‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 12:01 PM, ninjamyst said:

Will second the banggai cardinal.  Fish to avoid are wrasse, blenny, and goby.  Surprisingly, most bottom dwelling fish are the biggest jumpers.  

I can second the wrasse as jumpers.  I've lost 2 to this...one which made it through a hole that I still can't believe it fit through.

[mcarroll]

There's no perfect solution, since sometimes they even find ways to defeat lids.

 

But to minimize jumping, keep stock levels low and keep cover levels in the tank high. 

 

Avoiding fish particularly known for jumping is a good idea, of course. 

 

Use a light fixture with sunrise/sunset rather than giving the fish a sharp lights on/lights off experience.  Minimize external dark/light switches caused by you in the room where the tank is too.

 

In a freshwater tank, you'd get a suggestion to use a small school of something like tiger barbs or zebra danios as "dither fish" but there are no such groups of small schooling fish in saltwater. 

 

Cardinalfish or Damselfish are about as close as you get in saltwater and they are HUGE compared to their freshwater counterparts, so not nearly as deployable....especially not in a nano sized tank.

 

A single fish might provide some dither effect, but they don't tend to move a lot when solo....so not sure how strong the effect will be.

[Tired]

Any fish will jump if startled enough. 

 

You can probably get or make a very slim lid from a sheet of acrylic that would keep your sleek look, while preventing escape. 

[BlennyBoi]

On 9/6/2019 at 8:47 AM, mcarroll said:

There's no perfect solution, since sometimes they even find ways to defeat lids.

 

 

+1 i swear to god the fish know where the 1 inch gap is between the lid and the front glass is and they invariably get through the first try. they dont even wait for you to go away. i was hit in the face by a suicidal dartfish at my lfs once.

[Tired]

I had a zebra danio (freshwater) hit me in the face during a water change once. It's much more unpleasant than you'd think, mostly out of the sheer surprise. 

 

It's definitely possible to cover a tank well enough that nothing can jump out, it'll just take some doing and probably some modifications to whatever lid you're starting with. 

[BlennyBoi]

2 minutes ago, Tired said:

I had a zebra danio (freshwater) hit me in the face during a water change once. It's much more unpleasant than you'd think, mostly out of the sheer surprise. 

 

It's definitely possible to cover a tank well enough that nothing can jump out, it'll just take some doing and probably some modifications to whatever lid you're starting with. 

very nearly happened to me with a khuli loach while trying to net him for a w/c. i was able to dodge tho

[Tired]

I mean, I'd rather have a fish hit my face than the floor! At least the danio bounced off my face and went back into the water instead of falling 4 feet onto hardwood and having to be picked up. Minimal gravity involvement is best for fish, ya know? 

[mcarroll]

12 hours ago, BlennyBoi said:

very nearly happened to me with a khuli loach while trying to net him for a w/c. i was able to dodge tho

[BlennyBoi]

17 hours ago, Tired said:

I mean, I'd rather have a fish hit my face than the floor! At least the danio bounced off my face and went back into the water instead of falling 4 feet onto hardwood and having to be picked up. Minimal gravity involvement is best for fish, ya know? 

wow, thats one lucky fish. he might wanna buy a lottery ticket after that!

[Ratvan]

On 9/14/2019 at 6:49 AM, Tired said:

I had a zebra danio (freshwater) hit me in the face during a water change once. It's much more unpleasant than you'd think, mostly out of the sheer surprise. 

 

It's definitely possible to cover a tank well enough that nothing can jump out, it'll just take some doing and probably some modifications to whatever lid you're starting with. 

I had an Tiger Oscar that used to do this on a semi regular basis. You could tell when i had done a water change by the black eye/fat lip

Since then every tank has had a lid

[DSA65PRO]

I got the Heavy Plastic Lid Clips, Put them on the Aquarium and measured for a glass lid. Had a local glass shop cut and slightly bevel the edges. It cost $30 for two pieces of 3/8" glass, to cover a 36" x 20" tank. Positioned the clips and Silicone them in place. The top isn't very noticeable due that it sits below the rimless top. I used an Aqueon hinge, and handle. A Perfecto back strip. Best thing I did. 

[FlytheWMark]

19 minutes ago, DSA65PRO said:

I got the Heavy Plastic Lid Clips, Put them on the Aquarium and measured for a glass lid. Had a local glass shop cut and slightly bevel the edges. It cost $30 for two pieces of 3/8" glass, to cover a 36" x 20" tank. Positioned the clips and Silicone them in place. The top isn't very noticeable due that it sits below the rimless top. I used an Aqueon hinge, and handle. A Perfecto back strip. Best thing I did. 

Any heat issues with glass?