Fishes are wonderful pets who will not scratch the wallpaper and do not flip their favorite flower. Silent fish will constantly swim in the aquarium in circles, without making noise or raising dust. Only one insidious minus lies in this quiet lifestyle - it is unlikely that a fish can give a sign if something in life ceases to suit her. One morning, you may find that your favorite fish is lying on the floor near the aquarium. Of course, any aquarist will be taken aback by this situation, and therefore today we will analyze all the reasons why the fish jump out of the aquarium and give recommendations on how to avoid this.
Anyone who has been fishing, noticed how the fish splashes calmly 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 this 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 fish-jumpers - for whatever reason, its roots lie in the stress that the fish is experiencing. Let's start. Consider the main causes of this phenomenon.
Aggression by neighbors
How to understand that jumping out of the aquarium was preceded by aggressive behavior of neighbors in relation to it? First of all, carefully examine 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, a certain territory is characteristic for the extraction of food and spawning. The spawning area is intended for throwing eggs, or (for species taking care of the offspring) it can be an area allocated specifically for the growth of fry, where under no circumstances can any other fish swim. Such behavior only from the outside looks like aggression, in fact, the fish defends its territory.
The owner of the aquarium can also make a mistake by acquiring a new individual of a "territorial" type, and by throwing it into the aquarium, where all the space is already divided between the fish of its kind. It would be a mistake to assume that she would be welcome, as she would make a pair of one of the fish already in the aquarium. The guest should be immediately ready for spawning, and give the other fish certain signals, which in reality can not happen. After transportation and placement in an unfamiliar environment, the fish experiences extreme stress and it needs time to get comfortable. Therefore, she will become a victim of attacks from neighbors of her own species.
Always check to see if the fish species you want to hook into the aquarium can get along. Read the information on the species contained in the aquarium, and understand if this problem can affect you.
Chlorine poisoning
Another reason why aquarium fish jump out of the aquarium may be due to chlorine poisoning. Chlorinated water is designed to protect people from impurities in the water. But what is good for humans is harmful to fish. Indeed, the concentration of chlorine in tap water reaches 3 mg per liter. The lethal concentration for fish is less than 3,000 times. What can we say about the consequences for your pets after placing them in non-settled 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 arousal will provoke the fish to randomly move around the aquarium. Later, the excitation will be replaced by a stage of inhibition, the fish will cease to respond to any external stimuli. From the outside you will feel that all the inhabitants of your aquarium were constrained by weakness. This stage is the reason for taking emergency measures to save your pets, if you hesitate, they will soon be killed.
If you don’t have settled tap water on hand, you can let the water pass through powerful filters containing activated carbon; you can temporarily place all the fish in such water until you have prepared comfortable conditions in their main aquarium.
Desire to migrate
Clari catfish (Clariidae), labyrinth (Anabantidae) and snakehead fish (Channidae) have a rare feature - they can breathe air with a person. In nature, they need this in order to leave the drying up pond and go in search of another pond nearby. All you can do to stop the fish from realizing their suddenly awakened 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 why the fish jump out of the aquarium can also serve as non-compliance with the main indicators of the content of 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, water can be heated to too high temperatures, which negatively affects all the inhabitants of the aquarium. 36 ° C is a fatal temperature level for most species of aquarium fish, however, 32 ° C will not pass for your pets without consequences. 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 sunlight, do not install it near a heating radiator, do not place powerful lamps on it to illuminate the aquarium, and do not seal the aquarium with a tight sealed lid, all these factors contribute to temperature increase.
The pH balance of water is no less important for fish than temperature. For most tropical fish species, the optimum pH level is from 4 to 7, algae that emit carbon dioxide at night can be the enemies of this level. This may answer the question why the fish jump out of the aquarium at night. Orthophosphoric acid or peat broth will help to adjust the acidity level, but be careful, do not overdo it with dosages, carefully follow the instructions.
Aquarium overpopulation
Why do fish jump out of the aquarium if it is crowded? Let's figure it out. Overpopulation 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 from the total volume of the aquarium the volume of gravel and other design elements, for example, in a 120-liter aquarium, on average 20 liters of usable space are spent on 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 - these are the main emotions that a fish can experience, being in uncomfortable conditions. The reasons can be caused by the factors already described above, such as aggression of neighbors, or the sharing of a new fish. But do not exclude the factor that one of your relatives or other pets regularly scares fish. This may also be the reason why the 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 enough attention to the choice that is right for you. The main parameter that is important to comply with, be sure to purchase the compressor that matches the displacement 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 water depths.
Why do cockerel fish jump out of the aquarium
The cockerel fish is outlandish, beautiful, and aquarists often start it. Fish often try to leave the aquarium. Let's talk about the factors that are inherent for this particular species. First of all, it should be noted that the cockerel is a very active fish, and it needs a lot of free space. She loves to plow the space of the aquarium at high speed, and for this she may not have enough space for this, therefore the first reason is connected only with the desire to release the accumulated energy. And the second reason why the cockerel fish jumps out of the aquarium can be a disease caused by damage to the body by parasites, in which case the fish tries to cope with discomfort, accelerating and jumping as high as possible. Other reasons may be related to other species of fish.
Fish are amazing creatures that can delight you with their beauty for many years. Please pay due attention to them, and remember, only the aquarium is beautiful where healthy conditions are created for its inhabitants.