Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping => General Fishkeeping Chat => Topic started by: RachelN76 on August 11, 2014, 08:38:10 PM
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But not at all the kind I'd envisaged.
We are just back from two weeks away, and it left my mum in charge of the fish, with lots of specific instructions. I was still worried though, and I did think I may well come back to all my fish being dead.
It's a new tank, so it only has 6 harlequins in it. Last I spoke to my mum, she said there were only 5. Then 6. Then 5 again. But they do zip about, so I thought she's probably not counting right.
I get home, and there are only 5. Definitely. :(
So I call my mum and ask if she's removed the dead one.
Apparently not, because she couldn't find it. So I have a search. I can't find it either. Very strange. My mum decides the others have eaten it. I think not, but it's easier to just agree. :))
Then hubby comes in, and finds a dead fish on the sideboard. :(
So I have NO idea how that happened. The lid of the tank has two small holes, but the fish is at the other side to that, so unless it got out of a hole and then walked round, that's not what happened! The only other thing I can think of is that it managed to leap out when my mum was changing the water (only about 2-3 litres with a jug) and she didn't notice.
I suppose the good news is that all the others are OK, but I'm still sad about my sixth zippy little fish (and bemused). I'll have to get another couple now to keep the 'shoal' complete.
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When they get out of a tank fish do flip flop quite vigorously and can travel quite a distance. They can also get out of the tiniest holes that you wouldn't think possible. Trying to pick up a fish that's jumped is not as easy as it sounds because they jump out of your grip, and you can't grip them too hard for fear of squashing them.
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Can they get out of those small holes in the lid?
The lid of the tank has two semi circle cut outs so you can lift it on and off. The water is about 1.5cm below that (can't go lower because there's a minimum fill line, I presume for the filter)
But if they can get out of that, should I cover it in some way? But wouldn't that affect air flow?
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Without seeing the tank it is hard to say. I once had a group of female bettas and one was a terrible jumper. All the holes in the lid were plugged with filter wool. It didn't look very pretty but as this tank was in the kitchen and not my main tank I didn't mind too much. She managed to get out even so, I found her dried up at the back of the tank.
But harlequins are not usually regarded as jumpers. As you suggested it may have got out when your mother did the water change and it got spooked.