Topless Tank

[Vinni Smith]

How important is it to have a lid on a discus tank?
I have read somewhere that they will jump out.
After keeping them for a few months now, I don't see that happening, but who knows?

I have an acrylic tank with a 4" rim/trim/brace all around the top and also a 4" brace in the middle from front to back.

I notice a lot of tanks in videos on youtube with no cover at all and driftwood sticking out the top.

My tank is located in such a place that nothing will fall in accidentally.
As a matter of fact, the only thing I have trouble with are the lids we made to cover the top.
I had one fall in the tank this morning and cause a lot of havoc.

Please let me know your thoughts...

VincenZo

[peewee1]

Vinni, discus do jump. You risk losing one if you choose no top. The top not only keeps the fish in but the rodents out. Nothing more horrifying to find a mouse preforming the backstroke in your fish tank. You don't want it. Trust me. Or maybe cats. How would it look if one day you caught the family cat Felix paws deep in the discus tank. You would not be pleased. Those would be my three reasons to have a top on your tanks.

[captainandy]

I am not recommending it for anyone else but, over the years, all my tanks are rimless and have no cover.

[danotaylor]

Capt have you had any discus jump out of your uncovered rimless tank/s?
Frank just had a jumper this past week. I have read about numerous incidents since I joined SD.
I guess it's really a risk vs benefit analysis that is particular to individual choice...

[Disgirl]

While I was cleaning out a tank with livebearers in it I had the lid off. One of my cats jumped up on the table the tank is on and she jumped right in. She would have drowned if I hadn't been right there to grab her out. And Discus DO jump. A friend had one of his jump out and he stepped on it accidentally when he fed the tank. It died.

[peewee1]

Capt have you had any discus jump out of your uncovered rimless tank/s?
Frank just had a jumper this past week. I have read about numerous incidents since I joined SD.
I guess it's really a risk vs benefit analysis that is particular to individual choice...

My fish are large enough where if one jumps it will know the lid off. So I put a brick on the lid at night or if I am gone for the day. If I am in the room with the fish I take the brick off the lid. I was in the room about a year ago when one jumped and landed keer plop on the floor. I managed to scoop up the flopper before the dog, cat, and the family parakeet got to it first. For days the fish had no slime coat but eventually got it back. But why go through all of that in the first place?

[Oxboy]

Vinni, discus do jump. You risk losing one if you choose no top. The top not only keeps the fish in but the rodents out. Nothing more horrifying to find a mouse preforming the backstroke in your fish tank. You don't want it. Trust me. Or maybe cats. How would it look if one day you caught the family cat Felix paws deep in the discus tank. You would not be pleased. Those would be my three reasons to have a top on your tanks.

lmao..rodents? Do you have a prairie dog town in your living room? Who regularly has rodents running all over their fish tank?

[LizStreithorst]

My favorite breeding female, a Blue Scorpion jumped out one night and died. When I posted about it Al who knows these fish said "Oh no." He knew how important she was to me. A beautiful fish. I sill think of her death with sadness in my heart.

[peewee1]

lmao..rodents? Do you have a prairie dog town in your living room? Who regularly has rodents running all over their fish tank?

No prairie dog but because daughter Ellie Mae's mother somewhat had a tendency to indulge the irrepressible youngster there could always be one each hamster, guinea pig, parakeet, dog, cat, hedge hog, bunny, ferret, the neighbor boy...you name it. Any of which could either inadvertently or on purpose find their way into an topless tank. And like Liz I had a beautiful Blue Scorpion jump but this one was so large that he had the weight to blast through the lid on his way to the floor. I saved him, however. He's eyeballing me right now. Plotting his next escape I suspect. Unless he somehow realizes that he is the gay and decides to switch partners to the beautiful yellow AMG lady fish.

[Vinni Smith]

Vinni, discus do jump. You risk losing one if you choose no top. The top not only keeps the fish in but the rodents out. Nothing more horrifying to find a mouse preforming the backstroke in your fish tank. You don't want it. Trust me. Or maybe cats. How would it look if one day you caught the family cat Felix paws deep in the discus tank. You would not be pleased. Those would be my three reasons to have a top on your tanks.

Well, the rodent thing won't be happening here. LOL. That's really too funny.
We don't have a cat, so exnay on that one. We have great danes instead.

There is a 4-6" rim around the whole tank (as with most acrylic tanks) so I think I am going to give it a try. May be taking a chance, but we will see.
Normally fish jump out of tanks and buckets on the side. Not from the middle. Same with a outside fish pond. Not from the middle.
Koi are huge jumpers. I used to lose a few from jumping.
Then I added an overhang of rocks on the side. Brought the casualties way down after that.
Interesting thing to consider.

[two utes]

For me a glass cover on my tank is insurance and economics. Discus do spook and shoot upwards either from the side or in the center of the tank which could see them launching themselves onto the floor.
Apart from that, the glass cover captures most of the evaporating water, keeping it confined within the tank and keeps the heat in as well reducing the amount of time the heater stays on. I imagine it may also keep dust particles entering the tank to a minimum, and in some people's cases critters as well.

I'm not a big fan of large bulky hoods over tanks as they tend to get in the way for maintenance, but my two sheets of glass over the tank are not as intrusive and for me serve purpose

[fljones3]

Insurance and economics. Good summary Joe.
Definitely in agreement.


For me a glass cover on my tank is insurance and economics. Discus do spook and shoot upwards either from the side or in the center of the tank which could see them launching themselves onto the floor.
Apart from that, the glass cover captures most of the evaporating water, keeping it confined within the tank and keeps the heat in as well reducing the amount of time the heater stays on. I imagine it may also keep dust particles entering the tank to a minimum, and in some people's cases critters as well.

I'm not a big fan of large bulky hoods over tanks as they tend to get in the way for maintenance, but my two sheets of glass over the tank are not as intrusive and for me serve purpose

[peewee1]

I too have the sheet of glass with hing in middle. The light fixture lays on top so the profile is not even noticeable. I suppose that if one were to have two topless tanks set side by side that if one did jump out that it would at least have a 25% chance of landing into the other tank. I still do not like those odds.

[seanyuki]

I use egg crates from the hardware store

.128361

[peewee1]

You have inadvertently given me an idea, Francis. Egg crates. I have a confirmed pair who after they spawn the male protects the eggs so well that he chased the female away. I have moved the female to another tank but I do not like the idea of moving her back and forth after spawning. So what I am going to do is after the spawn I will set up the egg crate wall and move the female to one side leaving the male with the eggs. When the eggs hatch they can pass through the crate to get to either parent for feeding. Then when they go to baby shrimp I will separate both parents from the fry. Pair on one side with flower pot and larger fry on the other to grow out. And maybe the pair will spawn again.

[coralbandit]

My tanks are all topless.
That being said when pairs were forming and I had 10 fish in one tank 2 did jump out .
I think they jumped from the pairs behavior but there are many accounts from others that have lost fish dur to just jumping .
Another [ unsightly ] trick to curb jumping is lowering the water level .I use this with my swordtails as they too jump especially when males are aggressive and I have not lost any since .
Low water is not pretty though .
Egg crates or a DIY screen top will work .
Just for ideas I will link BRS screen top ;
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/sumps-tanks-refugiums/diy-screen-tops.html

[SGDiscus]

Discus do jump. It happened to me before. I have had a Cory and a tetra jumped as well.

[SGDiscus]

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[Bud Smith]

My tanks are all topless. I do use screen tops at night in case the discus want to jump. My tanks are in a room in my house where I can view them off and on all day. I never liked dealing with tank lids. Just my preference.

[Vinni Smith]

I'm with you Bud.
Aquarium tops have always annoyed me.

I am rethinking the statement I made when I called my tank topless.
It really is not
It is 30x36"
There are two, side by side, 14x14" square holes in the middle.
The rest is covered.
The two holes have a LED light bar over them.

I do think, however, that next time I am at the hardware store I will pick up some egg crate for night time.
I used that stuff a lot in the salt water hobby

VincenZ0

[kev1310]

Just use a mesh cover guard like you can get for marine tanks