do discus jump?

[rerdragon1977]

im tring to decide on an open top or enclosed aquarium. My deciding factor will be according to your experiences. Are discuss prone to jumping out of tanks?

[dishpanhands]

yes they can jump. Best to have a top on them.

[YSS]

About a year ago, I have found one of my favorite discus on the floor all dried up. I was very surprised he wasn't completely dead when I found him. I put him back in the tank in a breeding net, but he ended up dying next day. This was a tank with the top.

[White Worm]

yep

[aquagal]

you must have a top! I lost one also because he jumped out...it was very sad.

[Peachtree Discus]

guppies can jump, so discus - no question. if you want proof just leave the top off ....and it is just a matter of time before you find out for yourself. not trying to be rude, but there is no question - you WILL find out that they do jump. find the best fish in the tank :gorgeous: - that will be the one that you find dried up. -> :fried:

put a top on your tank, and make sure you cover any places they can get thru

[ShinShin]

Here's what I have found out over the years - only my favorites seemed to be able to jump. All the others apparenty can't because it was only my favorites that I found on the floor dead.

Mat

[MostlyDiscus]

They jump... WB Aquagal

[Porkchop]

I panic when I leave the front lids up after feeding. If 10 minutes later I remember that I left it open, I'll literally run to the tank. I haven't loss one that way yet but don't plan on it either...

Anthony

[YSS]

I forgot about this incident. One day I was near the tank doing something. I hear a fish flapping around, I look around, and find a discus flapping around on top of the glass cover of my 265G. The covers were closed. Lucky he didn't fall off the top, or else it would have been almost a 6' fall, and he wouldn't have made it. I quickly put him back in the tank, and he was fine.

[William Palumbo]

Only your best looking ones, or breeders...Bill

[rerdragon1977]

looks like there is no debate here. ill cube them in thanks unless i have all ugly discus than aparently im safe :)

[Eddie]

looks like there is no debate here. ill cube them in thanks unless i have all ugly discus than aparently im safe :)

LOL, that was pretty good. Yeah, there really isn't any stories of people least favorite jumping. Almost as if the most gorgeous was doing it out of spite. No lid huh......I will show you!


Eddie

[DiscussDiscus]

Yea,

I've been coverless for on 6 months now with no jumpers, but I know its coming, so I've purchased glass tops.

Safety of fish aside, it'll help cut down on evaporation which is really being annoying for me :)

Regards,
Lee

[mmorris]

I'd be worried about heat loss from an open-top tank as well as jumping.

[grandrapids9]

Yes, thats what they are, I lost two of mine, I now keep water lower, also I found out if you have a smaller tank, they are more likely to jump when spooked. Mine are now in a 90 gal and keeping it about 3 inches less than the rim, next I will be adding some plexiglass near back & side edges.

One of them jumped right in front of me and landed on a towel, put him back in and a week later he jumped again, found him again and put him back in, the third time I was not around, then a week later another did the tight spin and zoomed out of tank, found him in the morning.

Since I put them in the much later tank (these were a group five 2 1/2 in., now three inches plus), they are very happy, basically give them lots of room. I also suspect that they did not like my two Chinese algae eaters, now I have 3 Panda Cory's in the larger tank and no algae eaters.

[Harriett]

Here's what I have found out over the years - only my favorites seemed to be able to jump. All the others apparenty can't because it was only my favorites that I found on the floor dead.

Mat

Gee, Larry, me too! Same problem! I did have one funny one pull through though: as I walked into the fish room and heard one of those thump-splash sounds we don't like--I could tell which tank [which had a 2" opening along the back uncovered] and went to it and started counting. Yup, one discus short. This tank is right in front of a radiator so it would be impossible to get to a discus who jumped into or behind there and I got frantic....but I couldn't see or hear anything to direct me where he had fallen/sailed to. Recounted. Short a discus. Looked again, no sign of him on the floor or slapping around between the radiator ribs. Still short a discus in the tank. Seconds were ticking by. Where the hell was my prized discus!!!!!???? I went to the side of the tank and happened to look straight along the top back and there, BALANCED ON THE RIM OF THE TANK, was my discus--breathing, just laying there...I slowly reached over and tipped him and back into the tank he went. Funniest thing I've seen at my house yet. No worse the wear when he got back into the water--
Best regards
Harriett

[stevey87]

Also no lid means water evaporates and over time you'll need to redo your walls and ceiling because of molds n such I think.

[Tavio]

Lol, I have found they do. One night while when I was almost into a deep sleep I heard a splash and boy did I jump into a panic. I looked and looked around the tank and saw nothing so I took a head count and they where all in. Every now and then I hear that splash and get a little freaked out(I have glass top so I dont worry as much).

[FLGirl1977]

lol... thought this would be an appropriate response to this thread....

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=68542

[Graham]

Kind of says it all , doesn't it.....FLG:)

[davejep]

lol... thought this would be an appropriate response to this thread....

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=68542

If you haven't you just have to check that thread out!!!!

[MostlyDiscus]

I think it would make a great av for noob. The turq looks nice. I like the depth of turqoise on him

[rwong2k]

Yeah i've had a dried up discus on the floor once =( terrible, I was in shock
after that incident I've kept some type of lid on my discus tank

with all that said on my new planted discus tank, it's open top,

when will i learn ...

[cyberhog05]

I have a hood I built on my tank. But the back is open. I guess I will be putting mesh on the back so my lights can still breath! I hope I dont get a jumper, There is a 1/2"x9"support across the top of my tank! That will kill one of them if they hit that at flight speed