Jumping Clowns

[Jiddy]

The only fish ive ever lost was a blue damsel who went into my "brand new at the time" CL pump (no screen at the time) after that ive had good success with fishkeeping. All my fish are fat and happy. Well at first i paid for some LFS perc clowns, they looked great and waa-laa they disappear. No trace, no sump, no overflow, no floor, no rockwork. I figure, they must be in the rocks somewhere and never to be seen again. All the other fish do fine. So i wait 2mo's and get two more. They do great for a week, and one disappears one day, a day later, the other gone, no trace. So i go on a witch hunt, i take out my 3 evil emerald crabs and think the problem is solved. I get 2 skunk clowns, giving up on percs. They do great, they are fat and happy. Well my wife who loves clowns, gets another pair of percs for the tank, they do great and last a month. Fat and happy. Well she goes into the tankroom and sees one carpet surfing. She made it in time and he survived. Well she caught one in the sump twice, and he made it back to the main tank. Well today she didnt get a carpet surfer in time, and the mystery of the past seems answered but my new question is, how comes clowns seem to jump out of my tank? Is this a common thing? I have glass screens and a canopy, but i have to leave some part open for my tubes (i could use eggcrate)

Long story short, is this common?

Thanks
Long Winded Jiddy

 

[Scooterman]

Like the avatar!
I bet you have other fish or something that just don't get along with clowns, it may be happening at night but seems like something is spooking them.

 

[Krish]

I've never had a clown jump, but I do know clowns like to sleep where there is less flow. So if there is an area at the top of your tank where the current isn't as strong, they'll spend the night there. That's how it is in my tank. My clowns sleep all the way on one side of my tank to the top.Have they tried to jump before? (I don't know) but if they did, they''ll just hit the canopy and fall back in the tank. If you have any more clowns, try watching where they sleep at night. Mine only sleep at the top and they use to sleep down low by the rocks before adding my tunzes.

 

[WAFalconer]

How big is your tank ? The pros say you should never have more than one pair/species of clown in a tank, unless the tank is more than large enough to provide each specis a territory.

I would agree that they are likely getting chased by something.

If the top of your tank is open, head to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up some lighting diffuser (known to reefers as egg crate.) Cut it to the size of the top of your tank and lay it up there. The holes are small enough to keep the jumpiest of fish in the tank, while allowing in the same amount of light as prior to its use.

Good luck.

 

[Jiddy]

I believe eggcrate is the only true answer.

Ive watched my clowns before, and they always seem very happy, swimming back and forth on the top of the tank, playing with one another. The other fish just ignore them and go about there normal routines. In the beginning there was only a yellow tang in there, and she didnt bother them at all. Then the second pair only had a group of chromis with the YT and none bugged them. The skunks were added after the other two pairs dissapperance, and since they host in an anemone they only chase the percs when they would get close to the anem. and the tank is a 220gal, so baby percs and skunks seemed to be territorially fine with the size. Just seems very bizarre to me

 

[Scooterman]

Check this out Jiddy!
Lets in more light!
What I did instead of this is just cut strips for the front & back 2 inches wide, left the center all open.

 

[Elmo18]

Myth #2: Clownfishes are not jumpers.

Best,
Ilham

 

[jesshimom]

Well, I have had a number of clowns jump and a couple yellow damsels some time back.

 

[NaH2O]

I've had my clownfish wind up in the overflow on a few occasions. The male made its way into the sump one time . I put some eggcrate on the tank, just in case. I haven't had any issues now, since the clowns are larger. I don't keep the eggcrate on anymore...great, now I just jinxed myself . My clowns sleep right at the top in their "spot" on the side of the overflow.

 

[snobanker]

My clowns just seem to all pile into a little car and drive around my tank, but I've never seen one jump

 

[rudeanduncouth]

Myth #2: Clownfishes are not jumpers.

Best,
Ilham

Doing you mean they don't jump period or don't jump unless stressed? I think there is enough anecdotal evidence to prove that they do indeed jump. I have found one on my carpet before I am I didn't put him there.

 

[Elmo18]

Doing you mean they don't jump period or don't jump unless stressed? I think there is enough anecdotal evidence to prove that they do indeed jump. I have found one on my carpet before I am I didn't put him there.

Isn't that what I'm saying?

Read that statement again.

"Myth...."

Best,
Ilham

 

[NaH2O]

I think any fish has the potential to jump. I saw an extremely large hippo tang on the floor of Inland aquatics after it jumped out of one of the large tanks in the back. However, when I think of "jumpers", I usually think of fish more on the skittish side, which clownfish are not (at least IMO).

 

[WAFalconer]

lol....don't feel bad, Daniel...I understood it the same as you until now too. lol

 

[Elmo18]

In sentence form .....

It is a myth that clownfishes do not jump.

All clowns are jumpers.

Best,
Ilham

 

[Slickdonkey]

My clowns sleep right at the top in their "spot" on the side of the overflow.

How funny, that's exactly where mine sleeps...

 

[NaH2O]

I still wouldn't consider them on a "jumper" list, though. When I think of clownfish, I don't automatically have a knee-jerk reaction to cover the tank, like some species of Wrasse for instance. Elmo, is "jumping" more common in certain species?

and...Shame on you for getting everyone all confused about what you were saying....

 

[Elmo18]

Elmo, is "jumping" more common in certain species?

and...Shame on you for getting everyone all confused about what you were saying....

I need to take better grammar lessons.

"Jumping", "Leap of faith", "carpet surfing", etc... is certainly more prevalent in certain species, although all clowns will jump. Most will jump from scares or agression.

Species more than often that will jump from scares are the saddleback clowns, the black saddlebacks, especially. Any other species that are skittish are also more prone to jump.

Overall, all clownfish are capable of jumping.

Best,
Ilham

 

[JRBear5658]

My pair True Percs Jump at night sometimes when I go in the room I have been watching since I read this and it is only the male who seemsto be jumping