# Other Aquarium Forums > Freshwater Fauna > Catfishes >  My pleco did a sucide jump! *sob*

## NinjaFly

Came back yesterday nite to realise that my Pleco has did a sucidal jump out of my tank.

Got a shock to see it on the floor and when I tried to hold it up, it was so dried up and hard like plastic.[ :Knockout: ] 

Wonder why fish kept leaping out of the tank when they can stay alive in it.... 

Now me worried whether my Gouramis and the corydoras will leap out esp since the corys like to make a dash to the water surface....[ :Embarassed: ]

----------


## sherchoo

Please check your water parameters..... something must be very wrong when plecos jump out of the tank. Fish jumping usually due to poor water conditions or fright. BTW, plecos are not known to jump out and they are very very tolerant to poor water conditions......

----------


## CoryDorus

My Anenous Corydorus together the Betta both do a suicide jump too when I put them in a small tank. I guess the Betta keep chasing them. :Evil:  

It landed on some rag for the Cory and luckily still breathing when I found it. But the Betta 3 metres away is dry like a log.[ :Knockout: ] 

The Cory is still alive and kicking today. Amazing hardiness. :Smile:  

I do know water condition that do not fit the species to the extreme will cause them to jump need not necessary be bad water.

CoryDorus

----------


## coryfav

in an uncovered tank, with high water level, any over-enthusiastic fish can commit suicide...[:0]

----------


## sherchoo

But a pleco over-enthusiastic?
What kind of pleco is it anyway..... 

CoryD and coryF,

Good points....

----------


## coryfav

sherchoo, my L134 used to sit under the bridge, until i decided to vacuum his &amp;quot;home&amp;quot; one day. now he's migrated behind the filter's inlet tube, quite near the surface.

sometime he'll go to the gravel to eat, but after awhile, he'll dash back &amp;quot;home&amp;quot; and i tell myself, one fine day...[:0] 

yeah, ninjafly, what pleco's yours?

----------


## NinjaFly

Hi Coryfav, 
well, it's the common pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus). No really that willing to buy those expensive pleco leh ... coz they just look simply ugly... heehee (sorry hor, to all the plecomeniac.. though I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder)  :Razz:  

Anyway, one thing to admit is that the water level of my tank is quite high as I dun like to see a tank with water too much level down and it's not covered. But the uncovered portion is only a small area as the rest are covered by my filter and lights.

I dun have a test kit to check on my water parameters but I believe it should be quite alright coz nothing has happened to my fish for months.

----------


## DEA

> ----------------
> On 5/29/2002 6:44:22 PM 
> 
> I believe it should be quite alright coz nothing has happened to my fish for months. 
> 
> ----------------


well, NOW that something has, have you tested your water?

----------


## stream

Folks

This has been a question I've wanted to ask and since this thread is brought up, I will just ride on it.

Most of us prefer or are encouraged to have an open concept tank but how to prevent fishes from jumping up and doing the suicide bid? Someone mentioned that the water parameter could be a cause but I think fishes can over react when startled. For example, sudden visual flashes like switching on of lights or kids banging on the wall of the tank, etc. What are the fishes that has a tendency to jump? I have personally witness my previous Discus doing an upward spring and landed on the floor. What about shrimps? Please share your thoughts and experience. Most importantly, how do folks here with an open concept tank minimize such occurrence.[: :Smile: ]

----------


## NinjaFly

DEA:

No .. never tested my water before. BTW, what are the things to test normally. NO3, NO4, PH, NH3? 

Need to know a bit so that I can buy the necessary test kits..

----------


## DEA

the only things i've had jump out of my tank are shrimp, and 2 rasboras
i noticed this most often when the tank was newly setup
most likely it's a problem with water conditions
i haven't seen this for a long while now

ninjafly, get the pH, NO2, NH3 and NO3 kit
if you like you can get the kH kit too but i rarely use mine

----------


## NinjaFly

> ----------------
> ninjafly, get the pH, NO2, NH3 and NO3 kit
> if you like you can get the kH kit too but i rarely use mine
> ----------------


But my tank is quite mature already. None of my fish jump out. Except for that very hot day when my ghost shrimp jump out and become 'heibee'. Other than tat, the rest of my fish was happily in the tank swimming and chasing each other... 

kH kit are for plants? BTW, what's kH? I know K is for Potassium... Return all those to my chemistry teacher already...

----------


## DEA

that's why i say test
if not you'll never know if it's something in the water or issit a freak occurence

kh = carbonate hardness, not potassium

----------


## NinjaFly

Ok .. think I will have to get it the next time I visit LFS... :Smile:

----------


## JMAllgeier01

I just found out tonight that my prize pleco jumped out of the tank sometime between last night and today and Died behind it. Not sure why or how... this thing has been my pride of my tank since it started to grow. It was bigger than I thought it could get in a small tank. The one my sister bought is the same as mine was but hers has never grown. It had beautiful markings too. Unfortunately, I found him tonight dead and dehydrated behind the tank :Sad:  Why would this happen? I have 2 redeye tetras my wife said have been trying to move into his log??? Do you think he was stressed by those little things? My water parameters are all correct and I do water changes periodically and maintain proper levels. My tank was a little low from evap but that should have made it harder for him to get out. He had to have figured out a way to get out by the filter because the rest of my tank is fully covered. I'm confused, frustrated, and upset! Why did he jump???

----------

