Cover Your Tanks!

Lionfish Lair · Feb 2, 2016

Most people don't consider lions and scorps a big carpet surfing risk. I have a wall of shame that speaks otherwise. Lions and scorps by their very nature are made to propel themselves forward to capture prey. They can jump for any number of reasons.... a pesky fly (lunch.... they're not picky), when startled, when hungry (trying to leave the area for greener pastures), undesirable water quality, inappropriate tankmates and parasite irritation, etc etc.

A couple were found in time, the rest jumped to the great big ocean in the sky. Lions are more prone to this, which is probably an exact result of their kite like wings. One pump and that puppy is taking off!!

Saved Missile #1:

Saved Missile #2:

The rest are RIP

Dendrochirus brachypterus #1

Dendrochirus brachypterus #2

Parapterois heterura

Scorpaenodes brasiliensis

Chrisfish · Feb 2, 2016

Thank you for the reminder to all of us! I don't have the beautiful lion fish that you have but I lost some beautiful clown fish and one Goby , even with a cover on a few got through the cracks.

Lionfish Lair · Feb 10, 2016

Last night the rhinopias jumped out and actually hit company that was sleeping over!! I scooped him up and threw him back in.

applejk · Feb 10, 2016

Wow that's crazy. Thanks for the PSA and you have some beautiful fish.

Mmbra · Feb 11, 2016

Great advice, i lost 1 of my ocellaris clowns and a lawnmower blenny before i covered my tank with light diffuser. Poor jerky guys.

Lionfish Lair · Feb 11, 2016

I'm lucky he didn't accidentally sting her! I was feeding, so I had the lid off. They got startled by the suitcase.

Thanks @applejk!

bairdimusprime · Feb 11, 2016

Great post! thanks for the heads up

Lionfish Lair · Jun 13, 2016

I need to add this one to the "near miss" list.

LetItReef · Jun 13, 2016

Good reminder and nice pics!
That would have been awful if your guest got stung

Lionfish Lair · Jun 13, 2016

Inorite! At first I was like "how am I going to pick YOU up", where it's a 7" fish. Him landing on my friend's back, broke his fall, instead of it being a full on klunk on the hardwood floor.

LadAShark · Jun 13, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
Inorite! At first I was like "how am I going to pick YOU up", where it's a 7" fish. Him landing on my friend's back, broke his fall, instead of it being a full on klunk on the hardwood floor.

Wouldn't that have been the most interesting sting ever though?
"Dude, how'd you get stung?"
"I swear man, the guy's fish was after me! It jumped out of the tank to get me while I was sleeping!"
"On the back?"
"Yes, on the back."

Lionfish Lair · Jun 13, 2016

Bahahahahahahahahaha!

Duke4Life · Jun 13, 2016

LadAShark said:
Wouldn't that have been the most interesting sting ever though?
"Dude, how'd you get stung?"
"I swear man, the guy's fish was after me! It jumped out of the tank to get me while I was sleeping!"
"On the back?"
"Yes, on the back."

Great idea for a new show "My aquarium sent me to the ER".

Saltine · Jun 13, 2016

So I have a reefer series with no top and have lost just 1 fish over the past 6 months. Although a fellow reefer I know has a top and has had 2 fish get caught in the netting and die... So is it really the answer? Seems either way there's a risk.

Salt

rayn · Jun 13, 2016

What is getting caught in the netting? I liked to use eggcrate, still do. Some say this diffuses the lift to much, but I haven't noticed issues with it. If they do jump with eggcrate and you are around you will hear it.

revhtree · Jun 13, 2016

Thanks for the reminder!

Lionfish Lair · Jun 13, 2016

I don't use netting either.

LadAShark · Jun 13, 2016

Duke4Life said:
Great idea for a new show "My aquarium sent me to the ER".

Ahahaha. Hilarious.
Meanwhile the people who keep seriously dangerous critters like blue ring octopi will have their own special edition called "how I almost ended up in the grave because of my aquarium."

themcnertney · Jun 13, 2016

Duke4Life said:
Great idea for a new show "My aquarium sent me to the ER".

I'd be a guess on this show as my urchin has sent me to the ER.

FeliciaLynn · Jun 13, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
Last night the rhinopias jumped out and actually hit company that was sleeping over!! I scooped him up and threw him back in.

Lionfish Lair said:
I'm lucky he didn't accidentally sting her! I was feeding, so I had the lid off. They got startled by the suitcase.

Thanks @applejk!

Lionfish Lair said:
Inorite! At first I was like "how am I going to pick YOU up", where it's a 7" fish. Him landing on my friend's back, broke his fall, instead of it being a full on klunk on the hardwood floor.

Woah! I read the first post and was wondering if he stung your company! Glad he didn't and that he's ok. So how did you end up scooping him up. I have a plastic pasta strainer that I use for scooping my lionfish for transferring and stuff. That works really well.