I got a very sad reminder about the necessity of a good top (especially with wrasses). I have acrylic/screen lids from Octoaquatics and they work and look great. Unfortunately while I had one of my tops off for feeding I heard a splash and saw a projectile launch out of and behind the tank almost in the middle. At first, I thought it was one of my zebra barred gobies but a quick look showed that they were all present and accounted for. Unfortunately it was my diamond tail flasher wrasse! He was in a spot that I couldn't reach him through the stand or from the side. My tank is only about 5-6" from the wall.
My wife held a flash light as I used my 30" tongs to as gently as possible scoot him closer to a place where I could reach over the sump and grab him. All this seemed to take an eternity but was probably only about 5 minutes. I immediately cradled him in my hand and held him head first in front of a power head to get water flowing over his gills. About 30 seconds later I felt him wiggle a little and in another couple of minutes he swam out of my hand. At first he fell to the bottom and lay there in stress coloration but eventually started swimming around a little. I had high hopes he would make it but unfortunately I found him dead this morning.
A perfect storm as there was only about a foot and a half area he could have jumped to where I couldn't have gotten to him immediately. This has me wondering about what I could have done to prevent it and so far I haven't come up with any ideas.
Bottom line, get lids if you don't have them. Be alert when your lids are off for jumpers! This isn't just for wrasses although they are among the most likely to vault out of your tank. Any fish can and will jump under the right circumstances.
My wife held a flash light as I used my 30" tongs to as gently as possible scoot him closer to a place where I could reach over the sump and grab him. All this seemed to take an eternity but was probably only about 5 minutes. I immediately cradled him in my hand and held him head first in front of a power head to get water flowing over his gills. About 30 seconds later I felt him wiggle a little and in another couple of minutes he swam out of my hand. At first he fell to the bottom and lay there in stress coloration but eventually started swimming around a little. I had high hopes he would make it but unfortunately I found him dead this morning.
A perfect storm as there was only about a foot and a half area he could have jumped to where I couldn't have gotten to him immediately. This has me wondering about what I could have done to prevent it and so far I haven't come up with any ideas.
Bottom line, get lids if you don't have them. Be alert when your lids are off for jumpers! This isn't just for wrasses although they are among the most likely to vault out of your tank. Any fish can and will jump under the right circumstances.
