SAEs really can jump...

Dinky · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 31

"LeighMo" wrote in message@mb-m24.aol.com...
> Okay, I'd heard it often enough, but my SAEs had never jumped out of their
> (fairly well-covered) tanks. Until Sunday.
>
Whoa. My 45 planted is open-top. Perhaps I should look into covering it.

Archived from group: rec>aquaria>freshwater>plants

LeighMo · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 85

Okay, I'd heard it often enough, but my SAEs had never jumped out of their
(fairly well-covered) tanks. Until Sunday.

When I open the tank, the SAEs always come to the surface and stick their noses
out of the water, trying to get at the food. (They remind me of those old
"Jaws" posters.) On Sunday, one of them got so eager he actually flipped
himself right out of the tank. Fell all the way to the hardwood floor below,
about 4', to the delight of my cat. I chased the cat off, picked the fish up,
and put him back in the tank as quickly as I could. But that fall can't have
been good for him.

He hid under the driftwood for one day. After that, he came out and sat on the
gravel until the lotus plant. He still doesn't come up to feed, but this
evening he ate a few bits of food that sank down to the bottom. I'm still not
sure if he's going to make it or not, but he looks better tonight. His fins
are spread, and his color is slowly returning. He's not moving much, though.

I've never had such a large fish fall such a long distance onto such a hard
surface. Do you think he'll recover?

Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

Liisa Sarakontu · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 9

leighmo@aol.comatose (LeighMo) wrote in@mb-m24.aol.com:

> I've never had such a large fish fall such a long distance onto such a
> hard surface. Do you think he'll recover?

Two different SAEs have done that in my tanks and both survived. The bigger
one did that just like your fish, jumped actually straight through my
fingers when I was feeding. I picked it up immediately and it was 100 %
back to normal in few hours. The smaller one had jumped when I didn't
notice, but luckily my daughter did. It had been on floor longer and it was
half fainted when I put it back into water, but it was ok in a day or two.

Liisa

LeighMo · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 85

>Two different SAEs have done that in my tanks and both survived. The bigger
>one did that just like your fish, jumped actually straight through my
>fingers when I was feeding. I picked it up immediately and it was 100 %
>back to normal in few hours. The smaller one had jumped when I didn't
>notice, but luckily my daughter did. It had been on floor longer and it was
>half fainted when I put it back into water, but it was ok in a day or two.

Thanks, that's good news.

Now, if only my cat would learn that fun toys aren't going to come falling from
the tank every time I open it....

Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

Cam · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 30

Yeah I reckon he'll make it. Be positive.

"LeighMo" wrote in message@mb-m24.aol.com...
> Okay, I'd heard it often enough, but my SAEs had never jumped out of their
> (fairly well-covered) tanks. Until Sunday.
>
> When I open the tank, the SAEs always come to the surface and stick their
noses
> out of the water, trying to get at the food. (They remind me of those old
> "Jaws" posters.) On Sunday, one of them got so eager he actually flipped
> himself right out of the tank. Fell all the way to the hardwood floor
below,
> about 4', to the delight of my cat. I chased the cat off, picked the fish
up,
> and put him back in the tank as quickly as I could. But that fall can't
have
> been good for him.
>
> He hid under the driftwood for one day. After that, he came out and sat
on the
> gravel until the lotus plant. He still doesn't come up to feed, but this
> evening he ate a few bits of food that sank down to the bottom. I'm still
not
> sure if he's going to make it or not, but he looks better tonight. His
fins
> are spread, and his color is slowly returning. He's not moving much,
though.
>
> I've never had such a large fish fall such a long distance onto such a
hard
> surface. Do you think he'll recover?
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

Eric McGlohon · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 1

I have a big lazy SAE in my open-topped tank. He's been in there
for over a year now, about 6 months back I was watching TV one
night when I heard 'plop'. He had jumped out of the tank and onto
the floor! Luckily I was there and (as you) managed to get to him
before the cats did him in. He was covered in lint, but I decided
just to put him back in the tank. He didn't look good for a couple
of hours, but eventually recovered just fine.

I still have him in my open-topped tank, and he has seemed to have
learned his lesson (knock on virtual wood!)

-Eric

In article , LeighMo wrote:
> Okay, I'd heard it often enough, but my SAEs had never jumped out of their
> (fairly well-covered) tanks. Until Sunday.
>
> When I open the tank, the SAEs always come to the surface and stick their noses
> out of the water, trying to get at the food. (They remind me of those old
> "Jaws" posters.) On Sunday, one of them got so eager he actually flipped
> himself right out of the tank. Fell all the way to the hardwood floor below,
> about 4', to the delight of my cat. I chased the cat off, picked the fish up,
> and put him back in the tank as quickly as I could. But that fall can't have
> been good for him.
>
> He hid under the driftwood for one day. After that, he came out and sat on the
> gravel until the lotus plant. He still doesn't come up to feed, but this
> evening he ate a few bits of food that sank down to the bottom. I'm still not
> sure if he's going to make it or not, but he looks better tonight. His fins
> are spread, and his color is slowly returning. He's not moving much, though.
>
> I've never had such a large fish fall such a long distance onto such a hard
> surface. Do you think he'll recover?
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/