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"Kamikaze" Fish
Many hobbyists experience what I call the "kamikaze"
fish. You know, the fish that you found dried up on the
floor after it flew out of your tank and dive-bombed
to it's death! Of coarse this usually happens at night
when we're not able to rescue it. Why does this
happen? Why do some fish have more of a reputation for
displaying this behavior? Are tank covers really the
answer in preventing this?
I've had the pleasure of working with just about every fish
offered in this hobby & in every size tank imaginable.
In the store I have fish of all kinds in 20g longs (shallow)
as well as 220g (tallest) & I've had them jump from every
size tank...BUT... due to my extensive experience I am now firm
in my belief that fish DO NOT jump for NO
reason. I have identified that there is
always a cause
&
most often it's a case of being chased, spooked or attacked
by bad crabs while sleeping at night.
Consider this...AquaCorals has lots of people through the
store daily, including children who sometimes tap the tanks
in excitement (note for parents....this is not good ;).
You'd think under the circumstances I'd have fish lying on
the floor all over the place! Sorry, doesn't happen
(Thank God!) What I have identified is that fish, when
feeling safe & secure usually stay in the tank quite
willingly. But, let another fish, crab, starfish etc.
invade the house/hole of another & the poor evicted fish is
now homeless, nervous for lack of a safe place & this is
where things can get hairy. Another scenario is a fish
being chased/bullied (whether established or newcomer).
More commonly it happens with new fish introduced to your
tank, it's scared to death having just been caught, bagged,
transported & now facing a new world (your tank) & fretting
that someone is going to eat him (big fish eat little fish
in the ocean, right) so until the new guy finds his own safe
place he's a prime candidate for kamikaze behavior.
Especially if anyone in the tank is bullying/chasing him.
Fish that are "nervous nellies" to begin with like Pearly
Jawfish etc. are more prone to this condition until they
have established their "house" in your tank. So,
should we cover our tanks to prevent the kamikaze
experience? No. Covers restrict the gas/air
exchange as well as blocks important light from entering the
tank and rarely keeps a fish in unless 100% sealed. What we DO need to do is:
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Be sure your new fish is compatible with those
you already have.
-
Acclimate & release in the dark so the
newcomer feels safer & your other fish are more likely to be
concerned with finding a sleep spot than to chase that new
guy in the tank.
-
Introduce the "nervous nellies" to your tank
first. This way they can get settled in & make/find
their own "safe place" without the hassle of the more
aggressive or avid swimmers.
-
Do not keep animals known for
being bullies/territorial like Damsels, Coral Banded Shrimp etc.
-
Inspect ALL rock before placing
it in your tank. See:
Killer Hitchhikers - Crabs
There will be times when we won't ever identify the cause of
the kamikaze behavior but you CAN investigate &
intervene when cause is found. If you follow the above
steps you can be confident your fish will stay happily in
your tank.
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