# Rainbowfish Suicide?



## mitko1994 (Dec 12, 2012)

Hello Everyone,
I found my rainbowfish dead on the floor today. I had this fish for about 7 months and I've never seen it jump. Is jumping considered normal behavior for rainbows?


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I think it may be.. Greg, who keeps that gorgeous show tank of them, has a screen mesh top on it.

Any fish can be a jumper, sadly. Some are more known for it, but any fish is capable of jumping out, sad to say. Screen tops prevent it, as well as hoods and glass tops.


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## Kimchi24 (Mar 22, 2013)

All of my rainbows jump when they eat. I have a glass lid on my tank 24/7 because of this exact situation. IMO, i would never put a rainbow in a tank without a lid


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## Tovarish (Nov 10, 2011)

I have two pairs of rainbows in a community tank. Before placing glass lids on a tank they would splash water when eating or even for no reason at times.. Now I just hear a bump into a glass sound at times, could be pleco going for air gulp or rainbows... 

Had numerous fish jump out in the past, even a relatively slow balloon molly may do that when spooked...

I prefer the looks of a clear open tank and glass for me is another item to clean on a semi regular basis... is mesh any better for upkeep ?


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## mitko1994 (Dec 12, 2012)

Thanks for your responses.I accidentally broke one of the halves of my glass cover and the tank is half open on one side, that's also the side where I have my feeder. It might have been spooked by the rosaline sharks that chase it sometimes.I was so surprised because it has been a while since it was open on one side and I've never had an accident like that.I will have to think of something to prevent any other suicides .


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Mesh tank covers are almost no maintenance. It's clear quarter inch mesh, which you can get from Bulk Reef Supply.. not sure if you can buy it here in Canada, sadly enough. But you fit that into frames, like they use for window and door screens, and paint it if you want it a different colour. The framing comes in white and brown usually. 

Once done, not much to be done with it. The mesh doesn't show much of anything.. nothing like cleaning glass for sure. You might want to hose it off once in awhile maybe.

See Gregs's Planted tank thread. he put pics of how he made his.


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## SwimmyD (Feb 9, 2013)

Hi, SwimmyD here, Greg's better half . We found out the hard way with rainbows too. We left the front part of our lid off on the 70g bowfront when we first got our rainbows (before we got the 145g). We had 3 magnificent millennium males, and 4 females. The males would chase the females, and spar among themselves daily. They do swim furiously when they get going. 

The alpha male was the biggest and most beautiful male we had. We actually named him BIG RED (we don't normally name fish - but I had to with this one). Well the day the lid got left open was the day Big Red committed suicide. I honestly think he just got caught up in the sparing and accidentally launched himself out. That fish jumped 10 feet clear out of the tank. We found him across the coffee table in the corner of the room. Then we never forgot the lid again. 

When we got the 145g Greg made the mesh lid for it (it was a rimless tank). Greg also cuts glass lids for the tanks. The details are in the killifish thread. 

What kind of rainbow was it?


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## monk21 (Dec 5, 2012)

mitko1994 said:


> Hello Everyone,
> I found my rainbowfish dead on the floor today. I had this fish for about 7 months and I've never seen it jump. Is jumping considered normal behavior for rainbows?


Jumping is considered normal for ANY fish.


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