Can aquarium fish escape? You bet they can. Here are some tips to keep them off dry land.
- Fish can definitely escape. Murphy's law absolutely guarantees that unless you take the proper precautions, your fish will manage this deadly feat.
- Tetras, guppies, mollies, corys, some loaches, bettas and black triggerfish are the most notorious jumpers and escape artists commonly housed in home aquariums.
- These fish can, and do, escape at any time. But, you should watch them especially closely during their first days in a new aquarium. Be sure you have a well-fitting aquarium glass cover or lid, and don't leave the cover open for too long before or after feeding.
- If you have fish that are prone to escape, or creatures such as octopus or crabs that love to crawl through openings, you can buy covers that allow a little bit of space for you to drop fish food through without having to lift the whole thing. If you must lift the lid off, don't leave the tank unsupervised.
- If lids aren't for you, you can try growing duckweed on the surface of your aquarium. This is often useful in stopping freshwater fish from jumping out.