Have you ever wondered or seen your saltwater fish like the Blenny fish jump? I bet it would be very painful and heartbreaking losing your fish because it jumped out and got eaten by a cat or dog or went totally missing or die as a result of dehydration. This is a bitter experience, that’s why many people do want to know if their fish could jump or not. If you are reading this article, that means you want to know if Blennies could jump or not, why and how to stop them, then I suggest you finish this article to understand more.
Can Blennies jump? Blennies could jump but they don’t usually do it unless they are uncomfortable in their environment.
Blenny fish are small saltwater fish that could barely grow up to 6 inches in size.
They are very aggressive and do not tolerate each other, although some species are less aggressive than others.
They are very active and may hide when it suits them.
Some species are bottom dwellers while some are mid dwellers, but all of them have something in common which is their ability to leap up in the air and land back into the water.
I have read many reports of people losing their Blennies just because they jumped out of their tanks and died and many times been eaten by cats or dogs in the house.
Blennies are jumpers and could jump, although they don’t always do that, but they may, that’s why it is recommended to buy a tank lid and cover your tank to avoid regrets.
The truth is, all fish could jump when it suits them, including small saltwater fish like the Blennies, despite their sizes, including bigger ones like the Starry Blennies and Lawnmower Blennies too.
Sometimes there are some reasons why they do that.
Do Bicolor Blennies Jump?
Yes, Bicolor Blennies are active and middle or surface-dwelling fish and could jump if they want to.
Just like other Blennies, Bicolor Blennies do jump when they feel like exploring, threatened or when they want to move to another water body or travel.
Do Scooter Blennies Jump?
Scooter Blennies could hop and leap and could jump out of the water.
They are very active and could leave your tank by jumping out of it if they have the opportunity.
Do Midas Blennies Jump?
Yes, they too can jump like other Blennies and could jump out of the tank if they see the opportunity.
Do Tailspot Blennies Jump?
Tailspot Blennies are known to be active jumpers and could jump higher too.
Tailspot Blenny is a very small specie of Blenny and they are both active and agile, probably because of their small size.
They could leap up high when they jump and have the potential of jumping out of the water when they do unless the tank is well covered.
Why Do Blennies Jump?
1. Aggression: We all know that Blennies are very aggressive fish and could hardly tolerate each other in anything, that’s why they always fight themselves when kept together.
Although they are nice community fish when kept with other fish, but not with their kind anyway.
Keeping two Blennies in a tank will always lead to aggression, and that may be the reason they are trying to jump and leave or escape from their tank.
2. keeping them in small tanks: Small tank is not healthy for any active fish like the Blennies and could make them unhealthy and aggressive too.
Imagine keeping 2 or more of these fish in a tank of fewer than 55 gallons, they will even kill each other and the weaker ones might opt to escape by jumping out.
3. Unsuitable water parameters: Event fish has its ideal water parameters and when it is not met could lead to stress and the fish may try to change its environment.
For instance Lawnmower Blenny’s ideal temperature and pH are72°F and 78°F. The pH is 8.1-8.4. When these are not met, the lawnmower could try to change its environment by trying to escape.
So, find out the ideal water parameters of your particular Blenny species and replicates them in your tank.
If it is a tropical fish, then buy a heater and keep the water temperature warm, etc.
4. It is their nature: As I explained above, they are natural explorers and jumpers, and sometimes they might do it for no known reason.
How to Stop Blennies From Escaping
1. Cover their tanks: To stop them from jumping out and escaping is very simple, just buy a tank lid and cover their tanks and that’s all.
Before you do that, make sure to understand the reason why they are jumping or better not worry much about that, just make sure they live in their ideal water.
2. Keep them in coral tanks with many hiding places and also in planted tanks if possible and make sure the amount of salt they need is applied to their water.
Conclusion
Blennies are jumpers, so be careful or you might end up losing them.
References
