My Rhomboid wanted to die

[andrewkw]

I can't believe this. I noticed him gone sunday and figured something was up, today I found the body.

My tank is covered. It's a hood. I've been keep fairy wrasses for several years. I know they jump. I learned the hard way with a lineatus that they can make it through the 1/2" gap between the door of my hood. I keep eggcrate between the hood and the tank. The back holes in the hood are covered.

All the wrasses are big enough that they cannot fit through the eggcrate holes. I don't have any smaller fish that jump.

So about a week ago my eggcrate shield fell, it cracked but 95% of the tank was still covered probably more. I went to get more to replace this. I just hadn't gotten around to cutting it to size and there goes the most expensive fish.

Anyone who thinks they can keep fairy wrasses is an open tank is crazy. Anyone who thinks they can keep fairy wrasses in an almost completely covered tank will eventually have this happen.

100% really is the only way to go. I'm going to look into changing the eggcrate for a mesh cover that can't fall and break like so many people here on RC have.

Just a warning to everyone else, that this could happen to you. This wasn't a new wrasse, I got him relatively small and he had grown into a stunning male. Too bad I didn't take any recent pics.

 

[flameangel88]

Sorry to hear that. I cover my tank pretty well with the exception where the skimmer sits. I've lost 2 fishes over the years from jumping through that little uncovered area and both are wrasses.

 

[Jordani]

That sucks, one of my favorite wrasses. My freshwater cichlidd wich is 4" long can push the eggcrate up and jumup out twice. So I suggest putting some weights in the eggcrate to prevent carpet surfing.

 

[snorvich]

Well, sorry to say, but eggcrate will not keep fairy and flasher wrasses in. You need 1/4 inch holes.

 

[andrewkw]

Well, sorry to say, but eggcrate will not keep fairy and flasher wrasses in. You need 1/4 inch holes.

While this is certainly true for small ones if the dead fish can't fit through the holes, I fail to see how it could alive. The eggcrate was cracked and where it was broken is where it made it out.

I can't put weights because it's on an angle leaning on the t5 fixture. It is secure but it had fallen previously I just hadn't got around to replacing it.

 

[SDguy]

IMO they sometimes aim prior to jumping. I've seen my lubbocks fairy wrasses do it... So it doesn't surprise me that it found the one tiny hole. Sorry for the loss

 

[jmaneyapanda]

For some reason people just seem to refuse to believe that eggcrate will fail. Despite the repeated and constant events proving so.

 

[SDguy]

Well, sorry to say, but eggcrate will not keep fairy and flasher wrasses in. You need 1/4 inch holes.

For some reason people just seem to refuse to believe that eggcrate will fail. Despite the repeated and constant events proving so.

I just wanted to clarify with the OP that I am reading his entire post correctly, and that the fish was in fact too big to fit through unboken eggcrate, and that it jumped through a hole in damaged eggcrate. Is this correct?

FWIW, I've seen plenty of less than perfect screen tops begin to fail and have gaps. I think the moral of the story isn't that eggcrate is bad (if your fish are BIG) but that any type of cover needs to be maintained, and problems need to be fixed immediately.

 

[andrewkw]

I just wanted to clarify with the OP that I am reading his entire post correctly, and that the fish was in fact too big to fit through unboken eggcrate, and that it jumped through a hole in damaged eggcrate. Is this correct?

FWIW, I've seen plenty of less than perfect screen tops begin to fail and have gaps. I think the moral of the story isn't that eggcrate is bad (if your fish are BIG) but that any type of cover needs to be maintained, and problems need to be fixed immediately.

You are correct on both accounts. Again all my wrasses are big boys they don't fit through eggcrate holes but once it broke it was possible.

 

[bradleyj]

Sorry for your loss. I'm glad to see you post this and I hope it will help other people with wrasses learn that the top has to be covered 100%

 

[jmaneyapanda]

You are correct on both accounts. Again all my wrasses are big boys they don't fit through eggcrate holes but once it broke it was possible.

Well, I disagree with your assessment overall of "theyre big enough to not fit through". If youre talking fairy wrasses, they will find a way. But I dont know youre fish, and its a moot point now anyway. Sorry.

 

[andrewkw]

Well, I disagree with your assessment overall of "theyre big enough to not fit through". If youre talking fairy wrasses, they will find a way. But I dont know youre fish, and its a moot point now anyway. Sorry.

if I could net them easily I would to show you. The dead rhomboid was the smallest of the bunch and he could not fit through. I'm not digging the dried body out of the garbage to prove a point. If I had flashers or smaller fairies I would agree but I have a big flame, labouti, blue sided and Christmas wrasse. They are all fat and in the 4-5"+ range. Unless they can suck it in they are not fitting through eggcrate holes. Now if I get a new smaller one sure, but the current fish just don't fit.

I'm also not saying eggcrate is better or trying to be difficult. I'd recommend a mesh over eggcrate. Mine failed me because I knocked it broke it and did not fix it immediately. Had I fixed it, the wrasses in my tank would have been contained.

The point of this thread was to let people know you need 100% coverage which I appear to be arguing against which I am not. I'm just saying in this case eggcrate giving 100% coverage would have been enough.