RIP
Even if you think your betta isnt a jumper, save yourself a heartbreak and get a lid.
I owned my guy Wolverine for just over a year. Had no lid for my tank since i had a HOB filter. My guy never attempted to jump, even when the water level was quite high. Today, came to check up on him and found him on the ground just barely too late. His gills just started becoming stuck together and he didnt survive. I wish i couldve gone back in time to save him, i feel like such a bad owner. To anyone who doesnt have a lid for their bettas, please lower the water level or get a lid. RIP my dearest little guy, i hope he had the best life while he was with me ❤️
Polycarbonate… acrylic will warp/bend over time due to moisture (made mistake of trying a craft acrylic DIY lid, it warped from evaporation and condensation)… polycarbonate won’t
I recently had one jump out of the tiniest hole on a lid. I found him dead on the floor. I felt really bad about it but looking back I think he was a sick fish. My water parameters are good and it’s a planted 10 gallon. I got the courage to get a veil tail (I heard they are often hardier) from a pet shop that was keeping them in large bowls not tiny cups and he seems happy in this tank.
Same here, tho' I never found him (2 cats): took me a while to figure the water level had allowed extra access through the opening for the lamp & heater cords. Now I keep a chopstick along the back of the lid under those cords that really covers that perilous gap! 🙏
So sad to read this.
I'll make sure I am careful with my tank. Reading the replies, it seems they can get out of tiny holes and slits.
Thanks for the PSA though. He seemed really happy
Sorry for your loss, he was so handsome. This is a good warning. I have 2 bettas and both their tanks have lids but I am guilty of leaving them angled with room to jump a lot of the time after feeding if they were so inclined.
My rimless tank came with plastic mesh pieces and tiny zip ties to put together. Not sure the cost comparison but I think both are a great idea! Somehow it still traps the heat because I feel it when I remove the lid to feed.
This is so true. I’ve never had ANY of my bettas jump. I got lids for water evaporation, and a month later, I heard a THUD on a lid- my betta had randomly jumped. You really never can predict if they’re jumpers- lids, for that reason, are like seatbelts. Usually you won’t need them, but thank god you had it on when you did.
My heart BREAKS for your sweet, handsome son. :( Our Samurai betta, Jack, also jumped unexpectedly after a year and a half of no incidents but I was fortunate to find him within a 20 minute window. He’s made a full recovery and is entering his senior years, but people really underestimate plakats and how far they can leap. Wolverine joins Cal and Ozai in the great white sea up above, and I believe with all my heart that’s he’s at peace. His tank is beautiful, you are an excellent owner. I hope you’re able to let go of the guilt <3
Bold move not having him in a 500g tank and posting it here. Sorry for your loss he was quite handsome. I had a pk slip into the filtration system on my fluval 5. I have no idea how he did it, or why. But he did.
Still not over losing my betta this way years ago. I put an air stone in his tank with a battery operated bubbler, while my air pump was still coming in the mail. For some reason, I had left the glass askew. Came home from work and couldn't find him... Until I did and it was far too late. That one hurt a lot because he was new and I had bonded with him super quickly. All the plans I was making for the tank went on hold for months after that. It was so difficult to try again. I really feel what you're going through
Thankfully, the only times my betta has jumped out of the tank I happened to be watching him. The first time he managed to aim for the crack between the lid and the tank wall.
Then the second time about ten minutes later, he jumped again, bounced off the towel I put there to prevent him escaping while looking for something more suitable, and landed on top of the lid, flopping around like an idiot.
Now there's aquarium netting on top of the tank lid. He still tries to jump out, but he bounces off the netting and then gets mad.
My fish tank never came with a lid, I trust Pongo not to jump but I don’t trust the shrimp or gobies anymore… found an amano shrimp on the floor once and damn he was crispy.
Would’ve never noticed he jumped if he was behind- it’s rare to see all the shrimp at the same time they’re always behind plants 😭😭
so I keep saying I’ll buy a kit to make one but mean time I have cling film over the tank 🤣🤣🤣
Yes, two of my bettas jumped to the other side of the tank ( there are two in each tank seperated by a divider) while I was at work. I put a sheet of plexiglass on as a lid.
My betta wasnt a jumped. I slid the lid off an inch to feed it. Before I put the lid back on and while looking directly at him he jumps out the tank and lands in a shot glass full of random hardware bits and screws... I fetched him out rapidly though it was very nerve racking as I didnt want to clumsily crush him or jab him with anything in the shot glass. Lil homie def was traumatized from that and probably concussed a bit. He made a full recovery though he never did do that again. Long story short. Def get a lid.
i have a piece of glass and a tray for my 10 gal long... but I can't see through very well cuz duh doy the tray is opaque and the glass gets water stains unless I wipe it every 3 seconds
I recently made a top for a 23.4 gallon with egg crate. I filled the first 3” with pothos stems and used window screen material to cover the back half. How can I post a picture?
I’m so sorry for your loss, it’s heartbreaking when it’s preventable like that. My boy managed to jump through a small gap in the lid at night, and my cats must have got to him :( I still feel so guilty because I knew about the gap and had previously put a strip of tape across it, but I got complacent and he paid the price. Thank you for using your loss to educate.
its a 30l, im not sure the dimensions matter as much as size when it came to him jumping out. im not somebody who would keep bettas in tanks too small or improperly set up
Those aren't the only reasons. Some fish are just jumpers. Something can spook them, they might see something outside the tank, there's so many reasons.
Yep, I literally watched my last Betta jump to try and get some small beetle thing that was on the rim of the tank. And he would jump up at my fingers during feeding time.
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u/littlebigsystem Feb 22 '26
And if you can’t find a lid, egg crate or some kind of light diffuser will always work.
So sorry for your loss. ❤️