Zebra danio keeps falling on my floor and desk

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Trudy_the_tortoise

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I have 5 yellow zebra danios, and since I am getting their 10 gallon tank ready for them , they live in a 0.5 gallon bowl temporarily. I change their tank 4 times a day. Each time I put them back in the bowl, a danio falls on my desk. I spend about 20-60 seconds trying to pick it off, since it's slimy. I have a fish net, that's large but they manage to jump out. Will it's slime coat revive? What can I do to prevent my sweet little zebra danios from falling out of the net? I really adore them and I like how they are hardy little fish.
 

Maggie3fan

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They will not end up being hardy if they keep crashing to the floor. Go to the pet store and get a top for the tank, and get them out of the dish. At least put a plate or something over the dish. It only takes a few minutes to ready a tank. You should not behaving trouble.
 
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Trudy_the_tortoise

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They will not end up being hardy if they keep crashing to the floor. Go to the pet store and get a top for the tank, and get them out of the dish. At least put a plate or something over the dish. It only takes a few minutes to ready a tank. You should not behaving trouble.


Their bowl has a lid. I am cycling their tank, and it will be ready in a few more days, to make sure the water is safe for the 10 gallon tank. The problem is when they spring out of the fish net when I try to transfer them back to clean water after changing the water in the bowl. I have a large fish net. I want to make sure they can't jump out of the net, because it will kill them if they keep jumping out of the fish net when I try to put them in clean water. I have kept fish for 5+ years, and this is the first time I have had a fish jump out of a large net.
 

Maggie3fan

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When you have the fish in the net, use your 'free' hand to hold them lightly holding them in the net, in your hand. I am having trouble describing what I mean
 
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Tom

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Their bowl has a lid. I am cycling their tank, and it will be ready in a few more days, to make sure the water is safe for the 10 gallon tank. The problem is when they spring out of the fish net when I try to transfer them back to clean water after changing the water in the bowl. I have a large fish net. I want to make sure they can't jump out of the net, because it will kill them if they keep jumping out of the fish net when I try to put them in clean water. I have kept fish for 5+ years, and this is the first time I have had a fish jump out of a large net.
It takes 6 weeks to "cycle" a new tank. They can be in it once the water is warmed up and dechlorinated. It won't "cycle" until there is a biological load in it. Its needs fish poop and pee to cycle properly.

I'll take a crack at describing what Maggie was trying to say. With the fish in the net, use your free hand to encircle and close off a portion of the net above the fish. Then, put that encircled portion directly into the water as you lift the net away. Leave no area for them to fall out.

By the way, this is all really stressful for them. Moving them and netting them four times a day? Get them into a filtered aquarium ASAP and leave them be. In the mean time you should have waited to get the fish until the tank was ready. Also, you should have used a much larger holding tub for them. A 5 gallon bucket would have been fine as a temporary holding area. Add a bubbler and they'd have been fine for a couple of days while you set up the tank and treat the tap water.
 

KarenSoCal

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After I net them, I just lay my other hand over the opening before lifting them out of the water.

You can also try using a small plastic cup or glass to scoop them into. Then cover it with your other hand.

And yes...get them into the tank ASAP!
 
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Trudy_the_tortoise

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After I net them, I just lay my other hand over the opening before lifting them out of the water.

You can also try using a small plastic cup or glass to scoop them into. Then cover it with your other hand.

And yes...get them into the tank ASAP!


It's been exactly 6 weeks! I tried covering my hand over the old net, and one fell out again, so I went out and bought a huge deep net. None of them fell out this time! They are now in their 10 gallon, because their old 5 gallon tank broke down. They enjoy the new tank so much more than that bowl. They have so much more space! The reason I had them before I got the 10 gallon, is because their old tank broke completely. My fish were lucky that I had placed them in a large cup next to the tank, because I thought the 5 gallon tank was unstable.
 

KarenSoCal

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It's been exactly 6 weeks! I tried covering my hand over the old net, and one fell out again, so I went out and bought a huge deep net. None of them fell out this time! They are now in their 10 gallon, because their old 5 gallon tank broke down. They enjoy the new tank so much more than that bowl. They have so much more space! The reason I had them before I got the 10 gallon, is because their old tank broke completely. My fish were lucky that I had placed them in a large cup next to the tank, because I thought the 5 gallon tank was unstable.

I'm glad you took precautions in time to protect them!

A few years ago there was a guy on the Fishlore forum who had a 300 gallon tank shatter one night o_O. It was tragic, and his house needed lots of repairs.
 
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Trudy_the_tortoise

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I'm glad you took precautions in time to protect them!

A few years ago there was a guy on the Fishlore forum who had a 300 gallon tank shatter one night o_O. It was tragic, and his house needed lots of repairs.

That sounds awful!
 

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