Okay wow, now I know that swordtails really are jumpers.

[Nabbig2]

I was at my lfs, waiting for the person to catch a female convict. All of a sudden, my dad said he saw a fish jump out of it's tank, and low and behold, it was a swordtail. The guy who worked there put in in the tank with the feeder goldfish then...interesting. Just wanted to share another one of my VERY crazy and interesting pet store experiences.

 

[Mystix212]

My 4.5" male sword (4.5" body) jumped about 3 feet or so out of a 3 ft tank. So he jumped maybe 6-10" high and went 3 ft before hitting the ground. I was just sitting, watching the fish, when he just sped up and bang, out he went.

So I got him, threw him back in then he jumped 4 minutes later and broke his back after landing straight down from the tank, 4 foot in the air. He died.

 

[Nabbig2]

Damn. Wow, what crazy fish they must be. I guess they have to jump a lot in the wild to escape from predators?

 

[nolapete]

I think that every single swordtail I have has jumped at least once. You would think they'd slam against the glass, but no they jump right through the small space that the AC 110/500 makes between the glass and the edge of the tank. I've lost three of them that I didn't find right after they jumped.

 

[Lupin]

Swordtails are always well-known jumpers.lol

 

[Mystix212]

Most of my swords have jumped. Most of them went to the swerage treatment plant

I've heard reports of a tank in a LFS with 25 fresh sword imports, only to find the next morning that every single sword has jumped through a 1" hole to lift the hood off.

 

[ThePBM]

yeah.... i have 18 red velvet swordtail fry that are growin up quick. their mom, of course, jumped after giving birth. came home to find her kinda rubbery on the floor.
anyway, the fry are in a tank half full of java moss and a sponge filter so i can pretty much seal off the top of the tank.

 

[Eupterus]

At some not so good petshops...I've seen swordtails dried up on the floor under the tanks.