Why Do Pond Fish Jump Out Of The Water (And How To Stop Them)

There are many different reasons as to why your fish may be jumping out the pond. You may find this fascinating or a nuisance that your fish keep trying to escape your pond, however this could indicate that there is a problem with your pond. Although do not panic, it is usually quickly treatable.

This article will explain the reasons why your fish may be jumping out of the pond and give you ways to try and stop this.

For most the reason will either be because of high ammonia levels or high nitrate levels in your pond.

Why Do Pond Fish Jump Out Of The Water?

There are a variety of reasons as to why your pond fish may be jumping out of the water. Some of these reasons could be to dodge predators, to get food, parasites, decrease in oxygen levels, procreation, force of life, or romance. Although in ponds the main reasons are because of high ammonia levels or high nitrate levels.

Having high ammonia levels in your pond can be one of the main reasons that you may see your fish jumping out of the pond. If these ammonia levels are not monitored regularly, it can quickly become very dangerous for your fish. Ammonia levels can rise quickly so you need to check these frequently.

The ammonia levels can quickly rise because this is caused by the waste excreted by the fish.

Ammonia can cause burns to the gills on the fish. Naturally, this causes the fish to be in pain. So, they jump out of the water to try and escape the pain or they will rub themselves against the pond walls to try and scratch away the pain.

If you find your fish are frequently trying to jump out the pond, then this is one of the first things that you should check in your pond.

Another thing you should check for in your pond if your fish are jumping out is if you have high nitrate levels. This is similar to high ammonia levels. In fact, nitrates are caused by the bacterial reductions from ammonia.

So, if you have had high ammonia levels in your pond for a while, then there is a high chance that you will then get high nitrate levels as well.

Nitrate can have a detrimental effect and cause irreversible damage to your fish.

Nitrate can cause serious problems for your fish’s organs by effecting their liver, spleen, nervous system, and kidneys. However, do not panic, high nitrate levels in your pond is easily reversed.

It is important to first check your ammonia levels and get this under control as it is the high levels of ammonia that cause the high nitrates in your pond.

Also ensure that you have cleared out fallen leaves and debris in your pond as when this breaks down it can lead to higher levels of nitrate.

How To Stop Pond Fish Jumping Out Of The Water?

Two of the main reasons that your fish jump out of the pond is because of high ammonia or nitrate levels. Therefore, if you can control these levels, it could help to stop your fish jumping out of the pond.

So, the first thing to do to is test the ammonia levels in your pond. This is more important than testing the nitrate levels as high ammonia levels cause spikes in nitrate levels within your pond.

If your ammonia tests do come back high do not panic. Testing and treating high ammonia levels is easy. You just need to ensure that you get an equaliser that instantly works to stabilise the chemical balance in your pond. The equaliser is used to adjust the pH, KH and GH levels in your pond to create the perfect water conditions for your fish.

The next step is to then check your nitrate levels in your pond. This is similar to altering your ammonia levels, you need to neutralise the nitrates to restore the natural balance back in your pond. This should take no more than a few hours to take effect.

Once you have checked, and corrected if needs be, both the ammonia and nitrate levels your fish should stop jumping out of the pond.

However, if they have not stopped, there are still other things that you can do. Ensuring you have a good filtration system is essential to keeping a clean and healthy pond. If you have a clean pond, this should stop your fish trying to jump out as they will be happy.

Another good way to stop your fish trying to jump out of your pond is to have hiding places. This can be by done by adding plants and rocks into your pond. This is especially effective if you have a mixture of fish in your pond. This allows the smaller fish to hide from its predators, so they do not jump out to get away from them.

Also, ensure you are feeding your fish properly. Fish like koi tend to explore and try and escape if they feel like you are not feeding them properly. So, although this seems obvious to ensure your fish are well fed, it can be very effective at ensuring your fish are happy and therefore will not try to escape.

Lastly, an effective way of making sure your fish does not jump out of the pond is to put a net over the top. This stops the fish being able to throw themselves out of the pond. This also has other benefits. Alongside this, having a net over your pond can stop predators getting to your fish and can also stop things like leaves and debris falling into your pond.

Types Of Pond Fish Known For Jumping Out Of The Water

There are two main fish that you will commonly find in a pond that like to jump out of the water. The first being mullet and the second is koi.

Mullet is a common fish that you will see leaping out of your pond. There are certain reasons for this. One reason that you will find mullet jumping out of the water is to avoid predators. This is an effective way for mullet to conserve their lives as they jump out of the water away from its predator.

Another reason that mullet jump out of the water is to fill their pharyngobranchial organ with air (this is in the back of their throats). When mullet trap this air in their throats, this can allow the fish to remain active in water whilst in a low oxygen concentration for approximately five minutes.

Koi is the second fish that you tend to see jumping out of your pond. One of the reasons that koi jump out of ponds is because they find jumping fun, in fact this could be the main reason koi jump. Unfortunately, there is not much that you can do to stop them from doing this other than to put a net over your pond.

Koi also like to explore. This is similar to them enjoying jumping. If your koi has recently been introduced into your pond, then you may see them jumping more frequently. This is because they like to explore their surroundings and that includes what is also outside the pond. However, adding a net can help to prevent the koi jumping and reduce the chance of them getting hurt.

The third reason that koi jump out of the water is because they are uncomfortable. This can be because of high ammonia or nitrate levels (as previously mentioned) or because they are trying to get rid of parasites on their scales. To counteract this, you need to regularly check the levels in your pond and then get an equaliser if your levels are too high.

Conclusion

To conclude, this article explored the many reasons as to why your fish may be jumping out of the pond. These main reasons include factors such as your ammonia levels or your nitrate levels may be too high in your pond. This can have devastating effects on your fish and can eventually lead to death. Therefore, this is something that you need to check regularly.

The main fish that you will likely see jumping out of your pond are mullet and koi. Koi especially find jumping out of the pond fun and they do this to explore their surroundings. Although it is always best to check the levels in your pond as this is the most likely reason.