Escaped Xeno

You could also have the lights dimming before they go off.
Lets the cichlids settle and not panic as plunged into darkness.

All the best James

Mine really freak when I put the lights out, I lost 2 in 2 weeks and I'm really gutted, once was careless but twicw shouldn't happen. It must have jumped through the tiniest gap in the condensation tray where I cut out for the filter pipes, grrrr.....

Are dimmers easily avaliable, good idea, never thought if that :thumb:

:fish:

If you have more than one light fixture one option would be too have one light cut off a minute or two before the second. I think thats what I'm going to do since reading this.

Yeah good ideas. They could probably easily injure themselves when reacting to the lights turning off, as well. I do have two lights. I'd need to pick up a second timer.

Bummer- I've lost calvus and cyps that way too.

I had a xeno jump in the middle of the night- woke me up flopping against the back of the bedroom dresser. My husband thought I was insane (and having a nightmare) when I woke him shouting, turned on all the lights, removed the dresser drawers and Heaved the dresser away from the wall with the 40gal long tank still full. I got the xeno, with several clumps of cat hair, back in the tank in time to save him. :roll:

The hole the xeno jumped through had about 1/2" space between the hood and the filter intake. The lights weren't a factor...

In other tanks I found timers help fish prepare for sudden changes in light. I can watch my fishroom tanks all start to settle in about 10 minutes before the lights go out. I don't have xenos any more, so I don't know if it would help you.