If you’ve been wondering “why do bettas jump out of their tank?” or if you’re worried that your betta is going to jump, then this article is for you.

You’ll find out the common reasons bettas jump out of their tank, how to prevent them, how high they can jump, and how to treat your betta if you find him outside of his tank!

Why Do Betta Fish Jump Out Of Their Tanks?

There are a number of different reasons bettas may jump out of their tanks. Here are the main ones:

Poor Water Conditions

One reason that your betta may be jumping out of the tank is due to the water conditions. If you’re not cleaning your tank regularly, then there’s going to be a build up of ammonia.

When ammonia levels get too high your betta is going to do everything he can to find clean water, including jumping out of the tank. (Here’s a full guide about cleaning your bettas tank.)

As well as high ammonia levels, extreme changes in pH and temperature can also cause your betta to try to jump from his tank.

Betta fish care can be challenging if you have no idea where to start. Click here to read a complete Betta fish care guide!

Not Enough Space

You may have heard that bettas can live in tanks that are only a couple of gallons in size. This simply isn’t true. In fact, here’s the truth about how big a betta’s tank should be.

In short, a tank should be a minimum of 5 gallons, however, bigger is always better. Without this much space not only are the ammonia levels going to skyrocket quickly, but your betta will also become bored with his surroundings.

To further minimize the chance of boredom happening, make sure you fill the tank with plants and decorations as well. And if it’s big enough add some friendly tank mates!

A Poor Sleep Cycle

Believe it or not, just like you and I, your betta has a sleep cycle he needs to follow. If he doesn’t follow his sleep cycle, he will become restless and frustrated.

Not knowing when he should be resting and when he should be awake, will begin to confuse him, and he may jump out of his tank by accident.

If you’re wondering how you can manage your bettas sleep cycle then check out this article on when you should turn your betta’s light on or off.

Trying To Catch Something Outside The Tank

If you notice that there are flies around your tank then your betta may try to jump out and catch them. While this is uncommon behavior in bettas it’s not unheard of.

After all, they’re gutty fish that will try to eat anything they can!

They Just Like To Jump

And of course, lastly, your betta may just like to jump out of his tank. If there’s nothing wrong with the tank itself and your betta is still jumping, then he may just like to do it.

How To Stop Your Betta Jumping Out Of His Tank

There are a number of different things you can do to stop your betta from jumping out of his tank. Try to follow all of the guidelines below, to minimize the chance of him jumping out as best you can!

Maintain Your Tank

One of the most important things you can do is maintain your tank. There are a number of different ways you can do this.

First of all, make sure that you’re performing water changes regularly as well as vacuuming the gravel to remove any decaying matter from it.

As well as this you should be checking the temperature of your tank and adjusting it accordingly. You should also be checking your pH to make sure it’s staying stable. (If you don’t know how to check your pH or want to know more then check out this article.)

Make Sure Your Tank Is Big Enough

And obviously, you should make sure that your tank is big enough for a betta. You should keep your betta in a tank that’s a minimum of 5 gallons, however, 10 gallons is even better!

(Check out these articles if you want to know what the best 5 gallon and 10 gallon tanks for bettas are.)

Cover The Top Of Your Tank

One of the best solutions to keep your betta in his tank is to simply cover the top. While this should be a priority, it’s also important to make sure that there’s no other reason your betta is jumping out.

If there’s an underlying issue that doesn’t get treated then it could result in your betta becoming sick and even dying.

Make Sure The Lighting Is Right

If you’re not creating a regular light routine for your betta then you should start. Believe it or not, the right light routine is important for your bettas circadian rhythm. So make sure you’re giving your betta at least 8 hours a day with the lights off so he has time to rest.

How High Can Betta Fish Jump?

You’ll be surprised to know that betta fish can jump quite high. In fact, for how small they are, it’s impressive. The average betta can jump 2-3 inches out of the water. And in extreme cases, this can be even higher.

Now that you know how high bettas can jump, it’s important that you do everything in your power to stop yours from jumping out of his tank!

What To Do If You Find Your Betta Has Jumped Out Of His Tank?

If you notice that your betta has jumped out of his tank then you’ll need to act quickly to make sure he’ll survive. The moment, your betta dries up too much, the jump from his tank will be fatal.

On average, bettas can survive out of water for no more than 10 minutes. And at the 10-minute mark, the chances of survival when he’s added back to water are extremely slim.

However, if you catch him early enough, you should immediately put him back in his tank. It’s not uncommon for your betta to just lay on the bottom of the tank at this point.

He may be struggling to breathe, as his gills might have dried up.  If this is the case then you should add some aquarium salt to improve his gill function! (Everything you need to know about aquarium salt.)

As well as adding aquarium salt to the tank you should also add something to improve his slime coat like API Stress Coat. After being out of his tank, your bettas slime coat may have dried up.

Making sure it’s healthy and strong is going to reduce the chance of your betta getting an infection as well as making his immune system stronger!

(Do you have a betta first aid kit? if not then you should definitely consider looking at everything you need in your betta first aid kit to save your betta in an emergency!)

In Conclusion

Now you should know everything you need to know about why bettas jump out of their tank! If you have any more questions you can leave them down below, otherwise, have a great day.