Peculiar fish behavior - hovering at bottom
Oct 8, 2014 12:27:51 GMT -5
Carl and goldenpuon like this
Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2014 12:27:51 GMT -5
Greetings All,
As you know, it is important to know your fish behavior. If they are doing something different, something is wrong.
One evening, after we ate salmon for dinner no less, I went downstairs and found my fish all hovering at the bottom of the aquarium. What? They were afraid we were going to eat them to? Of course not, but I had to toss that in.
I did all sorts of searches to try to figure out what the problem might be. In one place (don't know where this time) I discovered it might be the fluorescent lights. Well.... The bulbs were old, so I did replace those. Still that didn't seem to solve all of the problem... so more key word searches....Somewhere, I discovered it might be high phosphates, so I bought a phosphate test kit. Yes, the phosphates were high. I started to use Phosphate absorbing media (first I did use one that had ferrous oxide - similar to Phas Ban maybe?) but switched to API Phos Guard as I started to see better deals offered for that product.
So....just wanted to toss in here the importance of knowing fish behavior. If there patterns change, something is wrong.
Since I don't have plants, I don't keep the lights on too long on any of my aquariums. The lights are on a little before feeding time - and go off sometime after feeding. I need the lights on in order to see who is eating and who isn't -- and too look for anyone who may have passed away.
I actually had to start keeping the lights off more on the 75 gallon after a tinfoil got attacked by my leporinus (the leporinus was taken to a local fish store - banished from his home of five years). The tinfoil healed, but the lights freaked him out. I had to look him in the eye before I turned the lights on -- and before I turned it off. He was very sensitive to the changes in light. I suspect there was too much damage to his one eye - and all he could sense from that one is light.
So in short.... knowing your fish and their behavior can help avoid a major problem.
As you know, it is important to know your fish behavior. If they are doing something different, something is wrong.
One evening, after we ate salmon for dinner no less, I went downstairs and found my fish all hovering at the bottom of the aquarium. What? They were afraid we were going to eat them to? Of course not, but I had to toss that in.
I did all sorts of searches to try to figure out what the problem might be. In one place (don't know where this time) I discovered it might be the fluorescent lights. Well.... The bulbs were old, so I did replace those. Still that didn't seem to solve all of the problem... so more key word searches....Somewhere, I discovered it might be high phosphates, so I bought a phosphate test kit. Yes, the phosphates were high. I started to use Phosphate absorbing media (first I did use one that had ferrous oxide - similar to Phas Ban maybe?) but switched to API Phos Guard as I started to see better deals offered for that product.
So....just wanted to toss in here the importance of knowing fish behavior. If there patterns change, something is wrong.
Since I don't have plants, I don't keep the lights on too long on any of my aquariums. The lights are on a little before feeding time - and go off sometime after feeding. I need the lights on in order to see who is eating and who isn't -- and too look for anyone who may have passed away.
I actually had to start keeping the lights off more on the 75 gallon after a tinfoil got attacked by my leporinus (the leporinus was taken to a local fish store - banished from his home of five years). The tinfoil healed, but the lights freaked him out. I had to look him in the eye before I turned the lights on -- and before I turned it off. He was very sensitive to the changes in light. I suspect there was too much damage to his one eye - and all he could sense from that one is light.
So in short.... knowing your fish and their behavior can help avoid a major problem.