New Yellow Assessor won't stop swimming upside down

[rkpetersen]

I just yesterday received a beautiful Yellow Assessor from Blue Zoo. Put it into quarantine after equalizing temp and salinity. It appears to be healthy and is doing great - out in the water column, easily avoiding a curious sapphire damsel, eating already. However, it's swimming upside down. All the time. I haven't seen it right side up yet.



I know this species likes to hang out upside down in caves, but I assumed they would right themselves when coming out into the open. Anyone have any relevant experience with this? Is this fish likely to behave like this indefinitely? I mean, I could get used to it, but would rather not.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Possible swim bladder issue? I've never seen this before.

 

[eatbreakfast]

That's part of their charm. Some individuals are more apt to do it than others. Give him time, he should orient normally more of the time, but the upside down swimming is perfectly normal.

 

[rkpetersen]

That's part of their charm. Some individuals are more apt to do it than others. Give him time, he should orient normally more of the time, but the upside down swimming is perfectly normal.

Thanks for confirming that this is ok!

I am curious what percentage of these stay this way permanently, and of those that do adjust, the typical time course.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Mine was upside down most the time. He would love to swim in the current at night. They are upside down because in nature they hang in caves under rocks. Cool guys.

 

[rkpetersen]

Thanks! I actually have a couple of very nice rock arches in the new tank that I now hope it will take to hanging out under.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I’m guessing there is not much in the QT tank for it to orient itself. For a fish that is just as comfortable being upside down as right side up, I could see that without substrate or other structure to orient against, it wouldn’t have a reason to orient itself one way vs the other.

 

[rkpetersen]

I’m guessing there is not much in the QT tank for it to orient itself. For a fish that is just as comfortable being upside down as right side up, I could see that without substrate or other structure to orient against, it wouldn’t have a reason to orient itself one way vs the other.

That's a very good point and you are correct, there is no substrate, only some pvc pipe. And the tank sits on an open metal stand, so the fish can see through the bottom. Perhaps I should add a bit of clean sand, or put some pieces of cardboard under the tank.

 

[Stigigemla]

I have painted the bottom of my bare bottom tanks. (On the outside of course).

 

[reef lover]

Any better?

 

[rkpetersen]

Any better?

Still doing it! Putting cardboard across the bottom of the tank has made no difference so far. So weird. And yet it's gracefully zooming back and forth when I feed the tank, grabbing tidbits. Absolutely no signs that it's distressed in any way. Just sees the world different than everyone else, I guess.

 

[reef lover]

Very strange...

 

[lion king]

That's funny, my blue one would hang upside down in this huge cave right in the front like a bat.

 

[rkpetersen]

Update:

The odd little fish sailed through quarantine, upside down. Never once turned right side up, not even for a moment. Matched temp and salinity, netted it, dropped it in a social acclimator in the DT, and it immediately started swimming right side up, as if it could have done so all along and was just messing with me.



We'll see if it does the upside down thing again once released into the aquascape.

 

[Rakie]

This is "Normal" behavior for Yellow Assessors. Some do it more than others. Mine perches upside down on rockwork, but typically swims normally (sometimes sideways). Just how they are.

 

[Orbela]

This normal best fish I ever had.

 

[Kyl]

Mine swam right side up for about 5 months then seemingly overnight started to hang around under the plating monti, and now swims upside down 100% of the time.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Assessors are awesone!

 

[mckinney0171]

My favorite fish. My Randall’s used to be on a schedule. I could always count on him being the first fish up in the morning and then would disappear into the rocks for the rest of the day and then reappear at feeding time in the evening. I miss him. Had to sell him off when I did my tank move.
Great fish!

 

[Kyl]

Other assessor owners, has yours had a lot of colour fade? I can't figure out why mine is very dull versus purchase, eats the same diet as everything else in the tank (mysis, mysis pellets, LRS frenzy, PE calanus).