What’s strange behavior

[StPatrick89]

Being a newbie, what’s some strange behavior to look out for in fish and what does it mean? Being a beginner there maybe glaring signs from the fish that there’s a problem but we don’t know as beginners what to look out for. Can y’all drop some things you’ve experienced?

 

[mdrieder]

Totally varies with every species of fish and also between individuals to a degree. The best advice I can give you is just to know your own fish better than anyone else..... upside down is bad

 

[ying yang]

Clamped fins.
Fish heavy breathing ,at surface or hiding.
Darting around tank if unusual for that fish to do it.
Swimmimg up and down side of tank.
Not eating.
White poop ( different ideas on this if new imported fish)
Then you got all the white spots on gills/ body/ eyes
Here a few strange behaviours to look out for imo

 

[ying yang]

Flashing on rocks ( basically a fish swimming past rocks trying to itch itself on the rocks ,usually to get a parasite off or to give some kind of relief,but can then lead to infections as cuts/ grazes themselves

 

[vetteguy53081]

scratching/rubbng against objects
flashing
rapid breathing
swimming into powerhead
milky looking skin
sores/redness
cloudy eyes
sudden hunger strike

 

[StPatrick89]

Totally varies with every species of fish and also between individuals to a degree. The best advice I can give you is just to know your own fish better than anyone else..... upside down is bad

Lol right

 

[StPatrick89]

Clamped fins.
Fish heavy breathing ,at surface or hiding.
Darting around tank if unusual for that fish to do it.
Swimmimg up and down side of tank.
Not eating.
White poop ( different ideas on this if new imported fish)
Then you got all the white spots on gills/ body/ eyes
Here a few strange behaviours to look out for imo

What about swim patterns. I hear certain ones mean something. Like swimming up and down in one spot, or cruising the glass. Does that mean anything

 

[chandavi]

My clown fish exhibit a few of the above “warning” behaviors. While not swimming close to power head they both love to “fight” the current. Also a bit of swimming up and down the glass. As mdrieder says pay attention to your fish’s normal behavior and you’ll quickly know if they are acting strangely.
(My one clown stays up late while all the other fish bed down for the night. He hangs out in the corner of the tank closest to my living room and watches me until I go to bed!!)

 

[StPatrick89]

My clown fish exhibit a few of the above “warning” behaviors. While not swimming close to power head they both love to “fight” the current. Also a bit of swimming up and down the glass. As mdrieder says pay attention to your fish’s normal behavior and you’ll quickly know if they are acting strangely.
(My one clown stays up late while all the other fish bed down for the night. He hangs out in the corner of the tank closest to my living room and watches me until I go to bed!!)

My clownfish exhibit similar behavior

 

[ying yang]

What about swim patterns. I hear certain ones mean something. Like swimming up and down in one spot, or cruising the glass. Does that mean anything

Usually signs of stress but depends what you or others are doing,like if you standing close to the tank,fish could think it going get fed so getting excited and letting you know it wants food,( fish will eat and eat and eat so dont overfeed and watch your nutrient export system)
But as said above all depends on how your fish usually is,we get used to our fish as we get to know them.
If the water is bad they swim erractically like fish in a uncycled system with amnonia still in the water,usually it is best to keep tank stable and make changes slowly but if fishes health/ life at risk then sometimes we need to act fast and make fast changes ( like if amnonia in tank then we do large water change to dilute the amnonia)
Fish could be pacing up and down glass as it a algae eater and trying to eat algae from glass or could be agressive fish in tank and it trying to escape and just swimming erratically.
So aslong as we cycle tank, aclimintise all new arrivals,
Do our stocking list wisely,and test water regulary ,appropiate tank size ,add fish stock slowly rather than say 10 fish at once,and give our fishy friends best surroundings we can and if something goes wrong then do the appropriate measures to rectify the problem.
Also one more thing to look out for is fish losing colour as a unhealthy or stressed fish generally loses colour .could just be stress or could be indication of dieseses or parasites but research each fish you want before you get it as some fish prone more than others to certain dieseses like brookenella ( which was once called clownfish diesese )
Also swim bladder problems where fish cant get its balance swimming,but again maybe it a hippo tang and alot say these act very strange often in their swimming/hiding in rocks behaviour .

 

[ying yang]

My clown fish exhibit a few of the above “warning” behaviors. While not swimming close to power head they both love to “fight” the current. Also a bit of swimming up and down the glass. As mdrieder says pay attention to your fish’s normal behavior and you’ll quickly know if they are acting strangely.
(My one clown stays up late while all the other fish bed down for the night. He hangs out in the corner of the tank closest to my living room and watches me until I go to bed!!)

Ha ha you got a night owl /party animal clownfish maybe that wants be let out to go partying ^_^
Very intrigying watching our fish in the tanks and how each one got their own personality.
I can sit and watch tank instead of my tv sometimes just watching them interact with each other ( but from far as if go close they think it feed time and try make me feel guilty that they still hungry and i need them them ha ha ) sometimes it works and i think ummm just little bit more pfffft

 

[StPatrick89]

Usually signs of stress but depends what you or others are doing,like if you standing close to the tank,fish could think it going get fed so getting excited and letting you know it wants food,( fish will eat and eat and eat so dont overfeed and watch your nutrient export system)
But as said above all depends on how your fish usually is,we get used to our fish as we get to know them.
If the water is bad they swim erractically like fish in a uncycled system with amnonia still in the water,usually it is best to keep tank stable and make changes slowly but if fishes health/ life at risk then sometimes we need to act fast and make fast changes ( like if amnonia in tank then we do large water change to dilute the amnonia)
Fish could be pacing up and down glass as it a algae eater and trying to eat algae from glass or could be agressive fish in tank and it trying to escape and just swimming erratically.
So aslong as we cycle tank, aclimintise all new arrivals,
Do our stocking list wisely,and test water regulary ,appropiate tank size ,add fish stock slowly rather than say 10 fish at once,and give our fishy friends best surroundings we can and if something goes wrong then do the appropriate measures to rectify the problem.
Also one more thing to look out for is fish losing colour as a unhealthy or stressed fish generally loses colour .could just be stress or could be indication of dieseses or parasites but research each fish you want before you get it as some fish prone more than others to certain dieseses like brookenella ( which was once called clownfish diesese )
Also swim bladder problems where fish cant get its balance swimming,but again maybe it a hippo tang and alot say these act very strange often in their swimming/hiding in rocks behaviour .

So I’m in the middle of a 30 day copper treatment. My Convict tang maybe a day or two ago has started swimming up and down in the corner of the glass. Now I do put nori on that side of the tank close to where he goes up and down. I was worried about ammonia spikes as the water will not get changed for a long period of time and tangs do make a lot of waste. Any ideas? And yes he’s the only one in my tank doing that. I have a Sailfin, hippo, dory, coral beaut, and two clowns

 

[ying yang]

I' ll say straight off the bat im no fish dieseses/qt/copper dosing expert.
It seems your convict slightly stressed, hopefully someone can chime in to see if you got the copper doses correct and all that etc.
They will be asking you how big the tank is that you got them 5- 6 fish in and if they juveniles or large as if say got them all in a small 10-15 gallon tank and they largish fish,this could be adding stress to them and ovbiously the amnonia spike in tank.
Was the qt tank cycled first ? If so how was it cycled?
Can turn lights off to reduce stress / can put something around edges of tank like cardboard to cut out the light and reflections etc.
Can put pvc pipes / elbows/tee's so they got somewhere to go to feel more safer.
A seachem amnonia alert badge is a good thing to have to monitor amnonia. They really cheap and last around a year.
Often alot ask what your basic parameters are like .
Amnonia.
Nitrite
Nitrate
Temperature
Ph
Sg
And did you aclimitise them etc.
Im just doing a drip acliminisation on 3 hermit crabs as we speak and about to have food.keep bumping this thread till you get a reply.wish you luck

 

[fachatga]

As long as you’re watching your fish I’m sure you’ll notice any change in behavior. Even if it’s not on these lists it’s safe to ask this group. Especially since you seem to care for your fish and want to know these things I’m confident you’ll notice when they start acting differently.

 

[StPatrick89]

I' ll say straight off the bat im no fish dieseses/qt/copper dosing expert.
It seems your convict slightly stressed, hopefully someone can chime in to see if you got the copper doses correct and all that etc.
They will be asking you how big the tank is that you got them 5- 6 fish in and if they juveniles or large as if say got them all in a small 10-15 gallon tank and they largish fish,this could be adding stress to them and ovbiously the amnonia spike in tank.
Was the qt tank cycled first ? If so how was it cycled?
Can turn lights off to reduce stress / can put something around edges of tank like cardboard to cut out the light and reflections etc.
Can put pvc pipes / elbows/tee's so they got somewhere to go to feel more safer.
A seachem amnonia alert badge is a good thing to have to monitor amnonia. They really cheap and last around a year.
Often alot ask what your basic parameters are like .
Amnonia.
Nitrite
Nitrate
Temperature
Ph
Sg
And did you aclimitise them etc.
Im just doing a drip acliminisation on 3 hermit crabs as we speak and about to have food.keep bumping this thread till you get a reply.wish you luck

Thanks

 

[StPatrick89]

I' ll say straight off the bat im no fish dieseses/qt/copper dosing expert.
It seems your convict slightly stressed, hopefully someone can chime in to see if you got the copper doses correct and all that etc.
They will be asking you how big the tank is that you got them 5- 6 fish in and if they juveniles or large as if say got them all in a small 10-15 gallon tank and they largish fish,this could be adding stress to them and ovbiously the amnonia spike in tank.
Was the qt tank cycled first ? If so how was it cycled?
Can turn lights off to reduce stress / can put something around edges of tank like cardboard to cut out the light and reflections etc.
Can put pvc pipes / elbows/tee's so they got somewhere to go to feel more safer.
A seachem amnonia alert badge is a good thing to have to monitor amnonia. They really cheap and last around a year.
Often alot ask what your basic parameters are like .
Amnonia.
Nitrite
Nitrate
Temperature
Ph
Sg
And did you aclimitise them etc.
Im just doing a drip acliminisation on 3 hermit crabs as we speak and about to have food.keep bumping this thread till you get a reply.wish you luck

It’s in my main 75g tank. No corals, inverts etc

 

[ying yang]

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