Cardinals Acting Wierd

[Aqua Tom]

Last night, after lights out, my wife suddenly reminded me that we had not fed the fish. So I went downstairs & turned the tank lights on so I could feed them.

I saw somthing amazing, my whole shoal of cardinals was completely still in my Vallis jungle, all of them facing downwards at about a 75% angle, pointing towards the currant & all of them completely devoid of colour. My immediate thought was that they had all died but to my amazement within 5-10 mins they where all happily swimming about & showing brilliant colours.

Is there somthing wrong or where they all just sleeping?


Tom

 

[laura120381]

hi there,

they were 'asleep!' nothing to worry about. cardinals do lose their colour when the lights are off and this will return reasonably quickly. it is really nothing to be concerned about. perfectly normal.

L

 

[soybean]

Sleeping, and turning the tank lights on suddenly is never a good idea, it can shock fish. Wouldn't have hurt to miss a feed and just leave them until today. Fish need a pattern of light and dark as much as we do.

 

[Spurry]

lights out it bed time, as far as i no and i will be corrected if im rong they have gome to the land of nod, mine do the same as they dont realy sleep but go in a state of rest they hide and reduce in colour as a defence thing, all mine do and some other tetras i have do the same, come morning and lights on there back to full colour and swimming around

hope this helps

 

[KittyKat]

+1, they were sleeping and that it is better to miss a feeding.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Thanks for the replies. I have learnt somthing new & always feel happy when that happens.

ps The tetras are all fine today & showing no ill effects.

Tom