Do fish 'hibernate'?

[Angry_Platy]

I posted earlier about the heater breaking on my 75gal tank. I have since replaced it. The temperature dropped by approx 4degC (not sure over what period)....in the last few days I have noticed my clown loaches have been absent. I had seen them ocassionally but they rarely came out, even for food. I just figured it was loaches being moody.

Then I got the new heater. My temperature has gone up to what it was prior to the heater dying AND the clown loaches are no longer hiding and are actively pursuing each other around the tank.

Were they hiding because the water was cooler? Kind of like a semi-hibernation?

The way they are chasing each other now reminds me of my other fishies behaviour when they mate. But I know this is highly unlikely with clown loaches....nice thought though

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Basically a fish's metabolism is defined by the temperature of the water it is in, and putting a tropical fish into cold water will slow its metabolism down alot and so the fish appears less active- the same is true if you put a coldwater fish into a tropical tank and its activity shoots up.
This probably what happened to your clown loaches, and can happen to any tropical fish but unfortunatly it is not hibernation, just a slow metabolism.

 

[Tropjunky]

nope most fish cant hibernate but i think there are some species that can although i'm not too sure about this