Endlers Acting Funny

[Mothi]

Heya,

I bought some endlers a few weeks ago. They've been doing pretty well so far and 2 days ago I noticed 5 fries and the fries are swimming happily in the tank. I have 9 females and 2 males with the fries in my 54 litre tank. The both male seem fine it's the females I'm a bit concerned about. They are hanging in a pack and just hugging the filter or resting under the filter. When I feed them they all eat fine but after they finish the food they all bunch up together again and would stay in the same place. Occasionally one or two female will break from the gang and swim around the tank and then return to the rest. They do move away from the filter sometimes and go and hang near the log or behind the plants.

This has only been happening today. I feed them a varied diet- Aquarian Tropical flakes, Spirulina flakes, Hikari Guppy pellets, Freeze dried daphnia, brine shrimp flakes and once a week all my fish get peas.

I've done a water change and the stats are all fine so I don't think it's the water but I still did a 30% water change.

Is this behaviour something I should be worried about or do Endler females behave like this sometimes?

Also they leave all my plants alone but they have destroyed my java moss. These girls eat java moss like there's no tomorrow. I don't mind it long as it's not bad for them and they're happy.

Cheers,
Mothi

 

[noor]

Hi, any changed in environment of the aquarium? Did you shift the location of the tank that has caused it to be in bright light? Try putting some plants in the tank.

 

[Mothi]

Hi Noor, the endlers are doing a little better now after more water changes but they still huddle up together every now and then. I already have lots of plants in there and the tank has always been on my desk. Now that you've mentioned the bright light, I think this is prossibly the problem.

My window have no curtains or blind so the room gets light really early around 5am this time of the year. Plus I sometimes stay up until 2-3am doing my work and the bedroom light is on.

For this tank I have black background stack on the back and on one side. To reduce more light I can stick one on the other side too. Maybe I should also put a towel over the front of the tank in the evenings or is that a bad idea?

Cheers,
Mothi

 

[OldMan47]

You need to find a way to let them sleep. You are observing them sleeping in a group which is quite normal. When I first come into my fish room and turn on the lights, almost every tank is full of fish in little groups in their tanks. Once they wake up they swim around as we consider normal. With over 20 hours a day of light, they are sleeping whether or not they get any darkness to do it.

 

[Mothi]

Thanks for your help Noor and Oldman.

The endlers are all acting normal now. I've been covering the front of the tank with my towel every night and it seems to have given them the darkness for them to have enough sleep.

I didn't know that the light was the issue at first since the fish in my other two tanks, which are in my bedroom too, weren't showing this behaviour. But I've got enough cover for them too so they all have enough sleep/rest.


Thanks again for the help.

Cheers,
Mothi

 

[london_kev]

Question on you female endler? When it wa pregnat did you notice a black dot near the underside belly? Am pretty sure my female endler dis not have this a few days ago? I wonder if it is pregnant?....

 

[Mothi]

I think you're refering to the gravid spot. If so, my female endlers always have this dark spot even after giving birth. Your female is most likey pregnant if she has ever been kept with a male. My female endlers are always pregnant and the only way I know they are close to giving birth is when they look kind of squarish. I haven't had these endlers for long and I already have over 50 babies

Cheers,
Mothi

 

[london_kev]

Yea gravid spot is what am referig too. Squarish belt hmm it's a bit hard to tell as I have just fed it not so long ago. Any other sighs of pregnancy? Yes I have a snake skin male endler, just the pair with some shrimp and baby guppies

 

[Mothi]

I haven't noticed anything else unusuak with pregnant endlers. Though, one morning when I turned the lights on, I saw a female hiding behind the plants and when I took a closer look I saw her giving birth. Prior to that I didn't even know that she was pregnant.

Your endler must be pregnant if she with with a male. How long have you had them for?

 

[london_kev]

I've had them for about 3 weeks but they were still very small. Nonetheless they were plenty of males in the tank when bought buy don't think if was pregnant when I bought it. I am really hoping she is as it's a tiger skin male with a higher re- sale value

 

[london_kev]

I have a spare tank however do not have a spare heater or filter. If I keep the tank somewhere warm with small daily water changes for the fry would this work? As i think keeping it in the community tank now will be dinner for many

 

[Mothi]

I would strongly suggest a filter. It could work without a heater if the tememrature is within the range and dosen't flactuate much. But I would add a heater just to be on the safe side.

Good luck with them