Strange Behaviour -fish Headbutting Tank Bottom!

[fishnovice]

My male convict was bored and sulking in a corner on tank bottom so I moved him to larger tank for a change until I set up my new big cichlid tankin a few weeks time. He's perked up a bit now, after a few days he started swimming around all over and even goes up to surface sometimes. Now he's more active he's also doing something strange, almost like a game. He charges into the tank bottom and flips over on his side at the last minute to avoid knocking himself out, does this a few times and then stops. Not constant, only seen him do this 2 or 3 times a day. His old tank had a gravel bottom which he was constantly shifting and re-landscaping but the new temporary tank has an uncovered mirror bottom. Could this be it?

Other than that he appears in good health and livlier than i've seen him for weeks -he got very depressed and hardly ate or moved when his mate died. He also comes to the front of the tank and stares at me somtimes the way oscars do, so cute. He has now grown to 4inches and is my favourite fish so I'd hate to have anything else bad happen to him.

 

[Wills]

it sounds a bit like he is flashing which is an early sign of a disease maybe just dose his tank with some melafix to be safe and try and nip it early?

 

[mattlee]

it sounds a bit like he is flashing which is an early sign of a disease maybe just dose his tank with some melafix to be safe and try and nip it early?

keep an eye on him, if it is flashing then it could be ich, flukes, internal parasites etc but dont treat unless your sure of disease dont treat just incase.....

 

[Tory]

If its a mirrored bottom, could it be that hes challenging the "other fish" at the bottom of the tank?

 

[fishnovice]

it sounds a bit like he is flashing which is an early sign of a disease maybe just dose his tank with some melafix to be safe and try and nip it early?

keep an eye on him, if it is flashing then it could be ich, flukes, internal parasites etc but dont treat unless your sure of disease dont treat just incase.....

He#s in a tank on his own, where would he get parasites from? Feed him on flakes and dreis bloodworm and algae sinking pellets. Hasn'e been in contac with other fish for months,
PS: Noticed he only does it on the right side of his head, never the left

it sounds a bit like he is flashing which is an early sign of a disease maybe just dose his tank with some melafix to be safe and try and nip it early?

What's flashing???

 

[Nyu]

If its a mirrored bottom, could it be that hes challenging the "other fish" at the bottom of the tank?

Agreed.

 

[Tory]

whats flashing?

its also called glancing, its where the fish find a rough surface to itch an irritated spot and they kind of swim really fast towards a rock or something then change direction at last minute - but actually scratch themselves against it

I still think you fish is being territorial and trying to "see off" the other fish it can see