Bichirs swimming habits

[ultimatejay]

Most of the time bichirs chill on the bottom of the tank but sometimes they will have frantic swimming up and down side to side in the tank. Anyone know why? I can't figure it out other than something in the tank bothering them?


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[Dr.B]

I think of it as they are just cruising around the tank. The only time my guys frantically swim around is if something spooks them, but they usually settle down after a couple seconds. What kind of decor do you have in the tank? and what are the tank mates? and what size tank? they may just want some hiding places. They may also just be active. I know that my p.polli and senegalus love to just swim around.

 

[ultimatejay]

I think of it as they are just cruising around the tank. The only time my guys frantically swim around is if something spooks them, but they usually settle down after a couple seconds. What kind of decor do you have in the tank? and what are the tank mates? and what size tank? they may just want some hiding places. They may also just be active. I know that my p.polli and senegalus love to just swim around.

240 gallon with 3 big pieces of driftwood. Very few tank mates. Dat, green silver dollar. It's not cruising, I mean when they put their faces against the tank wall and swim back and forth. Mine do it and in many videos I have seen others do it. I'll see if I can post a vid. I mean it's nothing to worry about, just wondering why they do it.



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[fishnatics]

I think of it as they are just cruising around the tank. The only time my guys frantically swim around is if something spooks them, but they usually settle down after a couple seconds. What kind of decor do you have in the tank? and what are the tank mates? and what size tank? they may just want some hiding places. They may also just be active. I know that my p.polli and senegalus love to just swim around.

I would agree with Dr. B. My albino is very active and cruises all day without any fear, while my lap just sits there. If I come too close to the lap, then it'll freak out and dart like crazy to the other side of the tank. But once I sit down, it'll relax and just sit there again.

 

[Aw3s0m3]

I agree with dr b. At 1 point, my 14" endli had the entire 150 all to itself and for a couple weeks, all it did was constantly cruise around the entire tank at all levels all day. Then once I added a lap, it stopped and would just chill. Until yesterday, I sold it, every few days it would just swim all over the place


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[rodger]

I believe it is mainly younger fish and newly captured fish. Old and well settled wild fish don't seem to do it as much.

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[mike_sema]

I believe it is mainly younger fish and newly captured fish. Old and well settled wild fish don't seem to do it as much.

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This ^^ and environment, I had a customer ask me this ( why is my new endilicheri acting crazy ) after receiving a pic the poor thing was being suffocated with no gap at the top at all, so it was frantically try to find air. Luckily the endilicheri made it after the adjustment. But all in all they all will react a bit differently to there new environment.


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[mikehagan]

All of my bichirs do it. From my 8" retropinnis to 15" endli. It's certainly nothing to worry about. It happens late at night, after water changes, even if they want to just swim around.


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[BuffaloPolypteridae]

What size tank? If they are frantically going up and down they may be stressed, if they just cruise the width they just do that sometimes.

My Teugs start swimming around midnight and don't stop for a few hours, not frantic swimming just cruising about chasing each other. My polli and delhezi are the same while my endli babies, subadult ornate, weeksii and buettokoferri just generally swim to either eat breach or gtfo the way of my wolf

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[Thomas cw]

I would agree with Dr. B. My albino is very active and cruises all day without any fear, while my lap just sits there. If I come too close to the lap, then it'll freak out and dart like crazy to the other side of the tank. But once I sit down, it'll relax and just sit there again.

What's a lap?