Do fish sleep?

[NeveR]

I've never actually witnessed a sleeping fish but have read accounts of people catching a sleeping fish.

Do their eyes close? Do they dream?

I've seen my shark get tired but never actually fall asleep. He just rests his fins against his body and moves much more slowly.

Do you turn off your airstones at night?

Any input is welcome.

 

[NeveR]

After some short research, it appears as thought they don't sleep for the sake of the word "sleep", but rather they rest?

Also, I know that fish don't have eyelids but I could swear I see my cory blink occasionally?

 

[Phantom Thief]

Fish dont really sleep, what they do is they sort of daydream, i dont know any other way to put it. Diurnal fish, for example, will appear listless and inactive at night. If you suddenly turn on the lights, they sort of become stunned, just like people are if you turn on the lights in the middle of the night and wake them up.

As for cories, what happens is that they actually have very mobile eyes, and their eyeballs can move around in their sockets. When they "blink", they are actually flicking their eyes some other place, and then back to its original posiition, making it look like they really are blinking.

HTH

P.T.

edit: just saw your bubble stone question. if your tank is a planted tank, it is actually more important to have the bubble stone on at night then in the day. if your tank is not a planted tank, then it doesn't really matter, on or off will do.

 

[Synirr]

Also, I know that fish don't have eyelids but I could swear I see my cory blink occasionally?

Mine does that!!! Lol. It looks like he just rolls his eyes down really rapidly.

 

[The Mohave Kid]

I would like to get a heat scope and watch the aquarium at night

I know my fish seem to slow down at night ... except the Danios ??

Many years back when wreck diving along the Atlantic coast it was evident that fish kick back at night it seems ... there seemed to be a night crew that took over for the daytime fish

When I first set up the tank my 4 year old insisted he was not going to bed until the fish went to sleep

Good Day ...

 

[DannyBoy17]

Buy a Clown Loach! They definitely sleep lol. Most beginners get all worked up because they see them laying on their sides, and tihnk they are dead!

DB

 

[NeveR]

What good is a heat scope in a tank full of cold-blooded creatures?

 

[Opcn]

Some fish sleep some don't, Danios never realy sleep while dwarf puffers sleep a good 8 hours each night; Some fish just go on mental autopiolet at night while others acctually lay down and sleep, sleep is especialy important on reefs, where fish are trying hard to avoid predators.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

get some red lights, it doesnt wake them up. if fish do sleep, then how do sharks know where they are going at night?

 

[Candyco]

Buy a Clown Loach! They definitely sleep lol. Most beginners get all worked up because they see them laying on their sides, and tihnk they are dead!

DB

My clown does that..... he cracks me up when he just lays there! As soon as i go near the tank he gets up again as if to say ' it wasn't me, you didn't see me'

 

[steelhealr]

Hi..forget red lights or heat scopes. You can buy a lunar light on the web or on ebay. SH

 

[Fishy411]

ive walked in at about 5 AM and i saw my JD sitting on the bottom of the tank. He was definately asleep and his gills didnt move as often.

I swear My PLeco definately blinks. You can see what looks like eyelids closing

 

[Opcn]

get some red lights, it doesnt wake them up. if fish do sleep, then how do sharks know where they are going at night?

How does that bat fly at night? maybe its because they are noctournal

 

[philbozz]

Hmm, they dont sleep as in lie on the bottom eyes closed,etc

They sort of drift aimlessly, some of them drop to the bottom, I notice when I switch the light on in the morning that there are a few on the bottom - mainly tetras.

 

[BettaMomma]

Well, i don't know about all of your fishes, but each of my bettas have little beds with feather down comforters.

They also both put on nighttime masks so they don't have bags under their eyes come morning.