How Long Do Fish Sleep For?

[JamesW]

I have just added a couple of bristlenose catfish to my tank, one is a golden bristlenose, but they are out all day and they are supposed to be nocturnal. There are plenty of dark cave like places for them during the day, but they never seem to use them. Is this usual behaviour? Maybe they only sleep for a couple of hours, but I can't find the answer anywhere. I am also thinking that as they are young fish maybe they are just more active than adults. I've only had them 4 days so maybe they need time to settle in, but I would appreciate any advice.

 

[ox5477]

This is an interesting idea about fish sleeping. I've seen a couple other posts on TFF about whether fish actually sleep or not.

I feel that they more catnap on and off whether it be day or night. I can catch my JD kinda floating and if I walk over and tap the glass a little (i know, don't tap the glass..... haha) he gets a little startled, as I think he is kind of dosing. It can be hard to tell because the normal tell-tale sign we go by, the closed eyes, is not possible with fish as they have no eye lids.

So from my experiences, your cats prob sleep more than you think, they are prob dosing a little whenever they are hanging on a wall or laying in a corner under a plant or something, even if its daytime when the lights are on. They most def prob still roam around at night, just they are not fully nocturnal because I don't think fish can really sleep for hours on end like most mammals do. Its just a fish thing, like with sharks who have to keep constantly moving or else they will sufficate, its just how they live and are used to it

 

[kribensis12]

Every morning when I turn on the light all my fish are "resting/sleeping' on the bottom and they need me to open the lid and then the moise from that will 'wake them up'

 

[modaz]

i got a black phantom that sleeps almost upside down but cant get pics to upload, as you might as guessed by my recent topic in chit chat

alcohol might have something to do with it mind

got half way there
any ideas?

 

[WILDER]

Some say fish sleep up to 12 hours aday but don't know if it's true.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

I've heard somewhere that when bettas sleep their colors fade a little, this has happened with my bettas, they also rest on top of the plant. Then they eventually "wake up"
My guppies also rest at the bottom of the tank sometimes. Their little fins move but not their tail. All three seem to do it at different times and they are pefectly healthy.

 

[fishboy619]

my cardinals are wizzing around the tank in the day, but at night, they slow down, the red color fades and becomes patchy and they rest on the substrate, the same with my platies. my betta likes to rest on plant leaves most of the day, but i heard fiosh need total darkness to sleep as they have no eyelids.

 

[Sibelius]

Your bristlenoses obviously feel safe and secure enough in your tank to come out during the day. They won't get too tired, don't worry, this is only a good thing. It is paradoxial that the more hiding places etc. that there are in a tank, the less they are used by the fish.

 

[Gatorbait]

Depends on your definition of sleep. There are many studies that have been done and some differ slightly but the consensus (from what I've read in the past, at least) is that the definition of sleep needs to be defined in order to answer this question.

If what is meant is to say do they sleep like humans, then no. When we sleep there is a different pattern of brain waves sent to the neocortex. Fish don't have the same neocortical development as humans do so they can't send the same signals.

They do, however, have a period of not being as aware of their surroundings, lowered response to stimuli and a reduced metabolic rate.

Sharks and blind fish are said to never sleep. One thought is that when sleeping, sensory input accumilated throughout the day are processed and that is what forms memories. Fish that can't see or swim in vast and plain oceans with not much stimuli (especially visual) don't need this time for memory consumption.

Edit:I'm no scientist and these aren't my studies but what I remember reading either online or in one of my books a while ago. It seemed logical to me, though.

 

[brads]

All my fish seem rest at about 10pm and when the light comes on in the morning at 8am thet slowly all appear. I work nights and when I come home from my shift 3 in the morning they are all what appears to be asleep. Through the day they are all very activve, My tiger barbs are nutters, so they have to rest some time!!

 

[Rhiannon]

My BN is only a bub too, and he is out 90% of the day now cleaning cleaning cleaning.

But in the morning when I turn the light on they are all on the bottom resting. Some take a while to get moving.

Also, during the night if I have to get my daughter a bottle, we walk out to the lounge and she points to the tank so I turn on the light and they are all on the bottom too.

Their eyes are open, but I think thats how they must sleep.

 

[DoyouWantsum]

The on type of fish you can be sure are asleep are loaches, they lay on there side when they sleep.

Some of them sleep a long time, usualy until something else bashes into them.

 

[JamesW]

Thanks for all the replies, I guess there's nothing to worry about then.

 

[thegnu]

bristlenose catfish are more active during the day than most plecos which is why i guess they are such good algae eaters. they have got something in their eyes that they can enlarge or decrease when they like that blocks out or lets in more light as they want. small fish rest on the bottom at night because they feel safer from predators. a predator cant swallow them from underneath if they are on the bottom. one less direction they have to worry about

 

[cleekdaFish]

they sleep with their eyes open, bunch of freaks if u ask me