Sword tail dashing up and down

[bogusmove]

I have a 4 week old 380L tank, fish (6 neon tetras, 2 platties, 2 swordtails) added a week ago.

For the last 3 days, since a small water change, the male sword tail has spent many hours each day dashing up and down one side of the aquarium. All the other fish seem fine. He always stops when I approach too near the tank, or when the lights go out in the evening, and he is sometimes to be found looking for food with the others... but most of the time he races up and down!

My ammonia is 0. Nitrite is < 0.1. Nitrate about 5. ph about 7.5. Nitrite has always been present at a very low level, seems reluctant to disappear completely.

Nothing else seems wrong apart from this... should I be worried do you think?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

My zebra danios and female guppy did the same thing, but they stopped soon after (the zebras on their own and the guppy after the male started chasing her ). If you have thick glass, then he is probably just chasing after his reflection. Don't worry unless it continues happening after a few days.

 

[bogusmove]

My glass is 10mm. Looking at the side glass (up and down which the Swordtail us dashing) through the front of the aquarium I can see a reflected Swordtail following the real fish up and down... but, although I've not dunked up head in the aquarium to check I figure that from the inside, looking out, the fish should see the room, not this reflection...

It's been going on for 3 days now, hence my post really... The nitrite presence isn't ideal I know but it is very low.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I don't think nitrite or even nitrate cause insanity! If he were sick, he'd clamp his fins and swim from side to side at the bottom. Haven't read anything about this, though.

Oh, by the way, my oto does that continuously. Every single day for hours. He's very energetic and is by no means ready to keel over.

I'd like to see what other people have to say about this...

 

[bogusmove]

Oh, by the way, my oto does that continuously. Every single day for hours. He's very energetic and is by no means ready to keel over.

Ahh well, that's encouraging! I seem to have a highly developed sense of paranoia concerning my fish! I keep thinking things are wrong and don't have the experience to know any better!

I'd like to see what other people have to say about this...

There should be some kind of aquarium behavioural database!!

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I don't think that'd work (I can't get the quoting thing down, so I hope you know to what this pertains). Too many diferent behaviors and strange occurences. For example: the blind cory, bottom feeders that live in gravel for years, liverbearers changing sex... You just have to pick and choose.

As for the experience and paranoia, you're not the only one. You'll learn new things over time. I've read over thirty books (skipping genetics and parts that don't pertain to me, i.e. marine tanks). this forum's also good for that. Don't be disheartened or feel foolish because you are worried, just keep at it. (I have a real problem with talking about unimprtant topics at length. this had nothing to do with the thread topic. Oh well! )