Vertical Barbs (Golden)

[ddm18]

Hi guys,

Not really an emergency (yet?) so thought I'd post here. I've got a fairly heavily stocked 120g (UK) community tank, in which I have golden barbs, black widow, cardinal and black neon tetras, cories and a plec. Everyone's always lived together very peacefully with no untoward bullying etc. Anyway, I've recently installed one of those 'air curtain' things and quite a lot (3 big-ish pieces) of bogwood (properly soaked, etc).

Anyway, everyone still seems perfectly healthy and happy, except for one thing: Since this morning (8 hours ago, or so) some of my barbs (not sure if it's always the same ones - I've got a feeling their doing shifts) have been swimming between about 45 degrees and vertical in the air curtain. When I've fed them they haven't gone out of their way to get food, but they've had a mouthful of anything that's floated past.

The only things that have changed are: new bogwood, which has meant re-arranging everything in the tank - might this have disrupted their territories, etc? Also I had to move the heater, which is now in the middle of the air curtain - could it be that they're just very keen on the upward flow of warm water? Not very likely I know.

At the moment I'm not too concerned - they look 100% healthy, but I certainly am curious!

Sorry that I've gone on a bit, but wanted to get as many details down as possible!

Any ideas?
Dave

PS In case it's relevant they're about 18 months old.

EDIT: Of course I meant 120 litres, not gallons (UK or otherwise)! )

 

[ddm18]

Interesting update (maybe).

I was watching TV, the light in my tank went out (it's on a timer), so I got up to throw in some algae wafers for the plec and cories (as usual), and noticed that suddenly the barbs aren't swimming vertically in the bubbles any more. They're just behaving as they always have...

Just have to wait until 10am tomorrow to see what happens when the light comes back on!

Any suggestions still welcome, I'm still pretty curious.

Thanks
Dave

Oh, and I suppose I'd better ACTUALLY throw in the algae wafers now, stupid distracting computer!

 

[noelberg]

barbs do funny stuff sometimes from what i've seen. my friend keeps them and every now and again I'll catch his tigers doing a 45 degree tilt toward the substrate.

glad to hear they're back to "normal"

 

[jams.alaskan]

I had a trio of green barbs in the 45g in my special ed classroom. I had never observed them doing the nose down tilt until I added this (horrible, ugly, goofy, and tacky) Sponge Bob bubble ornament that the kids picked out and voted for. We were working on "choices and opinions" in our classroom as our children don't seem to be very strong in either and we thought that using the fish tank as an incentitive for the lesson it might help to generate these traits in our kids. Worked like a charm but I got stuck with their decision and have to grin and bare the results
Anywho, we placed the "prized" decoration in the tank and started up the bubbles and all 3 barbs would dart over and sit/float in the bubbles and current. Often in this nose slightly down position. Perhaps it is just a groovy feeling from the bubbes that they are seeking.
They have since all aged out and I've not replaced them but I remember that they enjoyed it while they lasted...

ALASKA

 

[Cavafish]

Our golden barbs went through a phase of going around canted over at 45 degrees They got over it.

Probably just a phase they go through, or, they might be getting too much air from the air curtain and upsetting their swimbladders a bit. Nowt to worry about

 

[Sorrell]

All my tiger barbs rest in the vertical position and they always have. I don't know about the bubbles, but my tigers will swim around like normal and then take mini breaks standing on their heads. I think it's cute

 

[Max Action]

My tiger barbs do this too ... rest in a vertical position, and generally make me paranoid and convinced they're dying. But since they seem perfectly healthy when they're not swimming at odd angles and doing headstands, I guess I'm not going to worry.

 

[millym]

too high nitrite can make barbs go nose down........but if water is fine they also rest/sleep like this all the time. i think its cute too....

 

[ddm18]

Thanks for all the replies guys - just so you know, they seem to have stopped altogether now (after starting again the following morning!) and seem as happy as ever!

Crazy crazy fish!

Thanks again,
Dave