Sleeping Guppies - So cute!

[CatatonicBug]

I just had to share this experience I had the other night...

I have my 2.5g FW tank here in my office, and the lighting is controlled only by whenever the office lights turn on/off. The other night, I had to come back to the office to grab something after hours, and the lights had been off for a few hours. The 4 fancy Guppies, who are usually franticly swimming around when I walk up to the tank, were all sitting on the bottom of the tank (one was actually on top of the filter) presumably asleep. It was just kinda cool to see that stage of the aquarium that I don't usually see.

 

[Zagz]

It is interesting to see your fish sleep isn't it? It's not all the time we get to see that.

 

[warped1]

They appear to be asleep but I'm guessing they are still somehow alert to their environment because when I get close to the tank they almost look like they snap out of a stupor and take cover ........... anyway I hope thats the case I would hate to find out fish think I'm ugly

 

[Zagz]

True they are alert to their surroundings. I guess it is a survival instinct. I find it easiest to catch fish, esp in a larger aquarium, when I first turn on the lights. So I do imagine they are sleeping to some extent.

 

[QTOFFER]

Fish have no eyelids!!! That's probably why they snap out of their sleepy state so quickly.

This is off topic, but interesting: Whales, dolphins, and some birds put only one half of their brains to sleep at a time. The other half is fully conscious and in full predator scan mode! They alternate so each hemisphere of the brain gets some downtime during the sleep cycle.

 

[MrMalta]

Fish have no eyelids!!! That's probably why they snap out of their sleepy state so quickly.

This is off topic, but interesting: Whales, dolphins, and some birds put only one half of their brains to sleep at a time. The other half is fully conscious and in full predator scan mode! They alternate so each hemisphere of the brain gets some downtime during the sleep cycle.

Now that's interesting!!

 

[warped1]

Again I say it ...... I LEARN SOOOO MUCH ON THIS SITE

 

[marchmaxima]

When I come downstairs of a morning, around 6am on a work day I'll often notice my rasboras amongst the leaves not moving. I have also presumed that they were "sleeping". Like you Warped, they wake up quick smart if I go near the tank.

And much like my cats, they are awake before me on a weekend. At least they're nice enough not to wake me up by sitting on my chest and sniffing my ear.

 

[CatatonicBug]

EWWW! A Wet Willie Wake-up from a fish... Not a good way to wake up on a Saturday

 

[JessieVB]

I've noticed my betta do the same sort of thing. I have a coral ornament in his tank that he lies on or under a ledge of in the evening. I'm anxious to get a picture of it cause its so adorable, but if I get too close he is instantly zooming about his tank. Guess I'll have to use the zoom button.