Freaky Fish!

[dkpate]

So I got home this morning at 6am, checked on my community tank, and the harlequins "hatchet"'s were faded, a couple of the loaches were more pink than brown, and one of the gourami's didn't have the little bit of darkness on his belly like he usually does. I put some food in there but they weren't interested. I tested the water, and the only thing that was off was the nitrates, which were about 40 I think (hard to tell the difference of the last 3 colors on the API liquid kit), after I had the light on for a little bit, they all looked normal. The only thing that changed was that I put plants in there that I had ordered, and I had turned on one of the bubble stones that is now usually off. I used to keep it on all the time but I tried turning it off and they seem to like it better off, I just had it on for a while to kind of stir up the water and keep some oxygen in the water now that the plants are in there. I do have another suction cupped bubble wand on the other side that they don't seem to mind, but it's not as loud either.
Anyway, do you think they were just faded looking because they were sleeping? Or do you think there is another cause? I did a 50% pwc today to bring down the nitrates. Thanks!

 

[Etunes]

Lol, I do want to say that you are learning fast and doing the water change was a good idea, for the nitrates that is. But do not worry about there coloring. When fish sleep they fade there color out, the bubble wand does not hurt the fih just helps them.

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/Fishpics/festivum.jpg

I have one of the fish i have shown above in the link and it is ghost white when i turn on the lights in the morning, no line or anything. Within 30 seconds it is back to normal. It is natural for fish to do this when sleeping, so no worries.

 

[dkpate]

WHEW! Okay, cause they really freaked me out! Thanks for your response lol!

 

[mfdrookie516]

yep, when i get in from work, unfortunately at midnight, i check on my 150... i really cant count my fish to make sure they are all there because they look so sick and half of them dont come out. its amazing at the way fish act when the lights are off. If i leave the living room light on, after about 30 minutes, theyre all out, back to normal color, and begging me for food.

 

[dkpate]

That's exactly what they did. I am working 12 hour shifts now, so I don't get home till 6 am, and I don't trust my husband to do it right lol, when he gets home at about 2am. They were fine after a while, but man was I freaked out! Thanks again!

 

[Blueiz]

The plants will release o2 into the water, depending on what plants you have and how they are growing will dictate how much that add. A bubbler really isn't necessary. It's not uncommon for fish to lose there color when first turning on the lights for them, some ppl turn on a light in the room for a few minutes then turn the tank light on to help with this.

 

[Etunes]

The plants will release o2 into the water, depending on what plants you have and how they are growing will dictate how much that add. A bubbler really isn't necessary. It's not uncommon for fish to lose there color when first turning on the lights for them, some ppl turn on a light in the room for a few minutes then turn the tank light on to help with this.

Ya, a lot of people do this because this is 1 way to simulate morning and dusk. Because some fish have to get reasy to get in and out of bed basically, such as gathering there young together or finding there home.