Odd African Cichlid Behavior/Or Not: With Video

[lonelobster]

So I have this Aulonocara you see, and she likes to swim laps around my amazon sword, and she will do it for probably 5 hours at a time. She is eating and she seems to be under control... maybe she was a race car driver in a previous life because she only knows how to turn left...shes since been named D-Pat (Danica Patrick) and I really hope she survives!

here is the video: http://youtu.be/FrOdOH7EMnU

 

[GNarnian]

Hmmm.... haha that's weird. what size is the tank? If anything, I would say that it is neurotic behavior.

 

[Perryuk]

Is she a new introduction ?

 

[lonelobster]

It's a 45 gallon tank. All 8 of the Aulonocara and 2 labs were added at the same time as juveniles. The oscar that you see at the end of the video is just there because his tank sprung a leak, but she would do this before the oscar was in there so i don't think he is making her nervous or anything.

 

[GNarnian]

How long have they been in the tank, and how long has the circle swimming been going on?

 

[GNarnian]

Fish don't have super complicated brains like other animals, but they can develop neurotic behaviors when stressed, over-crowded or just "bored", though most people will argue that fish don't get bored.

If you can, try switching up your tank and see if that helps. If its a territory issue, then switching everything up it help too.

 

[lonelobster]

They have been in there for 6 weeks and the tank is 3 months old. She started this behavior about 3 weeks ago. she does it once a day sometimes twice a day on and off for about 20 minutes at a time but over a span of like 5 hours... she'll stop if I start feeding while shes busy swimming laps.

when she is not swimming laps she is foraging through the gravel and swimming at the front begging for food like the others.