scare that turned into a funny story

[angelocarusone]

okay...so it's about 4:30 in the morning right now and I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get a small flashlight and examine my saltwater tank to check out the critters at work. Anyway, i also happened to shine the light into my 6 gallong planted betta tank to find my betta lying practically still right on the gravel under one of my plants. I watched him very carefully for a few minutes and finally got so nervous that I tapped the glass near him. He stirred up, swam to where my finger was and then flared at it. Then swam off to the rock cave that I have and went right on back to sleep.

Now, I'm thinking either two things:
1) he was actually asleep and i just made him mad
2) he's dying, which would be VERY sad.

What do ya'll think?

 

[revhtree]

Sleeping.....Like I should be doing right now!!

 

[TankGirl]

My dwarf puffers used to do that - they would find a broad leaf and literally rest on it to sleep. They would turn in about 8:00 pm. I once forgot completely about it and was doing a 9:00 pm water change. I was running the syphon around the tank and knocked one of the puffers out of "bed," and he literally came tumbling out and landed on the sand, sortof shook himself awake and glared at me, returning to his nest. Too funny! I tried to avoid doing this to the poor buggers after that, LOL.

 

[An t-iasg]

Don't worry -- I'm pretty sure your betta was just sleeping!

My betta sleeps for about 5 minutes at a time! Maybe even longer sometimes. It's a great way to get good pictures of him because he stays still for so long. He rests on his java moss nest, or in the crypt leaves. He rests on the gravel too sometimes. My other betta rests in his java moss, but not for as long as this one does. I did wonder at first too, if he was ok, and then I realized it was how he slept. Then he wakes up and starts swimming around.

 

[madasafish]

My dwarf puffers used to do that

Used to? Don't you still have them, TG?

 

[TankGirl]

Nope - madasafish, haven't you heard that story, ad nauseum? I feel like I have about 3 stories that I tell over and over - I can just feel the eyes rolling all over the world....

They all killed each other after I stressed the tank netting the tiger barbs out (tiger barbs got on with the puffers just fine). I had one left pf 4 after it was over and was so traumatized by the sight of the brutality that I returned him to the LFS! Wimp! I would definitely have them again (contemplating a SW puffer for same 15gal) but would limit it to species-only and have no plans for temporary inhabitants, LOL.

Sorry to hijack - 100,000 pardons

 

[RocketSeason]

My Betta sits on his favorite leaf perfectly still for quite along time. when ever I come close he wakes up and goes immediatly to the surface. ( i guess he is hungry alot.)