Sleeping fish

[Calcifer10000]

I'd never thought I'd think about the sleeping habits of fish, but I've started noticing what they do, and I thought it was just generally pretty interesting.

My guppies hang around at the top of the water, or sink down and I swear, almost cuddle into the gravel at the bottom of the tank; they're so adorable it's riduculous. My beta also tends to wedge himself by the fake plants so the filter current doesn't sweep him away. I think my cory never sleeps; he's always hyperactive. My neon tetras also lost their bright colors at night (makes sense since there's no light to see by anyway, so why waste the energy ?), until they 'woke up' and became active when I turned on the light suddenly.

Does anyone else's fish do interesting things when it's nighttime, or when they're 'sleeping'?

Speaking of fish and nighttime, I saw 3 "franken fish" in my local store and they seemed to glow bright green in the dark fish-room. I couldn't tell if they were glowing in the dark literally, or merely flourescing. I think they're pretty neat (though expensive for such small fish: $15 each). I read about ornamental flourescing zebra danios, but these weren't the same thing. Has anyone else seen these around, or actually bought any?

 

[TankGirl]

I have definitely seen sleeping habits among the different fish. Tiger barbs do a headstanding thing when they sleep, and many fish lose color after lights out, for sure. My angel immediately assumes a tilted position when the lights are out, but that is because fish want to maintain light above their heads at all times, instinctively, and that is how they know which way is up. When my tank lights go out the ambient light from the room coming in the tank sides makes the angel think sideways is up, so he tips over. Interesting!

My dwarf puffers always "went to bed" early and rested on broad leaves of plants. One night I was doing a late water change after a busy day and forgot that the puffers were early to bed types. I was running my syphon around and accidentally disturbed one in the plant, and he came tumbling out of "bed" and rolled down onto the gravel, just like you would if you fell out of bed. He looked around, very puzzled, and with a glance at me and my syphon, returned to the plant. Hilarious! Those fish would not rouse after 8PM or so even if I put food in.

 

[screaminbuckeye]

My cichlids sink to the bottom and loose color. One of my yellow labs, nemo, sticks only his head into the fake plants and keeps the rest of his body out. I swear my eel never sleeps he just drapes himself over some fake ferns and looks like limp pasta.

 

[Allivymar]

My loaches are the funniest sleepers.

The clowns have claimed a cave in my driftwood, and tuck themselves in about an hour after sundown every night, even tho there are lights over the tank. Course, they're getting a bit big, so theres always fins poking out of the cave.

The yoyos on the other hand can't be bothered sleeping indoors, and catnap where ever, usually in between 2 rocks. On their sides. And roll over in their sleep. They glare at any fish which has the nerve to wake em up. And go back to sleep LOL Lazy buggers.

 

[patryuji]

I have one cory that will sleep on a java fern leaf. The other four will stay together huddled under my moneywort or near some smooth stones I have in the bottom. They finally showed their true nocturnal nature after having them for about a month and building the group up.

I have one skunk loach that always sleeps pressed up against a piece of ABS tubing on the outside wedging itself between the rocks and tube as much as possible.

 

[Christmasfish]

i can't tell when the phantoms are sleeping. they are always twitching,
The rummy get lazy and float with one fork of their caudal fin on the floor.
The alpha clown sleeps balanced on their two pec fins and dull their color when in that position. The other sleep in the same position stacked on each other in the log. They want to sleep stacked up on the knife. He now is firm in his opinion on that! ^_6
The gourami and betta mostly sleep in plant hammpcks. 4 sleep at the bottom with the ornaments. My son's chocolate sleep against things. The zebra/tiger botia sleeps in the plants with the croaking gourami.
I never see the BKG or the skunks out enough to know when they sleep.
My polypterus sleeps like a hound. Whatever position he came to rest at. I have seen him on his back like a ferret. i used to panic, but now I look for the lazy movement of his gills sometimes he naps on the top layer of plants in the day.

 

[mgkaelen]

hahahahahaha i'm with tankgirl! my puffers are SO FUNNY. they either sleep on leaves or they just lay down on the bottom of the tank like cute buttons. and my tiger barbs sleep upside down too! it is hysterical.