Is this normal?

Hi all

one of my Kuhli Loaches is randomly swimming up and down the glass on one side of my tank, It doesn't do it continuously but when it does do it i wonder if it might be sick.
So is this normal behavior or is it sick.
I have another 2 Kuhlies in the tank but they don't display the same behavior.

 

Does it swim up to the top, then across a little, then all the way down, and back to the starting point, and back up again, and so on?

If so, I have had many that have done this, and not had an issue with them. I believe there are reports that they can tell of forth coming weather changes, and start to display this behaviour up to a day or so before it rains! Don't know how true this is though?

But I believe also, that other Blacklisted members of the loach family derive their name from this ability? So I guess there must be something in it?

Regards
G!

 

Does this one have red around the gills, more so than the others in the tank??

 

My Loaches do the same thing.....they are a little pink around the Gills, but i thought this was normal. What does that mean Vez?

 

Well, i lost a few a year ago, and they started to do the same thing, looked like they wanted to get "air" from the top of the tank, they do have some pink/red to the gills, but mine turned HEAVY red, and the LFS said it was a type of Gill Virus, dont know if that was true, but i lost 95% of all my fish.

so i cant really say this is the same, as i was doing all the normal things, regular water changes, but it started after adding one new fish to the tank.

i was also told that my plant fert could have had to much Iron??? maybe someone can help on this?

 

It is slightly red but no more than looks "normal" to me. I think you might be right about the whole weather thing, as strange as it seems, but the Loach started doing it one evening and the next morning it started to rain, maybe just a coincidence but it would be really cool if it did work

 

We could start our own Weather Channel!!!!

call it....."The Weather Loach".....not very imaginitive i know....

 

I'm pretty sure it does this weather thing with most loach species, but I cannot be certain? I think they are naturally very sensitive to barometric changes?

My Kuhli's all did it in a big group! Swim round and round in circles, then within a day or so, usually rain! I cannot confirm this as a 'trait' of the species, as I was not keeping a scientific log. I also don't have the time today to search google for the answers!

As long as they are not swimming and grasping air all the time, then I'm sure that they are fine. Swimming up for continuous gasps of air is a different thing altogether! Thats not a good sign!

Cheers
G!

 

See if you can get it to predict the outcome of soccer games... Heard there's big money in that.

 

Haha! That would be useful!

G!

 

or tonights Powerball!!! R60 BIG ONES!!!

 

The loach has sensitivity to changes in barometric pressure. The loaches become very active right before a thunderstorm or rain when the barometric pressure drops. This drop in barometric pressure causes a pressure change in their swim bladder.

 

Hahaha that is so cool, but i'm really starting to think that it is true because it looks like there is rain on its way Once I have confirmed that I have a valid weather predictor I will try train him to predict soccer scores

 

Hi Vez its actually something in the water itself. Did a water change once and my Kuhlis wanted to get out of the tank something
fierce. A few died even before I could do something. Did a water change again quickly and overdosed with water conditioner and the rest was saved.

Mine also swimmed up and down the tank a lot of times. 2 Of them actually had this track they swimmed following each other and always in the same patern untill one (sny koek) and it was on again

They are pinkish red around the gills anyway because of the close proximity of blood to the surface of there gills.

 

Now I definitely believe the whole weather thing...it just started to rain