# How many of your fish swim up and down the side of the glass rapidly, over and over?



## Knight~Ryder

I have noticed every once in awhile that my fish (different species) will swim up and down the side of the tank over and over again for hours! 

Some get distracted from their funny behavior, but some go right back to it. Sometimes it's the tigers, sometimes it's the blackskirts, sometimes rummynose. 

Could it be their reflections? Hormones maybe :lol:


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## lohachata

they are looking for the escape hatch...


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## lohachata

i have had fish do this many times over the years..no idea why...they just do it.but it isn't a health issue or anything like that...


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## BV77

Maybe scraping minor bits of algae off the glass?


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## Dragonbeards

Or maybe your fish are on crack. Donno, my goldies do this too, but usually only for a few seconds time span.


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## bmlbytes

My balloon black molly does it all day long. Usually in the same spot next to the heater.


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## Knight~Ryder

I like it. It makes the fish look like their healthy and getting exercise. 

Post stories, let's hear it!


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## Toshogu

I dunno, haven't noticed that behavior in my tank. Maybe they are looking for escape hatch.


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## Guest

i had a yellow sword that loved doing that. absolutly no probs with him. grew up up 3 inches in length.


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## Spgrooms

I have a dwarf gourami that does it all day, especially when I stand next to the tank, I had a friend that came over once and we did homework next to the tank and at the end of doing homework he asked me if the fish ever got tired


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## StripesAndFins

my cories do it. though they usually go to the surface. maybe they are looking for any algae or food thats on the side


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## Christopher W.

i noticed my platy doing that one day and the next day she had like 50 babies in my tank!!:?::?:


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## emc7

New fish always do that. We call it measuring the tank. But if they don't cut it out in a few days, maybe they are looking for a way out. Could mean a too-small tank. 

Some of my fish do it only when the see me. The follow me around the tank going up and down in the corner closest to me. I'm pretty sure it means "hey you, feed me".


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## camb113

My gourami does that when i walk up the stairs to his tank.


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## Superfly724

I had a cichlid that, immediately after entering the aquarium, would swim circuits through a cave. He would swim in the front, come out the back and swim up the glass, then circle around and repeat. He stopped after about 10 minutes though.

I've also heard it's a sign they want more room. Don't know how true that is, though.


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## N0z

my loachs do that to lol


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## Plecostomus

I hate it when fish do that. Makes me feel like my tank is too small.


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## Kurtfr0

My old puffer did that forever. Boredom I think it is.


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## MXS

My old dojo did that like it was his day job. I think he thought the reflection of himself was another dojo


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## IAN

I have fish that swim up by the surface and around the glass when they see me. They want food in my case!

There is no lack of room, with 100gallons for 20 or so paradise fish.


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## IAN

In fact, they get so excited that if I fill the tank to the brim, they'll jump out! That always scares me--and hurts them.

You will say: "Get a lid, don't fill the tank so much." Yeah, true.


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## elvis332

my fry always do that when i come by


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## Hydr0 JoE

MXS said:


> My old dojo did that like it was his day job. I think he thought the reflection of himself was another dojo


mine does this all day too lol, my peacock eel does this at night


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## Obsidian

The only long term offenders of this kind of behavior is my Julie cory cats. At the same time they are going after each other like sluts. So it is hard to tell if they are just chasing or truly measuring. No way it is a room issue. 5 julies... 100 gallons, yup not an issue.


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## Knight~Ryder

Yeah I don't think space is the issue with me either.


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## j0greene

My Pictus Cat does that when the tank gets too warm. My A/C was not working right yesterday and the tank got up to 82. He was swiming bottom to the top over and over again. Doing very close to the filter, maybe it is cooler there because of the current created. This morning the A/C was working, tank cooler and he is being lazy in his favorite hiding place. I live in Alabama and have noticed that were i have the tank i don't need a heater. It sits near an A/C vent and the tank is never cooler that 74. I will have too see what it does in the winter but i don't really have to worry about that until November. Actually sometimes i have to float ice cubes in the tank becuase it gets to warm, i read somewhere you could do that to lower the temp if the tank gets to warm.


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## Obsidian

Yes ice will cool it down but there are better ways. I would freeze a full water bottle and float that. I would get a heater to keep things more stable, 74 is on the low side (like I really wouldn't want to go any cooler) for a tropical tank. Your heater probably wouldn't' have to work that much, but it is something you really should get sooner than later. 

Fish swimming to the top, by the filter etc when they did not previously do this and it lasts for a bit is a sign of possible lack of oxygen. So if your fish are going up and down but spending more time up gathering air that is a sign that something is wrong with the tank, and needs attention. Usually that means a lack of oxygen which can be caused by a few factors.


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## fishface76

My catfish does this. Stays in hiding for hours, then rampantly swims up and down the same spot for a few minutes. Only to dissapear under the rocks.


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## Buggy

I believe fish do this for the same reason humans pace the floor...to vent frustration. Bordom, excitement, aggitation, stress, anger...could be many reasons but IMO it's just a way to let it all out.


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## DarrylR

My cories and khulis like to do it and they follow each other.


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## llamas

My new kuhlis do that all the time now. They swim in figure eights all over the side of the tank.... I noted that almost all new fish do that. I have also read that some fish just do it for no reason....I wonder what it could be...

100th post


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