Is this normal?

[Dee Dee Russell]

A couple of days ago, I decided to give my bristlenose a new hidey hole
(slate/rocks) which she immediately took to - hadn't even moved my hand away
before she moved in to her new digs.

Yesterday, I was peeking into the hole to see how she was doing, and she was
lying upside-down on the gravel, not actually attached to the slate or
anything. I thought she was dead, as I didn't see her breathing. I put my
hand into the tank to lift the rock, preparing to remove her from the tank.
As I did this the fish startled and swam quickly away. Was she sleeping?
I've never seen this fish (or any other, for that matter) sleeping on her
back like that. Is this normal bristlenose behaviour?

Dee

[Margolis]

this is perfectly normal. It seems that when they get really relaxed in a
tight spot they will let go of whatever they were holding on to and just lay
there right below that spot. No worries

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[Dee Dee Russell]

What a relief! I was very sad when I thought she was gone. She lives in a
planted discus tank and certainly wins the "ugly duckling" award, but I've
grown attached to her all the same. Since the incident, I've been wondering
if she was sick, but she looks fine and has a nice round belly. The discus,
meanwhile, are as bright and beautiful as always. I also wondered if she
might be suffering the effects of old age - she was full-grown when I got
her about two years ago. You woudn't happen to know what the average
lifespan of a bristlenose is, would you?

Anyway, thanks for the reassurance.

Dee

"Margolis" > wrote in message
...
> this is perfectly normal. It seems that when they get really relaxed in a
> tight spot they will let go of whatever they were holding on to and just
> lay there right below that spot. No worries
>
> --
>
> Margolis
> http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
> http://www.unrealtower.org/faq
>
>
>
>

[Margolis]

I don't know offhand, but I would guess a minimum of 12-15 years. How big
is she?

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[Dee Dee Russell]

About five inches or so - hasn't grown since I got her (at least not in
length).

"Margolis" > wrote in message
...
>I don't know offhand, but I would guess a minimum of 12-15 years. How big
>is she?
>
> --
>
> Margolis
> http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
> http://www.unrealtower.org/faq
>
>
>
>