Fish Swimming Vertically

[WyAkak]

I've searched all of the related material I can find, but nothing
seems to really explain why my african cichlid is doing this...

it choses to swim vertically up against the aquarium heater. It has
been doing so for several weeks now. It's eating normally, but once
it eats it goes right back up against the heater. The temperature of
the tank is fine, Ph is good but I'm kind of at a loss

Your fish is blind.

"WyAkak" > wrote in message
om...
> I've searched all of the related material I can find, but nothing
> seems to really explain why my african cichlid is doing this...
>
> it choses to swim vertically up against the aquarium heater. It has
> been doing so for several weeks now. It's eating normally, but once
> it eats it goes right back up against the heater. The temperature of
> the tank is fine, Ph is good but I'm kind of at a loss

['nutherBob]

If that is true, then I have a blind cichlid, too. Is this true? It does
come out to eat, wards off the neigbors by chasing them around the tank, but
chooses to nestle and hang at a 45 degree angle near the heater in the
corner.

Learn stuff every day..

'nutherBob

> wrote in message ...
> Your fish is blind.
>
> "WyAkak" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I've searched all of the related material I can find, but nothing
> > seems to really explain why my african cichlid is doing this...
> >
> > it choses to swim vertically up against the aquarium heater. It has
> > been doing so for several weeks now. It's eating normally, but once
> > it eats it goes right back up against the heater. The temperature of
> > the tank is fine, Ph is good but I'm kind of at a loss
>
>

[Mephistopheles]

(WyAkak) wrote in
om:

> I've searched all of the related material I can find, but
> nothing seems to really explain why my african cichlid is doing
> this...
>
> it choses to swim vertically up against the aquarium heater. It
> has been doing so for several weeks now. It's eating normally,
> but once it eats it goes right back up against the heater. The
> temperature of the tank is fine, Ph is good but I'm kind of at a
> loss

It could be trying to escape an aggressor. I once had a yellow lab
that set up residence behind a filter tube for several weeks, in a
vertical position, as a way of making itself effectively invisible
to an aggressor.

It might help if you told us what type of African cichlid it is.
The term "African cichlid" is something of a pet peeve of mine. I
really wish it would be banished from the aquarist's lexicon; there
is very little that all cichlids from Africa share in common, so it
is not a very helpful term. Most people also confusingly use it to
refer to Malawi cichlids, or rift lake cichlids, which are merely a
subset of the cichlids in Africa.

Meph

[Bob]

"Mephistopheles" > wrote in
message ink.net...
> (WyAkak) wrote in
> om:
>
> > I've searched all of the related material I can find, but
> > nothing seems to really explain why my african cichlid is doing
> > this...
> >
> > it choses to swim vertically up against the aquarium heater. It
> > has been doing so for several weeks now. It's eating normally,
> > but once it eats it goes right back up against the heater. The
> > temperature of the tank is fine, Ph is good but I'm kind of at a
> > loss
>
> It could be trying to escape an aggressor. I once had a yellow lab
> that set up residence behind a filter tube for several weeks, in a
> vertical position, as a way of making itself effectively invisible
> to an aggressor.


Yeah...I agree...it is trying to hide...try getting some more rocks and
plants if you can.

[Frank S]

I believe it's hiding, like some other posters. Maybe you don't see the
aggression from another fish. It may be happening at night.

I have a Pseudo Socolofi Albino that does this for weeks at a time. Then,
he's fine for a few weeks. Then, after an incident of aggression with
another fish, he starts this again. It must not be too painful because he's
growing fine, eating fine, and, he's been acting like this for almost two
years! :) I used to worry about it. Now I don't. :)

-Frank

"WyAkak" > wrote in message
om...
> I've searched all of the related material I can find, but nothing
> seems to really explain why my african cichlid is doing this...
>
> it choses to swim vertically up against the aquarium heater. It has
> been doing so for several weeks now. It's eating normally, but once
> it eats it goes right back up against the heater. The temperature of
> the tank is fine, Ph is good but I'm kind of at a loss

[T]

My smaller Y Lab does this as well.. Shes not blind, but she has recently
dropped her brood. She appears to be the lowest Lab on the pecking order.

Tim..


"Frank S" > wrote in message
...
> I believe it's hiding, like some other posters. Maybe you don't see the
> aggression from another fish. It may be happening at night.
>
> I have a Pseudo Socolofi Albino that does this for weeks at a time. Then,
> he's fine for a few weeks. Then, after an incident of aggression with
> another fish, he starts this again. It must not be too painful because
he's
> growing fine, eating fine, and, he's been acting like this for almost two
> years! :) I used to worry about it. Now I don't. :)
>
> -Frank
>
> "WyAkak" > wrote in message
> om...
> > I've searched all of the related material I can find, but nothing
> > seems to really explain why my african cichlid is doing this...
> >
> > it choses to swim vertically up against the aquarium heater. It has
> > been doing so for several weeks now. It's eating normally, but once
> > it eats it goes right back up against the heater. The temperature of
> > the tank is fine, Ph is good but I'm kind of at a loss
>
>