Strange mandarin behavior

2fishy · 08/21/2006, 09:57 AM

I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or have any ideas why this is happening. I have a green mandarin that all of a sudden has been going to the top of the aquarium at night when the lights are off. This started on Friday night and has happened every night since. It seems that he gets caugt in the current of the powerfilter, so every night I have ended up shutting down the filter and one powerhead, leaving one powerhead running. He stays up there for hours, but then sometime after I finally fall asleep, he goes back to the bottom. It almost seems as if he can't go back to the bottom initially. The first night, I thought he was dying, but by the next morning, everything was back to normal. He is eating like normal, and looks fat as can be. The only thing that I have noticed that was different is that I saw that the pygmy angel out lurking in the rock, after the lights have gone off. Does anyone know if the slime that they produce makes them float?

Sk8r · 08/21/2006, 09:59 AM

I would worry about nighttime oxygenation. Have you got an excess of algae or green plants that switch over to co2 production after the lights are out?

2fishy · 08/21/2006, 10:12 AM

Ah, I wonder if that is the problem! I have not been cleaning the back of the glass which is now getting more covered in green algae on one end. I also have sargassum on some of the rocks, and some sort of hawaiian algae on one. But I noticed that some of the branches have broken off and are under the rock. What would be the solution for this at night?

2fishy · 08/23/2006, 10:56 AM

This post is mostly for Sk8tr. I just wanted to tell you thank you for asking about the algae!

My mandarin has been back to its normal night time behavior ever since I cleaned the back of the glass and threw in some fresh carbon on Monday! Thank you for taking the time to respond. Yesterday, I put a black background on the back, and although I am not sure if I like it, it is as if the mandarin can see everything and has been happily cruising the glass ever since it was added. I'm not even sure if it went to sleep last night because I couldn't see it in it's normal spot!

Avi · 08/23/2006, 01:44 PM

Very good call, Sk8tr

Sk8r · 08/23/2006, 01:47 PM

So glad! I love those little guys---glad if I could help one to a long life--- THank you for the thank you!

2fishy · 08/23/2006, 02:13 PM

Yeah, he seems pretty content!

And so does he!

(Sorry for the glare) Now if I could only find those peppermint shrimp!

roper512 · 09/02/2006, 12:23 PM

I have same type of mandarin. Mine will float at night as well but keeps itself in the same place (roughly) by using its fins..

I have no corals and just a little bit of film algae on my tank walls.. My pH stays between 8.1 and 8.4 day/night and have plenty of oxygenation (especially now I have my windows open all day/night).

I have two tunze 6000 streams and a Deltec MCE600 in my 45 gallon cube so I know air/water mix is not a problem. I figured it was just sleep swimming, no biggie..

druce · 09/02/2006, 12:29 PM

love the last pic, looks like he's smiling for you

dc · 09/02/2006, 12:33 PM

She does look content!

DerekABZ · 09/02/2006, 02:46 PM

great pic, looks very content

08/21/2006, 09:57 AM	#1
2fishy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Rhinelander, WI Posts: 918	Strange mandarin behavior I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or have any ideas why this is happening. I have a green mandarin that all of a sudden has been going to the top of the aquarium at night when the lights are off. This started on Friday night and has happened every night since. It seems that he gets caugt in the current of the powerfilter, so every night I have ended up shutting down the filter and one powerhead, leaving one powerhead running. He stays up there for hours, but then sometime after I finally fall asleep, he goes back to the bottom. It almost seems as if he can't go back to the bottom initially. The first night, I thought he was dying, but by the next morning, everything was back to normal. He is eating like normal, and looks fat as can be. The only thing that I have noticed that was different is that I saw that the pygmy angel out lurking in the rock, after the lights have gone off. Does anyone know if the slime that they produce makes them float? __________________ Carole Current Tank Info: 55 gal

08/21/2006, 09:59 AM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I would worry about nighttime oxygenation. Have you got an excess of algae or green plants that switch over to co2 production after the lights are out? __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/21/2006, 10:12 AM	#3
2fishy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Rhinelander, WI Posts: 918	Ah, I wonder if that is the problem! I have not been cleaning the back of the glass which is now getting more covered in green algae on one end. I also have sargassum on some of the rocks, and some sort of hawaiian algae on one. But I noticed that some of the branches have broken off and are under the rock. What would be the solution for this at night? __________________ Carole Current Tank Info: 55 gal

08/23/2006, 10:56 AM	#4
2fishy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Rhinelander, WI Posts: 918	This post is mostly for Sk8tr. I just wanted to tell you thank you for asking about the algae! My mandarin has been back to its normal night time behavior ever since I cleaned the back of the glass and threw in some fresh carbon on Monday! Thank you for taking the time to respond. Yesterday, I put a black background on the back, and although I am not sure if I like it, it is as if the mandarin can see everything and has been happily cruising the glass ever since it was added. I'm not even sure if it went to sleep last night because I couldn't see it in it's normal spot! __________________ Carole Current Tank Info: 55 gal

08/23/2006, 01:44 PM	#5
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	Very good call, Sk8tr __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

08/23/2006, 01:47 PM	#6
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	So glad! I love those little guys---glad if I could help one to a long life--- THank you for the thank you! __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

08/23/2006, 02:13 PM	#7
2fishy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Rhinelander, WI Posts: 918	Yeah, he seems pretty content! And so does he! (Sorry for the glare) Now if I could only find those peppermint shrimp! __________________ Carole Current Tank Info: 55 gal

09/02/2006, 12:23 PM	#8
roper512 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Detroit suburbs Posts: 393	I have same type of mandarin. Mine will float at night as well but keeps itself in the same place (roughly) by using its fins.. I have no corals and just a little bit of film algae on my tank walls.. My pH stays between 8.1 and 8.4 day/night and have plenty of oxygenation (especially now I have my windows open all day/night). I have two tunze 6000 streams and a Deltec MCE600 in my 45 gallon cube so I know air/water mix is not a problem. I figured it was just sleep swimming, no biggie..

09/02/2006, 12:29 PM	#9
druce Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North Liberty, IA Posts: 1,349	love the last pic, looks like he's smiling for you __________________ Click the red house to see tank pics and my blog and to get the link for my RC tank thread! Current Tank Info: 90 gal AGA RR, 55 gal long for sump, 17g Aquafuge pro as refugium - 2x 150w MH, 2x 96w Actinic

09/02/2006, 12:33 PM	#10
dc Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 44,684	She does look content! __________________ Debi ~60 Cube~ Why? Because I said so of course. -Sent via Tapatalk Smoke Signals-

09/02/2006, 02:46 PM	#11
DerekABZ Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Scotland Posts: 21	great pic, looks very content