Why do all of my fish stay at the bottom of my aquarium?

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

vaheelsfan

AC Members
May 23, 2003
251
0
0
44
Stuarts Draft, VA
Visit site
I have a 55 gallon aquarium with 5 Glolight Tetras, 2 Black Neon Tetras, 3 Rummynose tetras, 2 Blue Rams, and 2 Pictus Cats. I plan on adding 2 or 3 more black neons and 6 or 7 more rummynose so they'll all be able to have a little school of their own. This is probably a stupid and pointless question, but why do all of my fish swim near the bottom of the tank? I had 5 buenos aries tetras in there before I moved them and put in the glolights and black neons, and they stayed within an inch or two of the bottom almost all of the time too. I have fake plants in my aquarium, but made sure there were tall ones so that the fish could feel secure at any level. I also made sure I planted them far enough apart so the fish could maneuver through them without hurting their fins, since I read plastic plants could be hard on fins. However, I would say that 3/4 of the tank is semi-densely "planted." I don't think that the fish are staying on the bottom because of any issues with water quality or whatever, it's just kind of annoying that 3/4 of my tank doesn't have anything swimming in it most of the time. Any suggestions?
 

RioXingu

AC Members
Mar 30, 2004
112
0
0
74
Janesville, WI
www.ticon.net
Of course, some fish frequent different strata of the aquarium--top, middle or bottom.
In my experience, tetras tend to be middle/bottom dwellers, and fairly active swimmers.
This is not always the case, as sometimes they will tend to stay in one particular location for most of the time.
The behavior you described for you fish might be unusual, but aren't you afraid that smallish tetras will be consumed by the pictus cats?
Maybe that's why the tetras as hanging around near the bottom.

Bill in WI
 
Last edited:

vaheelsfan

AC Members
May 23, 2003
251
0
0
44
Stuarts Draft, VA
Visit site
Pictus cats are still too small to eat them. If I notice one gets eaten, the rest will go to a different tank. It would seem to me that if they were afraid of the pictus, they would stay closer to the top of the aquarium, since the pictus stay on the bottom. From what I've read, it seems neons are the only fish people have had problems with pictus eating, and all of the tetras in this tank are a lot bigger than neons. I also have read that as long as you keep your pictus happy with shrimp pellets and what not, they aren't going to become bloodthirsty assassins. However, I do understand that small fish are eaten by big fish, so if I notice any problems, the rest are coming out.
 

Hebdizzle

playswithsquirrels
Mar 8, 2003
421
0
16
what kind of flow do you have in your tank? If it's anything more than a filter output and a powerhead pointed in the same direction it could be too strong of a current for your fish.

Aaron
 

vaheelsfan

AC Members
May 23, 2003
251
0
0
44
Stuarts Draft, VA
Visit site
I have two power filters that you hang on the back of the tank. Each is rated at 330 gallons per hour. However, I keep the water level filled so that the bottom of where the water pours out is actually underwater. This way the water doesn't fall but an inch or two, and therefore doesn't really create much current other than directly in front of the filter output, and then it's only an inch or two below the surface.
 

rick458

AC Members
May 30, 2004
44
0
0
La Porte Tx
Visit site
Try some Zebra Danios, they love the top of the tank,
 

vaheelsfan

AC Members
May 23, 2003
251
0
0
44
Stuarts Draft, VA
Visit site
Well, I have some pearl danios I could put in there. I was hoping to keep the tank to central/south american fish though. The rummynose and two black neons seem to be getting more interested in swimming around the whole tank, so I'll see what happens.
 

Wycco

Eat more pine trees
Apr 19, 2009
1,882
1
0
46
34^N 81^W
Real Name
Kim Jong Il
Hatchet-fish are a new world fish? They love the top areas of the aquarium. Don't know if they're safe from Pictus Cats though.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store