fish go into shock whenever light is turned on

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InvaderJim

Still a Newbie
Mar 13, 2006
124
0
0
36
Gainesville, FL
Uh oh, my Mollies defiantly stay in one place until I go to feed them. Then they go straight to the top of the tank, eat, and swim around for a bit then right back to where they usually are.

Thanks for the links.
 

fIsHy13

not a troll
Oct 5, 2005
392
0
0
ohmigod the weirdest thing happned...

last night the fish were all at the bottom of the tank with their gills flapping. Even if I so much as took the lid off the top to feed them, or dipped a finger in the water, they would go crazy- swimmng really fast near the bottom so that they would bash into the gravel, practically beating themselves up.
so i put a towel over the tank, to try and calm them down, and alsoi didn't want to look at them like that when i was going to sleep (the tank is right next to my bed)

Anyways, this mornin' i took the towel off and the were at the bottom still
 

fIsHy13

not a troll
Oct 5, 2005
392
0
0
it was weird they one or 2 of them had their tails kinda curled. the tank was a degree warmer cos the towel was all night. when i got back from church they were all fine, swimming around, looking happy, no problems!
 

hurricanejedi

AC Members
Apr 4, 2005
638
0
0
41
Raleigh, NC
www.flowerspride.com
Wierd! Definitely sounds like they have something... But how strange a response....
 

DeputyChiefJR

Glub! Glub!
Jan 18, 2006
431
0
0
45
Central Ct
is there a way you could do some floating plants to provide a canopy and ease them into lighting?
 

LunchBox

Me fail english? that's unpossible!
Feb 7, 2006
645
0
0
Kalamazoo, MI
how long is the longest you've left the light on? I'm kind thinking the same as the folks who thought the fish might just be going nuts while they adjust to the light changes. I know my tetras tend to go crazy for a half a minute when I turn on the light, but eventually they settle down and act normally.

you may just have to throw caution to the wind and leave the light on for a few minutes regardelss of how stressed you think they are in order to figure out what is going on. I would hazard a guess that turning the light off after being on for a few seconds would stress the fish more than having the light just on for a while. just my opinion from my experience though ;)
 

hurricanejedi

AC Members
Apr 4, 2005
638
0
0
41
Raleigh, NC
www.flowerspride.com
LunchBox said:
you may just have to throw caution to the wind and leave the light on for a few minutes regardelss of how stressed you think they are in order to figure out what is going on. I would hazard a guess that turning the light off after being on for a few seconds would stress the fish more than having the light just on for a while. just my opinion from my experience though ;)
I agree. Do they look like they will die when you turn the light on?
 

fIsHy13

not a troll
Oct 5, 2005
392
0
0
yep, but its not just the light thing i am worried about anymore. starting today, they have become very scittish whenever i open the canopy/lid of the tnak, and whenever i dip my fingers in the water. They will dart around as if they are being chased , some near the top of the water, some hiding under anything. Howver they do not become scared when i lightly run my fingers across the glass, they even follow it. Except one guy, who does become scittish. I have noticed they are quite listless sometimes too. There is one fish i am worried about who i bought a few days ago. This afternoon i found her floating in the weeds. Thinking she was dead, i tried to net her, but of course she moved. She is the scittish of all. There are no physical signs of disease on them, so i am guessin this is internal. But they all have enlarged gills that flap constantly. Sometimes, just sometimes, they will go up to the top of the tank and gulp the surface water. They will swim away when they have had enough. What is up with my fish?

BTW, when i did a water change a few days ago, i added this stuff called PROPER PH and it changes the ph of the water to the ph mollies like. Could this be anythin to do with it?
 
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