Tank is still newish- doing 30% water changes every other day. He’s active and eating. He ate a big ol meal yesterday- biggest one I had seen him eat, maybe he’s just burning off some extra energy? Any input would be greatly appreciated. This is my second tank and first tank in a long long time.
https://v.redd.it/2hvsfeeamtqg1
Posted by SweetRubyClair420
2 Comments
Could be normal behavior, but if you notice him doing the zig-zagging behavior near plants, that might mean he is trying to itch an irritation along his side, most likely his gills.
If you just started a tank and dumped the local fish store tank water in or added tankmates without quarantine, or installed new plants without cleaning, or do water changes too frequently, this causes issues. So, it depends on the above.
Flashing, which is what this zig-zag behavior is, could indicate the fish is feeling a burning sensation due to ammonia. You can check his gills and look for red lines around them which indicate ammonia burns. Or, it can be parasites, most commonly fluke worms. Or, it can just be that he is excited. It all depends on the context of why they’re zagging.
I am not sure, I’m still rather new to the fish keeping world too. I hope someone else here knows more and will be able to help you 🙂
But I saw another comment talking about your nitrate levels. You could try adding a Pothos plant to your aquarium to help eat those up! They’re amazing at keeping those levels down and are incredibly easy to take care of.