Erratic glass swimming

[Buddy55]

Fish: Starry Benny
Swimming at glass and overflow wall, up and down. May stop when I approach tank. Will definitely stop if I drop food in because he will eat until he explodes.

90 gallon recently set up a few weeks ago. Built in overflow, same pump and skimmer and sump. Addition of tunze 1000gph stream pump. Removed China pumps. Rock came from a year old 55, where he lived 5 months in with a pair of clowns and a yellow wrasse. New sand from Marco rocks. I quarantined these fish when they went in 6+ months ago. No new additions since.
I so far have low nitrates, less then 5 and I have been feeding heavy. The clowns are SO FAT. Benny is not due to swimming I think. I never noticed it in the 55 but that's not to say it wasn't happening.
I'm checking voltage now. I want to take a video of the behavior. Any comments or advice please.

 

[Buddy55]

I also want to say that I searched threads extensively before deciding to make a post. My findings did not comfort me. Many were of new additions and the advice was to give it a few days. I've been watching a couple weeks at least and I must know what the hell is going on.

 

[Buddy55]

Voltage reading. Outlet was 125.

 

[Buddy55]

I turned the blues off and took a photo of him since he perches when I come to the tank. You can see his color is good. Maybe a bit thin but he eats. I don't get much algea and he won't take sallys sea weed. I am hunting for grocery nori. He eats hilkari s pellet, pe mysis and large flakes.

 

[Buddy55]

Ive tried to take some video. You can see these short clips at these links. One is showing him resting because I approached the tank. The sensor on my camera is cracked and so the quality is terrible.

https://youtu.be/PBJGx3qWfeA

https://youtu.be/5HmLsyNBdwU


https://youtu.be/wwSYWCQ4pCQ

 

[Deinonych]

From your description it sounds like stress behavior, but hard to say without seeing it in person. These fish need a diet high in algae. You might try feeding Emerald Entree, Hikari Seaweed Extreme or New Life algae pellets since he won't touch nori (not surprising, really - my Tailspot couldn't care less about nori, but I have plenty for him to graze from the rocks).

 

[ThRoewer]

Is he just pacing up and down the glass or is he picking there?
My bicolor blennies prefer to get their algae off the glass rather than off the rocks. The hang around the glass all the time grazing off it.

 

[ginpang]

Erratic glass swimming

It's not what they would naturally eat of course but sometimes we can get them eating with those spirulina pellets or wafers for plecostomus....

Or 3-4 layers of seaweed spackled wet then dried ( between each layer) on a rock and offered to them.

As for the pacing , it does sound like stress bahaviour.... Unless he only does it if the lights are on but the room is dark in which case he may be " greeting" an unwanted friend ... Lol

Is there any head bobbing?

 

[Buddy55]

I used to feed from spirlina brine shrimp after he eradicated the tank algae. Ran out of that and bought pe mysis after reading forums to fatten fish up. He is pacing for sure. He used to peck the glass in the 55 and leave bit marks in the algae skin. He does not seem to be bobbing. I plan on looking into foods such as supermarket nori. I got a fish order today, it was supposed to have a tang but it didnt so I didn't go to the market today. All those fish are in qt. I've been reading on flukes but I don't see anyone say excessive hard swimming as a symptom. Also he paces against the full length corner flow which is not reflective, he only paces in one area, the end with the cornerflow and eheim heater. Not that that might mean anything. After I posted this I turned the blues off all day and the behavior persisted. 8/10 times I look over he is pacing. It worries me.

 

[Deinonych]

Post a video if you can.

 

[Buddy55]

I posted to YouTube and provided link. It's not easy to get good video. I don't know how to post on the forum either.

 

[Deinonych]

I posted to YouTube and provided link. It's not easy to get good video. I don't know how to post on the forum either.

Sorry, didn't see the links above. I don't see anything in the videos that would cause concern. Just looks like he is pacing.

 

[Buddy55]

Okay, I order some new life spectrum algea max pellets to hopefully get his diet in better balance. I did another 25% water change. I know pacing happens but it's so frequent. I also hope the addition of active fish that I have in quarantine will distract him more as well.

 

[Duke4life]

I've got a green filefish and cf cyanopleaura that paces the glass. I personally think they can see their reflection and are chasing after it thinking it's another fish. My wrasse went super male within a couple months and I've thought it was due to this as he doesn't get chased or chases anyone.

 

[scooter31707]

I have a wrasse that does the same thing on 1 particular size of the tank, just goes up and down. No one bothers them neither. It took me awhile, but I figured out that he was seeing his reflection. When he is on the other 3 glass of the tank, I guess he doesn't see the reflection. I put a piece of cardboard on the section and sure enough he stopped, but I had to take it down to see on the side of my tank and he is back at it. Go figure.

 

[tylersarah]

Excess ammonia or nitrite will cause erratic, pacing behavior. I'd check there.

 

[scooter31707]

I actually did one 2 days ago, Ammonia is 0ppm, Nirite 0, and Nirate between 0-5ppm.

 

[Buddy55]

Yea same. I have almost zero on nitrate as well as its 3 small fish in 100 gallons and I've been doing regular water changes anyways. Ill continue to check and I'm going to cut up some card board right now and see what happens. And yes I will continue to test Params. I've been on the fence about buying a different brand test kit soon. Not really for any reason though

 

[microlady]

I have a wrasse that does the same thing on 1 particular size of the tank, just goes up and down. No one bothers them neither. It took me awhile, but I figured out that he was seeing his reflection. When he is on the other 3 glass of the tank, I guess he doesn't see the reflection. I put a piece of cardboard on the section and sure enough he stopped, but I had to take it down to see on the side of my tank and he is back at it. Go figure.

Yes. I have a melanurus wrasse that swims laps along the back of the tank daily.