RE: NANFA-- Freckled Madtom observations

Jay DeLong (thirdwind_at_att.net)
Mon, 14 Jan 2002 10:50:07 -0800

> Recently though, I have noticed a new behavior primarily in the 30 gallon
> tank at home. The madtoms are not venturing under cover of any
> kind and are
> instead placing themselves in a vertical position (head down, usually)
> amongst the plants. They will sit motionless like this for hours causing
> family members to yell at me to come get the dead fish out. A
> friend has a
> slender madtom that exhibits the same vertical behavior but is squeezed
> between a log and the glass so I see that as a tactile response.
> Has anyone else seen anything like this?

Yes. I've got a 20 gallon long with some brindled madtoms. I started with
six, but they outgrew the tank (or hiding places), so I moved 3 to a 55 gal
with darters and lots of rocks (where I've been pleased they peacefully
coexist with the darters). There is limited cover in the 20 gal, but I
thought it was enough for the 3 fish-- flat rocks plus a piece of flat
bogwood with space underneath. Still, one fish, and sometimes 2, will hold
a vertical position between the ug filter tube and the corner of the tank.
The largest fish never does this and I wonder if it's a territorial thing.
This weekend I cleaned and reassembled the tank and all 3 are still out of
sight.

--
Jay DeLong
Olympia, WA

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