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Hyper Guppy
By mandy126 from the Mandy126 department, Section Ask Guppylog Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 12:11:23 PM PST Tags: (all tags)

My guppy has been acting really strange for about two months. He is constantly swimming, mostly on the back wall of my aquarium, by my heater. For long periods of time, he will dart up the wall and then down the wall, swimming in loop around the heater.

I was wonderering if anyone knows what is going on. Is this normal behavior? (does he just like it back there?) Or is it something that I should be worried about? There are a few other fish in the tank with him, and they pretty much leave him alone, but there are no other guppies. Could it be that he needs other guppies to swim with? Any help that you could give me would be appreciated.

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Hyper Guppy | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Hyper Guppy (none / 0) (#3)
by mandy126 on Sun Jun 26, 2005 at 04:50:42 PM PST

Thanks for the advice. He doesn't look like he is sick, so I'm going to assume all is well. I just feel bad for him sometimes and worry because he doesn't have any other guppies.

Re: Hyper Guppy (none / 0) (#2)
by DaysSweetDaze on Sun Jun 26, 2005 at 05:36:29 AM PST

My main male did this right after I got him. Just swam up and down in the corner, day in day out.
I thought it might have been something with his reflection because he tended to chase other orange male fish, but then later I also noticed the fish could see the can of fish food if I left it too close to the tank and would all gather over there, too!
I think he might have just been crazy.

He stopped doing it as he got older.

He's lived 9 months since then, healthy as ever.

As long as he's swimming properly and not swirling around, going sideways or floating at an angle, all should be well.

Re: Hyper Guppy (none / 0) (#1)
by miskairal on Thu Jun 23, 2005 at 12:41:13 AM PST

Hi Mandy,

Mine occasionally do the fast swim up the tank. I dont' think it means anything. Maybe they are hyperactive. Being near the heater I wonder if it's sort of "surfing" up a warmer area?

I have noticed that as my fish have aged they do less weird things. When younger they seemed to be burning off steam a lot of the time and racing around the tank.
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Guppies are shoaling fish. That means (none / 0) (#4)
by unclescott on Sun Jun 26, 2005 at 10:46:30 PM PST

that they loosely band together while foraging. We often suggest buying a half dozen Corys, tetras, Danios or Rasbora, because those are schooling fishes and that seems to meet a need for company. That may even have health benefits. In nature shoaling and schooling have an advantage in terms of protection.

Indeed there is a study which indicated that predators following a school of fish, in that case, wouldn't attack the school. But when a member of the school strayed behind and stood out as different, whammo! Grim way to deal with dropouts!

So your guppy may be looking for other guppies. A couple of neat Guppylog posts have recorded the seeming delight guppies exhibit when new guppies arrive.

Or, as suggested, he may be one of those energetic teenagers. ;) In either case he may be mildly neutrotic, but he'll get over it. :)

All the best!
uncle scott

[ Parent ]

Re: Guppies are shoaling fish. That means (none / 0) (#5)
by DaysSweetDaze on Mon Jun 27, 2005 at 06:10:45 PM PST

I've often wondered about guppies social habits...
I know they don't school, and I've read a lot that says they are solitary, but hang out in random groups, like you mentioned.
However, in my fry/adolescent tank, the fish have divided up into groups it seems. There's always the same groups hovering around one another when they sleep and forage in the rocks.
It also seems certain males prefer a certain group of females.

I've been watching them as pretty soon it's going to be time to split them up. Getting kinda crowded in the fry tank. They grow up so fast!

You should get him a girlfriend (or two!) and see if he settles down. ;)

[ Parent ]

Hyper Guppy | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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