# Angelfish flips



## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Last time I had any fish doing flips.... I found him upside down permanently... how long has it been going on?

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## Ganyon (Jun 11, 2012)

Maybe he's just happy.


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## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

I'd say about 2-3 weeks now. He does it deliberately from what I can tell. It doesn't appear to be tied into any sort of illness as he still acts the same way he always has. Just now he does somersaults lol.

I'll upload a video to youtube. It's fun to watch.


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## Fdsh5 (Jan 3, 2012)

No flips but I have one that likes to swim upside down to eat.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

How bizarre, what's the video link, I want to see this! 

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## shinycard255 (Sep 15, 2011)

Video or I don't believe you :tongue:


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## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

I'll upload it to youtube tonight when I get home. :smile:


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

My will chill there and let himself drift to a horizontal position. Looks like he's calling it quits, but he's been doing it for months.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I had an angel that did that for quite some time before dying. I suspect a swim bladder problem which they are able to deal with for a time before it gets out of control. As it became worse it took more and more effort to stay level and he finally just did not make it. You might check your PH/GH/Kh and ask if there has been any major change.


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## CrazyCatPeekin (Aug 15, 2011)

OH! I was hoping to see a video here this morning.


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

video or it never happened


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

It is not really hard to figure when you think how a fish floats so easily. If you sport fish, you find they have an air sac in the upper part of their body. Normally this sac is the correct size to make the fish just float level. When there is an illness which leads to fluid in this air sac, it becomes a problem. As the fish tips to pick food off the bottom, the fluid can come to the front, tipping the fish over. He fights to right himself and sometimes it looks like doing flips. If fish had a better set of face movements we might see it is not much fun for him. At some point it may get better or it may get out of control.


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## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

Sorry the video is so dark. If I flip on the light and stand near the tank the angelfish thinks it's feeding time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Jpyz5echw

I agree that he probably doesn't find it "fun" but what I'm not sure is if this is a learned behavior, since he recently started doing it, or a sign of something health related. I hope it's the former.


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## vincenz (Jan 29, 2012)

Seems like his heart is set on the Ringling Bros. :icon_lol:


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## AaronMB (May 9, 2012)

Interesting!
Does he do this at any position in the tank when he bottom feeds, or only in the corner(s)? In the video, he's vertical in a corner so maybe it's easier to keep circling than it is to "back straight up" in order to turn around...?


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## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

Yeah he does it all over the tank. Here's a video that shows a little better what I'm talkin about. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1929cwtc3g


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## LS6 Tommy (May 13, 2006)

That doesn't look like a swim bladder issue to me. I honestly think he's just doing it on purpose. It's too controlled to be a health issue...

Tommy


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## Kyrol (Feb 24, 2012)

My tiger barbs would do this after feeding I figured since they ate like hogs it was just a way to purge air out.


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## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

LS6 Tommy said:


> That doesn't look like a swim bladder issue to me. I honestly think he's just doing it on purpose. It's too controlled to be a health issue...
> 
> Tommy


That's my gut feeling too. Seems if it was a swim bladder issue I would see him self correcting himself all the time but that's not the case. He does it at random times and usually as a maneuver to get around plants and such. 

I'll keep monitoring him though to see if it progresses at all. Thanks for the replies guys. roud:


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## shinycard255 (Sep 15, 2011)

Very interesting! I've never seen a fish do this before. I feel as if he's trying to show off for you or maybe he thinks he's a gymnast. roud:


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## wrangler (Oct 14, 2007)

I had an angel that did that when I was a kid..... He would circle over and over again. I just attributed it to some brain malfunction..... He did it for as long as I had him


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## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

I noticed that if I get too close to the tank he won't do it. It's almost like he's a bit camera shy.


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