lights out

[treesprite]

This clown is really going to hurt itself, going wacko. I cut the lights out early tonight, because she's getting too out of control with the reflection issue she has had. She is now not only slamming head first into the glass, but banging her sides and tail up against it... over and over again. As soon as the lights go out, she stops. I decided to let the coraline stay on the side walls to limit the problem so she will only be able to see herself on the front. So then, what do I do then about the front? Surely this must hurt her.

[Charlie97L]

This clown is really going to hurt itself, going wacko. I cut the lights out early tonight, because she's getting too out of control with the reflection issue she has had. She is now not only slamming head first into the glass, but banging her sides and tail up against it... over and over again. As soon as the lights go out, she stops. I decided to let the coraline stay on the side walls to limit the problem so she will only be able to see herself on the front. So then, what do I do then about the front? Surely this must hurt her.

 

is this a captive bred clown, do you know?

 

not to anthropomorphize too much, but it might have something not right in its head. the only thing i could think is that it could be a captive bred that has some issues.

 

i've had a couple clowns, both wild caught and captive bred, and i've never heard of them doing anything like that. sounds like it might be something akin to when fish swim in circles.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Sounds like survival of the fittest to me...

[rsaavedra]

I might be wrong but me feels like she is trying to nip the clown on the other side to submission and the side flapping against the glass is showing it sign of submission IMO. When I tried to paired up my GSMC's the bigger one nipped the little one to pieces really bad to the point that I thought he wouldn't survive, after that she began getting close to him and smacking him with ther tail and sides, this lasted for a little while and then it went away and they happily maiting and spawning a long while after that.

 

Do you have a pair of clowns or is he she just alone? If she is alone I would suggest getting her a smaller clown to attempt pairing them up.

 

Raf

[fab]

When a fish approaches the glass, why would it see a reflection? Is the glass backed with reflective material?

 

fab

[jason the filter freak]

When a fish approaches the glass, why would it see a reflection? Is the glass backed with reflective material?

 

fab

Glass has a different angel of refraction than water?

[lanman]

When I look through my tank from one side to the other, I see through the other end - I don't see a reflection, but a little bit of an angle gives me a reflection. When I get the BIG tank - maybe I'll put water in it, crawl inside, and see what the fish see....

 

bob

[fab]

If you look directly (normal to) the glass there is no reflection. You see straight through. When you look at an angle (off-axis, or off-normal) any reflection you see, however faint, will not be your own. It will be of other things, things that are on the other side of the point of incidence of your line of sight with the glass. Mainly though, until you achieve a very shallow grazing angle to the glass you will see through it.

 

The index of refraction would produce a lense effect (magnification and distortion) were the glass curved. But the glass is not curved in most tanks. It is curved in bows, circles and arcs, and wavy tanks.

 

lanman: I'll bet you won't see yourself when you get down into your tank and look out. Let us know, it will be interesting to know for sure.

 

fab

[jamesbuf]

Glass has a different angel of refraction than water?

 

Please stop. Talking like that brings painful memories of physics class and the MCAT.

[treesprite]

fish can see their reflections. It's mostly people with betta fish who you'll hear it from. Anyway, here she is going after herself.

 

 

I've had her for maybe 4 years, and she has a mate. I believe they were tank-raised. I didn't notice her going at the glass until a few months ago, but she may have done it before that. Since I started letting the coraline grow on the sides, she's not paying so much attention there other than to knock the snails down. I guess I should add that the only other fish besides the 2 clowns is a little damsel.

 

I think she needs a bigger tank, wider. The 45 is only 12" wide, which I think is too narrow; I have an arrangement to buy Lucian's 58, but have to wait for transport. Maybe re-arranging the rock has caused her to react more strongly.

Edited August 7, 2007 by treesprite

[treesprite]

I was just reading some stuff on freshwater forums - a couple people seem to think that having the room lighting darker than the tank lighting will cause the fish to be able to see their reflections - maybe that's the problem, because the room lighting is poor... the tank is like the second lamp in the room.