maybe a lil crazy but..bored jag?

[Cecropia]

My Male jag occasionally shows stressed coloration and begins tearing up plants, moving sand, and chasing fish only to stop and stare at them when they stop running. a few of my fish (namely the salvini and bichirs) dont even run anymore when he gets in their faces because they know he just wants them to run.
Either I'm having a lil spurt of anthropomorphism or my jag is bored.

Anyone have a fish get bored? And what did you do about it? I've tried rearranging the tank and replanting plants but right after he pulls them up again and moves all the sand back he begins his behavior all over again.

 

[Cecropia]

Yeah just witnessed him pull my thermometer (it sticks on glass with magnet on outside of tank)off the wall and shake it around a bit, only to leave it lying on the sand

 

[fishguts]

sounds like to me the jag is keeping himself busy. hes digging in gravel and pulling up plants,messing with your thermometer. those are the things cichlids do. if you think hes stressed check your water quality and as long as your tank is large enough things sound normal to me. he doesnt have to chase your other fish because he knows hes dominant and your other fish may have quit running because they know there passive and the jag doesnt want to kill them but just let them know hes boss.

 

[Cecropia]

I figured as much. Just wondering if there was anything else I could do to keep him busy. Thing is I'm running out of patience with the plants and I'm afraid he'll beat on tankmaes to occupy his time once they're gone.

 

[Stalk3r]

try sum rubber duckies or ping pong balls cheap and they worked for me