Odd behavior from Green Sunfish

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V

Videogameaddict

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 30, 2010
4
0
1
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
I have a small green sunfish that exhibits odd behavior during feeding times. After dive bombing pellets for about 2 minutes during which time I have the filtration/airstones shut off so the food doesn't blow around. He turns his attentiuon to the airline tubing and heater and repeatedly bites/rams into them until I power them back on. He attacks it hard enough I can hear thumping from 20 across the room! For a green sunfish he is not aggressive (at least not yet) and he doesn't even bother his tankmates ie 6 missouri longears in a 125 gallon. He just seems to have a vendetta against the filtration equipment. Any idea why he is attacking the airstone tubing, and heater?
Water parameters are: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5, and temperature 74.6 degrees farenheit.

Thanks,
Bryan
 
Odd behavior for a fish lol. I'm thinking that maybe he's used to the heater and airstones on, and when you turn them off, it makes him less comfortable, so he tries to turn them on by hitting them.
 
Thanks for the tip just3542. I'll try turning off the airstones and keeping filtration to a minimum but still on and see if the green still attacks the equipment. As for video bjbass unfortunately I don't happen to have a camcorder or I would consider posting one :(
 
Let's hear it for CDA! I used to live there. I just caught two last night, and have no experience to go off of. I would imagine that it should be fine so long as he isn't ramming the equipment so hard he hurts himself.
 
does he avoid them when they are on? I'm wondering if the heater is leaking current into the water causing him discomfort. then when it's off and there's no issue, he attacks.
I know it's not supposed to work like that, but...
maybe try another heater. if it's glass you may want to change it anyway. it won't be long before he's big enough to break it.
 
Gill Blue,
Even when he attacked the heater it was off (I immediately removed it from the tank since it wasn't in use).He/she does avoid the filters while on but if turned down to low or off he was attacking full throttle. However recently he has been continuously biting the filtration equipment even while it's on. He has currently hurt himself by damaging his jaw, he can't open or close it it's stuck part way :(. I've recently moved him into a 10 gallon bare bottom quarantine tank with a cycled filter and am doing about 50% daily water changes since he wasn't eating in the other tank. Anything he/she attempts to eat is spit right back out now that he can't close his jaw fully. I've even tried market shrimp and brine shrimp to entice him! He's been about 5 days without food now. To make matters worse he still attacks the AC 20 I have in there. I could get a hold of a sponge filter but I'm not sure as this would help since he attacks airline tubing already. Any ideas on how to get him to stop hurting himself?

By the way AirborneAquatic nice to see another person from Coeur d'Alene too! Hopefully your two sunfish are a little less mischievous than mine. I got two the same way you did. The one is not a psychopath and is doing fine. I'm just having issues with the mad attacker of non-sentient objects. If he makes it I have to make some sort of name for him. I do wish our water quality down here was better though, too much lead and arsenic from the old silver mines in the tap. I've almost considered going the R/O unit route a few times because of it. Good luck with your two greens and hope they make it through quarantine!
 
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