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thebiggerthebetter said:
At the face value this is wacky. It sounds like it shouldn't be.

The only thing I can think of is that when a light is turned off, the oxygen production by the plants ceases and now plants consume oxygen, depleting the dissolved oxygen. Hence, the catfish are trying to escape the suffocating water.

Plants, as all living things, consume oxygen at all times, it's just that they produce 100x more than consume in the day light.

--- Was there an adequate aeration in the tank to keep the water adequately aerated in the night time?

--- Have you noticed a delay in the catfish behavior? I mean it would take some time, maybe 30 min to a few hours for water to get oxygen depleted once the light's off.

I understand it does not explain why they are ok with a tiny bit of a night light but I'm at a total loss as to why else the pictus would do this.

Fish jump out of the water to physically shake off parasites, but this shouldn't depend on the amount of light. So this explanation doesn't appear to fit.

Other things may make fish behave unreasonably like that, e.g. a sudden pH swing or temp, etc. but this doesn't usually involve light either.

Anyhow, planted tanks are not my experience. Never had them. So maybe people who had them would have better things to propose.
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I think you're putting waaaaayyyyy too much thought into it. Let's keep it simple - how many people have their fish tank lights on dimmers? I don't - they go ON.......then they go OFF. In the wild the sun slowly rises and the sun slowly sets, it doesn't just switch on and off LOL. As an avid catfisherman I can tell you the bite and increase in fish activity is gradual, it doesn't just happen all at once usually.......as dusk hits you get a fish or 2, then as it gets darker more become active, then by full dark they are all out hunting.

I think the erratic activity when the lights go out is just a sudden abrubt change in the environment telling them immediately it's time to feed, as opposed to them slowly waking up and realizing it's that time.

Think of it like jumping out of bed immediately and start working......you don't get to sit up slowly and rub your eyes, you don't get to wash your face, no shower, no coffee, no newspaper - you just get right up and start work in seconds. You with me on this?
 
knobhill said:
Just use a hack saw to cut the black rigid uplift tubes. It's very easy to do.
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that's not necessary, all he has to do is remove the bottom extension and put the filter intake strainer directly on the upper tube. No need to cut anything, he just wont be able to use the mid-level strainer, which is no big deal because the intake will now BE the new mid-level strainer
 
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Frank Castle said:
that's not necessary, all he has to do is remove the bottom extension and put the filter intake strainer directly on the upper tube. No need to cut anything, he just wont be able to use the mid-level strainer, which is no big deal because the intake will now BE the new mid-level strainer
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I tried doing that originally and the intakes were only about 3in under the water
But I did end up cutting about 2in. off the section between the two intakes
 
Well, its been while and a bit has changed with the 40b so I figured I'd dust off this thread.
Sadly I had two of the P. pictus die from what I assume was internal parasites
I also got 7 Hyphessobrycon anisitsi (Buenos Aires Tetras)
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the pictus weren't happy about me taking pictures
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