Tail slapping and territory.

prsturm

prsturm

Large Fish
#1
Aug 13, 2010
100
0
0
#1
I have noticed some intriguing behavior with my flagfish, and am wondering if anyone knows anything about it. It doesn't appear as a sign of stress or disease at all. Every once in a while, my male and female pair of flagfish will go about the tank, and slap their tails against the leaves of my plants. They'll go about and smack the plants. Could this be a territorial behavior? If a large sword leaf is in the male's way, he'll bull-rush the plant and slam into it, knocking it out of the way. So strange, but so interesting!

I don't think it is scratching or flashing, because I've seen that and this is different. They have no signs of disease otherwise. What do you think?
 

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OrangeCones

Elite Fish
#7
Feb 27, 2009
4,395
0
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#7
prsturm said:
Every once in a while, my male and female pair of flagfish will go about the tank, and slap their tails against the leaves of my plants. They'll go about and smack the plants. Could this be a territorial behavior?
Click to expand...
Sounds like testing the 'forest' for good places to lay eggs to me. They won't lay directly in the current of a filter, but on plant leaves. If the tank is shallow, they are more likely to lay lower in the water column. If its a tall tank, they will try for the underside of floating plants if available.
 

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Uelrindru

New Fish
#8
Sep 20, 2010
7
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#8
My betta does that, he's not as aggressive but he goes over to some of my plants and some of the oto's in with him, stops, and then swings his tail so it's touching them.
Of course my betta attacks the algae tabs I put in there like they were the devil so he may not be all there.
 

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