Bubble nests, filters, and concerns

[BurnishedOchre]

Hello! The introduction of Desmoda to his tank has gone very well so far, but he's been showing some interesting characteristics.

I've been watching him during my breaks between classes where I usually find time to eat something quick and then head back out, and I'm still trying to figure out a lot of stuff.

For one, I desperately need some of those smaller filters so that I can shove one into the intake to slow the flow of water - the filter runs at 35 gallons an hour, and the surface is pretty disturbed by the water re-entering. Desmoda doesn't seem to have a lot of trouble swimming, but after unplugging the filter I noticed him cruising much more smoothly, so there is some effort while the filter is on.

I have already diverted some of the directness of the water coming back into the tank by using the idea of cutting up a part of a soda bottle and taping it in front of the outlet so that the curved side will catch the water coming out, softening the blow. It has seemed to have helped, but there still is a lot of water disturbance.

The thing is, though, I think Desmoda enjoys the end products of the moving water: bubbles. It is strange, but he eats bubbles and tries to eat them where he can see them but not quite get to (the shadows of bubbles on the other side of the silk leaves in the tank, the plastic water diverter that has tons of tiny bubbles on its surface), and it's almost as if he is gathering the air up from those bubbles and maybe even depositing it in specific places - he lets a bubble go here and there, but I've noticed that under a leaf in the water there is a very large bubble of air trapped underneath it. There are other smaller bubbles caught on the undersides of some of the other leaves as well. He is constantly at the water diverter/displacer, biting at the plastic, as well as sucking up bubbles where he can get them. He still goes to the surface for air, but not as often as I saw him surface when he was in the transport cup.

I'm wondering if he is trying to make a bubble nest, but his overall antics leave me wondering if I should be amused or worried.

Also, when I took off the filter, not a minute later he performed a quite impressive flare, the largest I've seen him look, and several smaller yet substantial flares as he swam around the tank, flaring at a few things then continuing on with his bubble-eating and depositing, and again back to the plastic. I took a video of him doing this behavior, while the filter was turned off. I should have it up on Youtube soon, hopefully.

Any and all advice would be appreciated on what I may be doing wrong - or right. oO I still need to dampen the force on that filter, though... I'm thinking that if he is trying to build a bubble nest, the water's turbidity is causing the bubbles to pop instantly. I do not know the process of bubble-nest building for these fish, though, so he might be doing something completely different.

Once the video uploads on Youtube, I'll be posting the link here in the same thread.

[Jynx]

The moving bubbles give them the predatory feelings so they play with them- if he was making a bubble nest he would make the bubbles himself with his saliva and slime- which is why they last so long :D

[chrisb1221]

I just put Hector into his 5gal today too. He's doing the same thing and attacking nearly every bubble that moves. MY filter was also too strong, even with the baffle.

[BurnishedOchre]

Originally Posted by chrisb1221

I just put Hector into his 5gal today too. He's doing the same thing and attacking nearly every bubble that moves. MY filter was also too strong, even with the baffle.

Oh really? That's interesting! Have you turned the filter off, or have you found any other way to lessen the strength of the water movement?

[BurnishedOchre]

Originally Posted by Jynx

The moving bubbles give them the predatory feelings so they play with them- if he was making a bubble nest he would make the bubbles himself with his saliva and slime- which is why they last so long :D

Ah-ha! That makes a lot of sense (in which I wasn't using any before :P).

I've been trying to feed him, and thankfully he's been eating stuff, but with this water going around so much on the surface I always worry that he won't get it in time. He finds what happens to pass by him at the time and chases after it a little. At least he's getting some exercise? >_O

[chrisb1221]

Unfortunately, no. I've decided to let the tank filter for an hour or so once or twice a day until I get something a little less powerful.

[BurnishedOchre]

I was wondering if people could watch this and see if they might be finding anything of concern? I am assuming that fish spitting their food back up after a long time isn't exactly good, but people with more experience may see otherwise. Thanks so much!

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8UC3SFsaG8

[BurnishedOchre]

Originally Posted by chrisb1221

Unfortunately, no. I've decided to let the tank filter for an hour or so once or twice a day until I get something a little less powerful.

I'm thinking that I'll be having to do the same, though I don't think my water's current is as strong as yours. I hope that you can find something less powerful! Good luck. :)