Read About Hiding Fish

Aquariums can be great fun for the entire family, but sometimes new fish owners are worried by hiding fish. It is frustrating to not know why your fish are hiding, but understanding fish behavior is all you need.

Most often, your hiding fish is not a problem at all, other than your own aggravation. Fish hide for a variety of reasons, but the most common is that it is a fish’s natural instinct to hide. In the wild, fish hide to avoid becoming anther fish’s lunch. Predators are all over in open waters and fish must find cover or they will be eaten. So, a hiding fish in an aquarium is a normal thing.

Another reason fish may hide in your aquarium is for breeding purposes. Livebearers (guppies, mollies, platties, and others) have been known to hide when they are ready to deliver their young. They find a nice spot in the aquarium to have some peace and quiet so they can be left alone as they birth their babies. They also hide so their babies will have a chance to hide as well. Baby fish are usually prey for larger ones.

Fish like to hide. Sometimes they hide as part of their own entertainment. As your fish become more acclimated to their new home, you will start to notice that you may have a few fish that play chase with one another. This is also normal, and incredibly fun to watch. Sometimes one of the playing fish will break off and find a secret spot to hide and catch his breath or to bring the element of surprise into the game.

Occasionally, a fish will hide because of illness. Fish illnesses are a difficult thing to diagnose, but the first step to take if you assume your aquarium may have sick fish is to test the water for parasites and pH level. Kits for testing are available for purchase for a nominal price. Many pet stores also offer free testing of water for their clients. Either way, if you think you have a problem in your tank, act quickly.

It is important, even if it means your fish hide more, to provide them with lots of great places to swim, explore and hide in your aquarium. They like plants, both living and artificial, rocks that give them enough room to shimmy down into them, free-form rock formations, and other types of aquarium decorations such as sunken ships and castles with lots of nooks and crannies to disappear to.

Keep watching your fish. You will have hours of entertainment for yourself and your family thanks to a healthy aquarium. Learning to train your eye as to what is going on in your tank will help you figure out why you have hiding fish.