Strange clown loach behavior?

[rothenb1]

I've got four 3.5 inch clown loaches in my 90 gallon. They seem healthy-- their colors are vibrant and they school together frequently. They get a variety of sinking food as well as veggies, every day. They've also got plenty of hiding spots. The tank is heavily planted, albeit the plants are fake.

Something they do frequently is swim up and down the sides and the corner of the tank. Literally-- they swim vertically up and down and up and down. It worries me because it is reminiscent of stereotypic behavior in zoo animals.

Should I be worried, or is this normal?

[VoidParadigm]

Several fish I've had have done that until they realize there is no opening in the glass for them to go through.

My Gourami Kiwi did it all through her 2-2.5 inch stage. After that, she went through a stage where she'd feel the glass ALL the time with her pelvic fins/feelers, after that, stopped for good.

One of my goldfish used to do backflips by the glass until he hit four inches. Hasn't since.

Perhaps it's just a quality found in some juvenile fish. Because, really, you can't expect a juvenile fish to -know- that there are some things in the world you can see through but can't go through. It's just not in their programming. Cripes, for that matter, as a kid even I hit a few glass doors.

[Irish2539]

I have 4 clowns and its normal... All mine sometimes to go up and down the class tumbling over one another. They also lay down on the sand on top of one another playing dead. Id say urs will do this eventually. its a sign they are comfortable in the tank.

[oranda man]

my oranda does the excact same thing

[rothenb1]

Phew! Good to know other's fish are doing the same thing. Thanks everyone!

[Lady Hobbs]

Not strange at all for clowns. This is what they do. Mine used to get in the bubbler and would ride the bubbles up and down for hours.

[VoidParadigm]

Clown Loaches are amusing "little" fish.
They do lots of things harmlessly that in other species it would be cause for alarm.

[Crispy]

They like to play in the currents quite a bit... typical clown loach behavior.

[Aeonflame]

Mine do all that and are obsessed about tunnelling under my driftwood.

[kennedpa]

Yup normal behaviour....dont be suprised if here some strange tapping noises either. Mine often tumble around together and emit these tapping noises while they play