Alternative Reasons for Flashing?

[PineSong]

Have you ever seen flashing that appeared to be a social signal or adrenalin-discharging behavior rather than a symptom of illness or water issues?

I have seen a fish flashing that looks more like marking territory or discharging adrenalin, because it always happens when there is some "frenzy" situation and no further symptoms ever develop. 

I now have a juvenile guppy who has flashed at mealtime for multiple days. He was born in my tanks to a mom who'd had both Expel-P and Paracleanse in QT. The only time I've seen him flash is when I've just fed them and they're picking food out of the dwarf chain sword. As lots of fish gather around, he will flash on the blades of plant and flip around rapidly multiple times, as if he is trying to tell the others to stay away, it's his food.

In my other tank, I have seen one or two flashes from platies chased off food by my bossy molly girl. 

If these fish had a parasite, illness or injury, I would expect to see flashing at odd/random times, but plenty of hard staring into the tank shows none. I check water compulsively so I know it's not that.

Have you ever seen flashing that appeared to be a social signal or adrenalin-discharging behavior rather than a symptom of illness or water issues?

 

 

 

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Is what your describing similar to what us cat keepers call the "zoomies"? I have fish that individually sprint (for lack of a better word) from one end of the tank to the other seemingly for no reason other than "they want to" or "they can". Random and not a pattern as if with an illness. Sometimes 1 doing it creates a brief trend in the tank with others sometimes not. I've seen it with my schooling fish and my Endlers and Guppies which tend to be more individualistic.

[PineSong]

Well, kind of (?) in the instances where there is a line of fish chasing each other--that's a few young male platies zipping around at top speed, but then as the speed/line fades one of them will actually flash on a piece of wood or plant. 

And in the case of the feeding, no zooming is happening.

 

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Hmm I'm not sure I've ever witnessed a healthy fish purposefully rub against objects. In the instances you're describing, you'd think it'd be behaviorial or social in nature. I imagine they do have itches like we do from time to time as evidenced when they're sick and trying to scratch- maybe they're getting antsy because of that and the rubbing into things at the end stops the flash? 

[H.K.Luterman]

I definitely feel that flashing is just a natural behavior and not a definite cause for worry. My catfish will often rub her face on the sand to clean her whiskers, and now and then I see various fish flicking their fins and then bouncing off a surface just to scratch themselves; when you don't have hands, you have to use the environment to relieve an itch/clean yourself. I have seen my limia do some interesting movements at each other, so it wouldn't surprise me that flashing could be a social thing sometimes.

The only time I would expect it to be a symptom of anything is if I saw them constantly doing it, and showing other symptoms of discomfort. 

[Guppysnail]

Yes I have seen this occasionally in younger just approaching juvenile guppies. They get over excited do this and it goes away just as quick.  I’ve also seen them do this about 2 hours after I first add wondershell. I already have hard water but give it to them occasionally for my snails. Once they adjust it stops.