Sounds reasonable. Mine are usually really good with the chaos around them (3 boys under 7) but every now and then you walk past them and they shoot off around the tank looking like you've just snuck up behind then and screamed BOO.I think the problem is that it is very hard to tell if they are awake or asleep as they cannot shut their eyes, but sometimes mine seem to get a fright when I go close to the tank, so I think this is when I wake them up suddenly or something.
Hmm, usually with my golden albino I can tell because his frills get really pale. I remember the first time I saw that I thought he was dead! Now thanks to that I call him Ghost.
My Leucistic does this too where his gills turn pale. He lays really still and doesn't really move, like he's zoned out or something. I guess this is them sleeping/resting?
Mine never have an axie outburst! Maybe they do all nighters!
But usually I go by a zoned out look and gill colour I guess. Also I've noticed if I go near the tank and Arbie is awake she'll come trundling up/over to see if I bring offerings of worms. If she's in a zoned out state she doesn't even flick a gill at me!
They also seem quiet all through the light hours and then when I put my lamp on and it goes darker they come alive!
Sometimes he worries me a bit when he swims into the wall after being "woken up", but I am waiting on a much larger tank so maybe he wont do that anymore