Occasionally going around like mad ?!??

[BIG J]

Hey guys
I have 3 different tanks with all my axies in, each tank is very well established and all have housed axies for several years now, but in the last few weeks i have noticed with all of them... that from time to time, one of them will just swim around like mad, swing from side to side and it looks as if they are trying to scratch their gills with their front legs, they go frantic for only a few seconds like they are in distress then they just stop, and go back to normal.... everyone i have does it occasionally and i just don't know why ???

All of my tanks are cycled and they have regular water changes weekly, the waste and un eaten food is always removed with a turkey baster , there is sand substrate in all, with plenty of hides, light is low and temp stays around 18 -19 -20 never higher.... each one has its own separate waterfall filter with a low flow rate, so none of them are connected to the same water, i have 4 males in one tank, 4 females in another and 2 females in the third tank.... the tanks are large.... but the 4 females are a little cramped due to their size, they have done perfectly fine for the last few years though, and they all get along well together, i just remove a bit more water from them when i clean out.... they are fed a varied diet of prawns, pellets and the odd earthworm and seem to be in great condition fat happy axies lol (sorry for the info bash just wanted to give as much info as i could)

I just don't know why they occasionally go swimming around like crazy, if it was something to do with the chemistry of the water, surely i couldn't be that unlucky for all 3 tanks !!! if any of you could shed some light on what it could be that is making them go like this, please do because i am starting to worry about them. Thanks guys

 

[EmbryH]

Strange. Just a guess, but is there anything in the room (or that passes through the room) that might spook your axies? Is there a chance that a random light, maybe from a window, might catch them off guard to cause this strange behavior?

 

[wandering]

Has there been a change in your water supply? Sometimes they put in extra chemicals. Could you ask your supplier?

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[esn]

Is it possibly correlated to any slamming doors or getting up and walking around near the tank? Vibrations will spook them.

 

[Moobear2010]

Mine do it when my dog barks or like previously said any doors slam orr when i switch light on from pure darkness they usually go mad swim side to side stop n look at me asif to say that was stupid wasnt it aha x

 

[BIG J]

i cannot say if its to do with the water supply, i will have to look in to that and see if that could be the cause, i always use aqua safe on all water that goes into any of my aquariums, as to them being startled by something, lights vibrations ect it defiantly isn't that because they don't all do it at the same time... one will just go mad and the others sit there and do nothing, i have a tub witch houses some axie in, and they go crazy when the lid is removed so i know they do it because they get a little scared, but with my adults, ill be sitting there watching them and all of a sudden one will just take off... the tanks are in the end of my house and no one walks through there, its only me in there when feeding, cleaning or watching them