# Someone/thing is splashing in my tank at night?



## jentralala (Oct 5, 2012)

After a couple hours of lights out, something in my tank starts becoming very loud. I'm not sure if it's the filter, or one of the fish, or what. I'm not worried about it necessarily but it's a bit of a curious thing. 

It sounds like someone pouring water in the tank. Not that gentle flow of water, but that loud bubbly gurgling kind. If that makes sense. I mean, in the dead silence of my house at night (it almost always happens when I'm about to go to sleep, so around 2am, long after lights out), especially since the tank is about 10 feet from my bed. 

I never hear it during the day so I really don't think it's my filter, and the length of time for each sound occurrence is different. Sometimes it lasts less than a second, sometimes it drags on for ten seconds. When I hear it I usually rush over to the tank, but there's no water outside the tank, and it's pitch black so I can't really see inside it. I'm afraid to shine a flashlight for fear of startling everyone. 

I have pearl gouramis, kuhli loaches, and harlequin rasboras. 

Has anyone had something like this happen before?


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## jentralala (Oct 5, 2012)

The noise usually occurs about 3 to 4 times, usually in a cluster with anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes between.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Paranormal activity? Lol 

Just kidding. I have no idea what it could be. What kind of filter do you have?


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## Molinious (Jan 12, 2012)

I could just be your gourami playing around, iv got 4 opalines and they make me jump sometimes we they go mad playing chase


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## jentralala (Oct 5, 2012)

It's an Aqua Tech 30-60, just the one from Walmart. I know it's probably not the best, but it was free and it works. The tank originally came with a Whisper, but it was the loudest filter ever. Even after getting a new impeller, something just wasn't working on it. 

I actually blamed my cats at first and thought somehow they were doing something, but when I look they're nowhere near the tank.

I was wondering if it might be my gourami, but they never really make much noise during the day and I didn't think they would be active late at night?


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## Molinious (Jan 12, 2012)

who knows, but fish do play silly games sometimes


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## jentralala (Oct 5, 2012)

I wish I had a night vision camera haha, just to see what they're up to! My biggest fear is that the noise is from the kuhlis somehow getting into the filter.


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## twocents (Feb 22, 2010)

if they got into the filter, they would probably be there in the morning or next time you checked the filter..


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## Bluewind (Oct 24, 2012)

Loaches love to get into everything! My friend keeps them and she has found them in everything at one time or another from the filter to the sand to sitting on top of the tank! They are funny little guys :-D
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

It is likely fish. Kuhli loach are nocturnal, and they will easily jump out of a tank if not covered well, so it may well be these fellows at the surface.

Other fish can make splashes if they jump from being startled in pitch darkness. I have some nocturnal fish that I must feed in complete darkness, hours after the lights are out and the room is pitch black. And when I open the tank to add the food, even with no lights in the room, I sometimes startle a fish or two and I may get splashed.

Byron.


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## lakemalawifish (Nov 24, 2012)

LOL does this bring back memories. I can't tell you how many times our Gourami's woke me up at night with all the swishing around the tank water noise. I would sneak in the room with a small flash light and catch them! At first we just had a male/female pair so they were probably fighting with each other, they are known to be kinda mean to their mates. Then we re-homed a few more from a friend and you would not believe all the noise they made at night. Grab a flash light and tip toe in there, you will catch them!


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