What is this behavor?

Question

My pregnant guppy rubs her body against something than dashes off very fast what is she doing my guess is that she is marking her territory but what do you think it is

And what is Hard water and what is soft &
Neutral water?

just one more question (you don’t have to answer this one if you don’t want to) Do you think fish are happy in a fish tank?

Answer 1

This behavior does sound like a parasite, but the correct term is "flashing". Fish will do this because the parasite is an irritation, and they're either trying to "scratch an itch" or trying to remove the actual parasite. The safest medication you can give her is salt. If guppies are the only type of fish that you have, you can add 3 tablespoons of non-iodized salt per gallon of tank volume (add this to some water in a separate container, and add it slowlt to the tank - I use an old clean soda bottle to mix, then poke a pin through the bottom and let this drain into the tank [you have to leave the top off, or slightly unscrewed for it to drain completely]). Guppies are very tolerant of salt, and can live in full saltwater aquariums if allowed to adjust slowly enough. The parasites, on the other hand, aren't able to tolerate the salt and will die. It won't hurt any fry either, because I currently have a trio of guppies spawning an a 10 gallon saltwater tank.

Hardness and pH are related to a degree, but they aren't the same thing. Hardness is a measure of the amount of minerals that are dissolved in water, and these minerals may or may not influence the pH. "Soft" water describes water without a lot of dissolved minerals, "hard" means there are a lot. "Neutral" on the other hand is a reference to pH, meaning that the amount of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH-) are equal. If there are more H+ the water will be acidic, if there are more OH-, it will be basic.

How the hardness works is that if there are enough minerals (usually carbonates) to bind with the H+ ions, these are bound up and unavailable to create acidity, increasing the ratio of OH-, and this will raise your pH. See this for more on this: http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html

I'd say that depends on how well the tank meets their need. Putting a lot of fish in a small tank, putting species together that aren't compatible, or keeping them in poor water quality conditions wouldn't be my idea of a "perfect place to live". If on the other hand, the tank is more than large enough, has elements (plants wood, rockwork, pH, salts and minerals, temperature) that simulate their natural environment, and is well kept by the owner, I don't know that they have the capability to be happy, exactly, but they would probably be contented enough to produce their best colors, and to spawn, which could be about as close to "happy" as a fish would get. It also helps if they have others (compatible) with which to interact, and an environment that gives them a chance to "explore" (you can help by periodically changing their decor, putting a mirror beside the tank for a few minutes, or "hiding" sinking treats around the tank for them to find. Before you think about the possibility of these disturbing the fish, consider that floods rearrange natural environments, fish migrate and come into contact with others, and they come across live food that falls into the water or is washed downstream, so you're doing what happens in nature - you just want to keep these "disturbances" to an ocassional basis, not a weekly event.

Answer 2

I know in my Oscars this is called "glancing" and can be related to parasite infestation. They itch, so they rub against objects in the tank or on the gravel and then shoot off to another part of the tank.

You'll have to check with your pet store to see what meds you can give for it since she's pregnant. You'll probably need to treat the entire tank.
Hard or soft or neutral waters are referring to the PH of the water in the tank and should be checked regularly along with the test strips for nitrites & nitrates etc.
Here is a website with basic info on PH
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-chem.html
It tells about the acidic, neutral and alkaline PH balances of the tank and gives info on how to test and correct.

I think fish can be happy in a tank when well cared for. Like any pet, it's all they know. They come to depend on you for food, proper light and a clean environment. Would they be happier free somewhere? Probably so...but they may or may not be taken care of as well nor live so long.

Answer 3

I think it's just a way of helping her give birth. This is just a guess so I'm not really sure.

Hard water and soft is depending on what the ph is in the water. Checking for minerals in the water and all that would make it soft or hard water.

I think fish are happy if they have enough room to swim around in.