Dumb Question - Upside Down discus???

[shoggoth43]

Is it normal for discus to swim upside down? Not length of the tank upside down, but while picking at the sponge prefilters I notice one or two of them while actually graze the sponges upside down. I have never really seen this behavior before in fish. The omega of the group seems especially prone to, or maybe adept at, it. Other than being somewhat smaller than the others, he doesn't seem to be sick or stunted and I've caught at least one other doing it. No other fish I've had have ever done so. All my angels and whatnot have always turned around and come back lower in the water.

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S

[pinkjello]

My discus do that as well..I am not "up" on whats normal..but they can move in strange ways sometimes if they really want something :D

[keef]

If it is just when they are picking at food in hard to reach places then don't worry it's totally normal. Many laterally compressed deep bodied fish species behave like this. It only becomes an issue when they are having trouble righting themselves in the water continually.
Keith

[Jhhnn]

As strawberry discus said, they'll assume all kinds of interesting attitudes if they're desirous of eating whatever it is that's caught their eye...

My tank has a bit of a current across the bottom- pretty gentle, really. My juvies will spot something coming their way, roll their tail clear up over their head examining it, way past vertical, then right themselves by rolling over sideways. The contortions in trying to get at something interesting on the bottom of the sponge filters led me to install risers. When one would get itself into an uncomfortable position, it'd freak, causing them all to flash explosively, run into things...