The Whole Tank of Arowana "Freeze and Flip Over"

When fish flip over, it's usually not a good sign, but there are exceptions. Recently, a video was uploaded where someone cried out that their entire tank of arowana had "drowned", with all the fish floating belly-up in a bizarre, curved position. Seeing this would likely break the heart of any fish keeper. However, experienced netizens quickly pointed out that this phenomenon is not only normal but also beneficial for the fish.

A peculiar video appeared on the Facebook group "Animal Meme Planet", showing a large aquarium with numerous arowana floating lifelessly, their bellies exposed. Many viewers were alarmed, commenting, "It looks like a horror movie," "Why are they all flipped over?" and "Are they dead?" Some even joked about it, saying, "My tears are all coming out of my mouth," "Are they doing a 'fish gelato'?" "Drowned and served as a side dish for cats," "They must have gotten drunk last night and are hungover," "Steamed with tears, eating three big bowls," and "Never seen fish swimming upside down before."

However, insiders quickly understood that these fish were simply sedated to prevent injury during transportation: "Fish are given sedatives so they don't struggle like snakes when caught," "They might jump out of the tank," "This is sedation! They'll flip back soon. Sedation is mainly used to reduce stress and prevent fish from colliding with the tank when introduced to new water or during packaging and transport to minimize injury and death." Other viewers exclaimed, "I learned something new! I thought they were all dead," "I didn't know fish could be sedated; I thought it was an art installation."