Death sentance?

[declan]

my blue pangasius catfish sometimes freak out when they see me .after a adrenalin run they quieten down and go to the bottom of the aquarium and rest, they somthimes fall on their side or on their back but after a while (2min) they are on the move again. i was told this this is normal but most of the time one pangasius floats to the surface belly up and slowly stops 'gulping' and its gills close up and don't open i cant bare the idea that im watching my own fish die so i gently poke it and it dosn't move then i give it a slightly harder poke and it speeds off and starts acting normal again is this behaviour normal? if i dont disturb its dead act will it die?

[corybreed]

Unfortunately it is normal behavior for the Pangasius if kept in too small a tank. I can't tell you how many of these fish I have seen all banged up with large cysts on their head. They are nervous fast moving fish that must be properly housed in a large tank.

Mark

[declan]

i have a 4ftx2ft tank and my 2 catfish are only 5 inches long each, i started to panic at their upside down-floating behavour because it wasn't their normality and the shop owner didn't have them doing it at the pet shop .