Question: Any idea's?

Red1313 · March 30th, 2009

After many many months together i have found an answer... Red isn't anti-social he's just nocturnal.
He refuses to come out when the tank lights are on or when the ambient light in the room is enough to read by.
Any Idea's what I can do?
He's in a 32 Gal tank (lots of ground area for him to patrol). There are caves and I'm working on increasing the amount of plants but... I'm out of idea's to encourage him to come out more. I'm planning to add a school of tiger barbs to his tank but that won't be for a few months yet. The only change I've seen in his behavior lately is that instead of hiding in his cave he now prefers to hang tail down vertically tucked in one of the corners of the tank...

platy ben · March 30th, 2009

I think a shoal of tiger barbs would help alot, this owuld make him want to patrol his territory and also if the tiger barbs are shoaling out in the open , he may see this as a signal that there are no predators around

Red1313 · March 30th, 2009

Ok then I guess I'll just have to wait a few months then till I can get the barbs. I Don't want to get them since I'll be going on a trip out of the country in May. :s

agabr123 · March 30th, 2009

seconded, tiger barbs would be great!

Shawnie · March 30th, 2009

sometimes with the rts and rainbows, its a good thing they arent always visible...once they get more territorial and act out, the tank goes into havoc...im curious what you are feeding him for foods? mine ALWAYS come out with brine shrimp and bloodworms..maybe its the case of the food hes after who knows

Red1313 · March 30th, 2009

I've tried everything with my boy (except live/frozen foods. Live I'd have to buy online and they probably wouldn't survive the weather, and I don't think that my room-mates would appreciate me keeping frozen worms in the communal freezer

). I've dropped in every type/brand of flake I have. I've tried shrimp pellets, I read that they sometimes grazed on algae so i added a algae wafer, I've tried freeze dried blood worms. All a no go. I used my fancy brine shrimp flakes with brine shrimp crumbs in it... Nothing.
I think he scavenges at night a bit, so I usually drop some flakes in before I turn the lights out and mostly I can't find them in the morning. He's been eating something all year but since I know he doesn't eat everything I usually feed him once every other day to reduce build up. I even tried veggies to see if that would catch his attention...
He's a strange strange fish.

Shawnie · March 30th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red1313

I've tried everything with my boy (except live/frozen foods. Live I'd have to buy online and they probably wouldn't survive the weather, and I don't think that my room-mates would appreciate me keeping frozen worms in the communal freezer

). I've dropped in every type/brand of flake I have. I've tried shrimp pellets, I read that they sometimes grazed on algae so i added a algae wafer, I've tried freeze dried blood worms. All a no go. I used my fancy brine shrimp flakes with brine shrimp crumbs in it... Nothing. I think he scavenges them at night a bit. So I usually drop some flakes in before I turn the lights out and mostly I can't find them in the morning. He's been eating something all year but since I know he doesn't eat everything I usually feed him once every other day to reduce build up. I even tried veggies to see if that would catch his attention...
He's a strange strange fish.

just get some cubed brine shrimp or bloodworms and hide the cubes in a plastic baggie with a paper bag or tinfoil over them , behind the beef in the freezer! (or the hotdogs and hotpockets as my daughter lives off them in college!!)

Red1313 · March 30th, 2009

I live off ground beef, rice, and spaghetti (we raise cattle so always lots of hamburger ect floating around).

I'll look into the frozen thanks

I'm moving into my own place so the freezer is all mine now! <insert the Mr. Burns "Eexxcellent" clip

>

I'll be rescaping the tank once I get the barbs so that should keep the territorial-ism to a min. but I know it's a risk. If it happens then I'll get a new home for the Barbs.

(Can you tell who's my baby

)

Shawnie · March 30th, 2009