To Cave or not to Cave

HumanBean

Dovii
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Nov 4, 2014
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Happy Friday MFKers.

to cave or not to cave that's the question. In a cosmopoly tank should I provide caves to hide or go bare ?

I have seen pix here with no hiding places. I have this ornate always hiding and if no hiding places found it goes nutts

Thanks
 

kno4te

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Would give it a hiding place especially to prevent some possible injury.
 

Yuki Rihwa

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It's all depend on you and your fish character, some will out active and never hide even if you gave it a place to hide, some always hide and even will stay in hiding mode 24/7 if you given it a change.
 

Askaleymanfish

Aimara
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May 15, 2014
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I'll be honest I hate to give caves ..... Iv not ha many that hide but that ones that due beer ever ever ever come out of hideing every ornate I have ever had d u give it a place to hide I wouldn't even no I had a ornate for months .... I lose interest in the fish quickly when they do that so I stopped givin hideing spots now I just make it where they have some cover to make them feel safer but thst it and I don't give much cover cause I only have one or 2 that like to hide so not much is needed
 

jwh

Plecostomus
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Feb 7, 2015
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Clearly the fish is stressed being out in the open, so you should provide the hide it needs to be comfortable. Depriving it of a place to hide will stress it and probably eventually kill it. You can always trade the fish and get a specie that's happy to be always in the open. Poly's need hiding places. I have a wooded and planted tank, and see all my poly's, cats and ropes from time to time, usually in the evening, but they do hide, they are stealth hunters, it's in their DNA.
As fish keepers we should cater to the needs of the fish...
 

DMD123

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I have done caves and would never see my fish. Some would at least come out for food, others would only come out at night. if the fish would not freak out I would take the cave out. But if they are needing a hiding spot I would put something in there for it.

This is the cave I use, when I use one
 

Askaleymanfish

Aimara
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This guy up here lol they do not "need" hideing spots it is not a necessity to live and bichir will not die from not being a able to hide ..... Now some cover for it I feel is needed doesn't even have to be a lot a couple rocks and a fake plant would suffice as long as it can get behind something when startled
 

Dr.B

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Jul 28, 2012
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I have to agree they won't "probably die" and I don't think it's a necessity. And providing hiding spots or not IMO is something you can sway one way or another. It's mostly based on what you believe in. Do you believe fish need them or do you believe they can do without. As everyone can see in this thread both sides are represented. I personally am split as well. I usually provide hiding spots for my juvies and then once they are in my big tank I don't keep hiding spots. Not because I don't want to, but because it makes maintenance easier. Which is also (and IMO more so) important than the need for hiding spots. So I think it really depends on how you view the situation.
 

Jakob

Piranha
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Feb 22, 2008
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I prefer something they can hide behind, driftwood for example. Bichirs don't need a cave to feel safe, something to lie next to/behind is enough. Polypterus aren't very nervous fish, yes they do prefer the dark, but they do fine in the open.
 
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