Skittish Male Dovii
- Thread starter lemarj
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Already too big for that tank, a young open water predator in a severely enclosed space of course he's going to hide.
While bigger is better with dovii I'm not going to say a 75 is too small for a 7" male. Once he gets a little larger though you'll need something larger for sure. Male dovii are for the most part pretty docile @ 7". If you think about them in the wild even @7" they're still a meal for a lot of fish, birds, and other animals. Sure you'll get some every now and then that are agressive and nuts when young but every male I've grown out doesn't "come out of his shell" until around the 10-12" mark. Does he have any caves or anything like that? Any plants? A background on the setup? All those things will make him feel more secure in his setup. Good luck and post some pics when you can!
Yeah, Dovii don't become aggressive or bold towards people until more like the 12" mark from what I've heard. I would just be patient with him. Also, you probably know this, but around 10" you should be getting him in a larger tank.
Because it is still a juvie at that size, it will be skittish.
In nature a dovii is prime target for bird predation, and human shadows will simulate threat, and elicit a instinctual flight response.
But as said above, that tank is a mere puddle, it should be in a 200 gal or more while growing, and eventually moved to a 500 gal + (minimum) sized tank
In nature a dovii is prime target for bird predation, and human shadows will simulate threat, and elicit a instinctual flight response.
But as said above, that tank is a mere puddle, it should be in a 200 gal or more while growing, and eventually moved to a 500 gal + (minimum) sized tank
The smaller the tank you keep a dovii in, the more stunted he will be. I believe for a single male dovii a 300dd should be considered minimum and female maybe a 210-240. Anything less will damage them. I know there have been recommendations that say dovii need 10k.
How long have you had this Dovii, and how long has he been in that tank.
I have moved fish into a new tanks before and found some settle the next day, some have taken two or three months to settle and show there true character.
I have moved fish into a new tanks before and found some settle the next day, some have taken two or three months to settle and show there true character.
You don't bring out a fish's aggression by force, it occurs when the fish feels comfortable with its surrounding and wants to defend its territory. How long has the fish lived in the 75g and has there been any major changes around or in the tank? If there has then wait a few days and make sure there is a hiding spot for it to go to.