Thoughts on my 3 ATF situation

[pacu mom]

I don't keep ATF and know nothing about them. Reading on this thread about them slamming into walls and dying got me thinking. My pacu, big as they are, also have that characin skittishness. It sounds like a huge explosion when they slam into a tank wall. I have a theory that in their fright fleeing from some imaginary predator, they just don't see the end of the tank. They need a big stop sign of some kind.

Has any one tried blocking the clear tank walls....putting a rocky background on the sides of the tank, or trees or something? My fish aren't stupid....they would never deliberately slam into a rocky river bank. I'm putting my theory to the test by putting backgrounds on the sides of my tank. Hopefully my fish don't try to swim between the trees....

 

[Chicxulub]

I don't keep ATF and know nothing about them. Reading on this thread about them slamming into walls and dying got me thinking. My pacu, big as they are, also have that characin skittishness. It sounds like a huge explosion when they slam into a tank wall. I have a theory that in their fright fleeing from some imaginary predator, they just don't see the end of the tank. They need a big stop sign of some kind.

Has any one tried blocking the clear tank walls....putting a rocky background on the sides of the tank, or trees or something? My fish aren't stupid....they would never deliberately slam into a rocky river bank. I'm putting my theory to the test by putting backgrounds on the sides of my tank. Hopefully my fish don't try to swim between the trees....

I always did all of my plumbing plus fake plants on both ends of my ATF tanks. It really helped with the spazzing, as they could see it and turn.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I don't keep ATF and know nothing about them. Reading on this thread about them slamming into walls and dying got me thinking. My pacu, big as they are, also have that characin skittishness. It sounds like a huge explosion when they slam into a tank wall. I have a theory that in their fright fleeing from some imaginary predator, they just don't see the end of the tank. They need a big stop sign of some kind.

Has any one tried blocking the clear tank walls....putting a rocky background on the sides of the tank, or trees or something? My fish aren't stupid....they would never deliberately slam into a rocky river bank. I'm putting my theory to the test by putting backgrounds on the sides of my tank. Hopefully my fish don't try to swim between the trees....

This is a standard practice it seems in keeping ATF - having three of the 4 walls blocked.

I installed filter mats, inside on the two ends of a 240 gal 8x2x2. Still lost some ATF but then things stabilized. IDK yet if this is because of the mats or not.

 

[pacu mom]

Perhaps most characins could benefit from blocking the walls...