I was hoping this wasn’t possible. Hopefully he comes around for you. Did you raise him or buy him as an adult like me?
Big Jag - big baby
- Thread starter DonnyB
- Start date
How often are you or anyone in the room? I would just have the tank light off for the next month or two. This way, he can easily see everything in the room since it will be brighter outside the tank. He needs to learn the normal routine of the room. At feeding time, throw the food in, and leave. Then after a couple of weeks, throw the food in, and sit somewhere in the room if you are not already doing that.
Moving things around and moving fish around will not help him.
Moving things around and moving fish around will not help him.
I raised him. He seems to do best in a busy community tank but is still a shell of his former self. He associates me with danger now instead of food and it’s been a real uphill battle with little to no progress being made.
Geez... I thought my Oscar was a drama queen. I figured that the issue I'm having stemmed from mine being 5 years old when I got him. Interesting this happened to you after raising him from a baby. This means we either have a couple wimp outliers or this has happened to others.
Anyone else had any experience with spooky big supposedly aggressive cichlids?
Before and immediately after it happened I was almost always in the room (I work from home). In fact I worked at a table right next to the tank.... I was enjoying watching him. Since I spooked him I have been working in another room and giving him as much space as I can. Feeding daily but noticing no food is ever touched. He might have eaten 2-3 pieces of Krill over the last 2-3 weeks.
I've got lots of patience but for now you wouldn't know anything was in my 125 except for 11 dither fish. Not sure if he'll start eating or just decides to die. Can't imagine a fish too stressed to move will live very long with or without food. Frustrating and that would be very sad but seriously not what I expected from a full grown Jag who got startled. My 3 yr old Oscar seems to want to jump in my lap like a puppy non stop. My midas wants to eat my fingers and face off constantly...
I'd agree... 125 gallons is enough water but the 18 inch dimension a bit small for a fish that size... I'm sure hell be ok and as everyone was saying I am super guilty of messing around with my tanks too much when I started out and saw it doing nothing but making things worse... now I dont mess with anything unless I absolutely have to and the fish appreciate it alot lol
Rapps thought my 125 setup would be perfect for him. He was doing fine temporarily in a 75 before I got him. I do get it... maybe less stressed if he had that extra turning space but he seemed happy until I startled him... we made eye contact. His reaction made me jump a little so I dropped a big piece of shrimp in, it touched him he freaked out and if not for the top would have jumped right out of the tank. I don’t think it’s space but some kind of ptsd.
Update: he’s coming out a little after I pushed all the driftwood into potential hides. But he’s staring at me 15-20 feet away the whole time, as soon as I turn my head and look at him he shoots back into the hide. No food eaten today but a minor improvement.
Update: he’s coming out a little after I pushed all the driftwood into potential hides. But he’s staring at me 15-20 feet away the whole time, as soon as I turn my head and look at him he shoots back into the hide. No food eaten today but a minor improvement.
Thought I would provide an update. Until yesterday my sissy jag continued to hide just laying on his side behind a piece or driftwood. My mother was visiting and used it as an argument to convince me to get rid of one of my tanks. It was hard to argue using the space just to watch 5 giant danios swimming around with 4 1.5 inch geo brazil (both groups not attacked once).
Then, against some MFK opinions I decided to implement the obvious solution.
Then, against some MFK opinions I decided to implement the obvious solution.
It was the most fascinating day of fish keeping ever seeing them meet. He immediately came to life, didn't care about me (much) and they did their little dance. She would shake and shimmy, he would bite her on the side of her body but not put any force into it (no scales lost). This morning they started clearing the right side of the tank from sand and fanning the area. Definitely now a pair. The male has started attacking the danios too. He's a new man. Seems he just needed a girlfriend. Speaking of... I should probably stop posting on this forum and try to find one of those myself. ;-)
I'll try to post a video at some point because the behavior is fascinating.
I'll try to post a video at some point because the behavior is fascinating.
Pls do! Ita funny what a mate can do for your fish... my female jack was a complete b!tch to anything I put in with her... got her a Male jack companion and now they have no cares in the world... not even territorial at all.. have a carpintis and a raphael cat in the tank with them and they all share the Jack's cave.. no fighting or bickering
