advice on a shy jag

[thewaterboy]

I've had the fish for around 8 months now. The jag will not always dart away, especially when the lights are off...other times he freaks out and darts into the corner. When he puts food in his mouth he often likes to dart into the corner. Generally speaking he is a shy fish. The endli is not shy but often has moments where he spazs out when I walk by.
After reading these responses I think Im going to keep him. My only problem is that as he gets bigger he will be harder to find a new home for.

 

[thewaterboy]

My 7" Jag was very shy,until i put a Freddy in with him now he swims around with the Freddy all the time,he has even started eating pellets wich he never did before because the Freddy eagerly accepts them.

what is a freddy??

 

[jayclarke]

what is a freddy??

Another Parachromis sp.

Try some larger dither fish, but patiance is your best bet, i never had this problem but mine has always been in a community. Good luck

 

[jowens]

I obviously don't know the layout of your home, but it may be related to the position/location of your tank.

My 125 is in my bedroom, directly next to the room entry from the hallway. You come walking down the hall into the bedroom and BAM you're right in front of the tank, and the fish have no way to see you coming. As such, this tank has a history of housing fish that started off chill and then became walll crashers eventually.

It seems that once a fish is seriously startled in this tank, it never learns to completely calm down. I have a 11-12" synspilum in there now who was totally cool until we had the carpets cleaned in early December. He is now VERY jumpy. I did cover 1/3 of the front glass with black contact paper, giving him a 24" refuge, and this has helped. Even if he does spook, he races to this area and comes around almost immediately.

Food for thought.

 

[chris_zx2]

I really think that a food like bloodworms will help you, my Jag goes nuts for them. She/He is only 4-5" so still in the shy stage but will come out no matter what for bloodworms.

 

[BooshWacka]

having a tank in a low traffic area can make them shy.

id also try the bloodworms once a week or so

something to aslo try might be

dont feed him for 3 days...then start feeding 2 times a day in very small amounts so he/she asscoiates you with food

all my fish a whores they come right up to where i drop the food in and wait looking at me

Something you can also try...

Everytime i feed my fish i shake the food in front of the tank and tap on the glass 4-5 times

Now if they are all hiding and people want to see them i just go up to the tank tap a few times on the glass and they think its time to eat or i can just shake my hand and they come running

took only like 2 months of doing it everytime for them to catch on

i do it will ALL my fish