crazy idea for nose rubbing raphs

[sbuse]

i have my raphs in a planted tank...i have been thinking of selling them cause they are starting to rub their nose on the sides of the tank and i can't move them to the big tank cause they will be eatten(i found out the hard way with silver aros at the same size as the raphs)...then i just thought they could be doing this cause there is no background on the tank... so i put aluminum foil on the back and sides of the tank, shinny side tward the tank...maybe they rub their noses thinking the tank goes farther cause they can't see the glass and they are tring to move to a different part of the "river", due to something making them nervous?...i was thinking at the very least it would confuse them and alow them to see that there is walls and not openness to run to...my first thought was if i left it uncovered they wouldn't get closterphobic, but that obviously didn't work so i though of this...

has anyone covered 3 sides of a raph tank before leaving the veiwing window after rubbing started?

did it help with the rubbing?

has anyone covered a tank with plain shinny aluminum before?

i like how it looks it kinda reflects a dim green/silver glow through out the tank...any thoughts? as soon as i can do some pics i will...it seems to be working right now...

 

[sbuse]

still today they are not rubbing...

 

[channarox]

This works with many other skittish characins too,blackening or blocking 3 sides.

 

[DB junkie]

If you searched you'd find many people have covered the ends of the tank with either plants or a background.

Know what else works? Put them in an appropriate sized tank (or pond since most people don't have a tank that big) They do not grow out of the skiddishness.

If you decide to offer them dead food drop the water level before they start smashing into the lids.

Hope to see them get big, truley magnificent fish.

 

[sbuse]

If you searched you'd find many people have covered the ends of the tank with either plants or a background.

Know what else works? Put them in an appropriate sized tank (or pond since most people don't have a tank that big) They do not grow out of the skiddishness.

If you decide to offer them dead food drop the water level before they start smashing into the lids.

Hope to see them get big, truley magnificent fish.

i searched, but maybe i didn't have the right words in...i know the right sized tank will make them stop aswell they are just to small for the big tank yet...i will have a pond for them when i am in a stable house...right now my house plans fell through so i had to sell my big cats and put the ponds on hold...right now they are eatting rosies and are resisting change...i have about 3-4" from the top as they are in my planted tank...as do i as payaras are on the top of my favorite fish list...for now till they are big enough not to get eatten or i convince the wife to let me get another tank they are in there...if they get worse i will sell them as i put the fishes needs before my likes...just like i sold my big cats, didn't want to and i almost cried, but they wouldn't have been fine in my 180gal for a few more years...since they were already 22"+...that was partialy why i asked on the raph price before as like i said if it comes to it i will sell them and wait till i could have them in a pond...

 

[sbuse]

originally i figured they would have been bigger before they started this...as they are 6" right now...

 

[DB junkie]

There's plenty of info out there about breaking Payara. Rhaphs are probobly the easiest. Freeze dried krill.

So you have fish that will potentially eat the Rhaphs in the 180 but when the Rhaphs are bigger they are gonna be OK? Tankmates need to be carefully selected. Mine really only mixed well with other passive Characins, anything else (dats, Pbass, flagtails, gar) seemed to result in heightened stress and diminished appetite. Poor community fish.

Let me know if they don't work out for you, I'd be happy to buy them. I could put them in my 4x3 pup tank till they were ready for the 300, then eventually when big enough they could end up in the pond. Could buy them or trade you something for them like Odoe.

 

[sbuse]

There's plenty of info out there about breaking Payara. Rhaphs are probobly the easiest. Freeze dried krill.

So you have fish that will potentially eat the Rhaphs in the 180 but when the Rhaphs are bigger they are gonna be OK? Tankmates need to be carefully selected. Mine really only mixed well with other passive Characins, anything else (dats, Pbass, flagtails, gar) seemed to result in heightened stress and diminished appetite. Poor community fish.

Let me know if they don't work out for you, I'd be happy to buy them. I could put them in my 4x3 pup tank till they were ready for the 300, then eventually when big enough they could end up in the pond. Could buy them or trade you something for them like Odoe.

i have them with dats right now and they seem fine...the big tank has pbass, gar, and when the dats are big enough they will go in aswell...my gar is diff. from most gar as the silver fish and gar combo isn't supost to work, but i have had mine with tinfoild, silver chubs, silver aros...it just has a thing for small cats/bullheads...i am working on a characin only tank, but the wife is making things difficult...if things don't seem to be in the cards for me with them i will let you know cause i don't have shipping full down yet and iowa is a few hours away from me in MN...

 

[DB junkie]

They may seem fine now, but break them from live by using krill and see how much krill you end up having to feed the Dats before they quit eating so your Rhaphs can have some . Dats and most Characins mix poorly. Keep them together for several years and eventually you'll agree. Pbass IME are just pigs and it's hard to get food to any fish without them piggin it.

MN boarder is like 20 min away from me. I drive up to the cities whenever I have fish to ship (MNstingray's place in Savage) and I pick up fish at MSP on a regular basis. I'll throw in some Gar and Tinfoils, just cause I don't want em anymore.

 

[sbuse]

They may seem fine now, but break them from live by using krill and see how much krill you end up having to feed the Dats before they quit eating so your Rhaphs can have some . Dats and most Characins mix poorly. Keep them together for several years and eventually you'll agree. Pbass IME are just pigs and it's hard to get food to any fish without them piggin it.

MN boarder is like 20 min away from me. I drive up to the cities whenever I have fish to ship (MNstingray's place in Savage) and I pick up fish at MSP on a regular basis. I'll throw in some Gar and Tinfoils, just cause I don't want em anymore.

sounds like we may have the makings of some kind of plan...as i am looking for more gar...my orino is not a pig, but my mono it is 10" long and when i was feeding it feeders i counted 8x 3" goldfish in its mouth and it was chasing more...i feed my dats market shrimp mostly...i am out of st. paul and next time you are comming up shoot me a pm with what you want to give me for them...i like them alot, but my current homes might not work for them in the imidiate future...i got 3 at 5-6"...they are eatting rosies right now with the ocational goldfish...