Habitat enrichment

[Andyroo]

Tell me about habitat enrichment for (fahaka) puffers, or for intelligent or curious fish generally.

Loach-people are all about creating interesting habitats and it certainly seems to keep botia happy, though they still find mischief...

Plants & bogwood yah, but also bamboo or PVC segments & stick and leaf piles to provide snail/pray refugia or deeper sand/gravel to hold MTS and make them more difficult to find. Maybe a little current? Does a more interesting habitat & food searching affect/reduce aggression to other fish?

Curious.
A

 

[fishfella]

Although i don't have a fahaka (i have 3 figure 8 puffers), i find breaking their food into pieces and placing them in little nooks and cranny's keeps them entertained. The look on their faces when they realize they have just stumbled across food on their own is priceless : ). I don't think other than what you are doing, there is much else to be done really.

 

[Andyroo]

I have developed a fascination with bright (intelligent?) fish of late (3-5 years) and It seems that at least some of the raw aggression you see is based in boredom. I know the public zoos community/industry has moved towards enrichment of habitats over the last maybe 15 years and its nicer to see the critters doing animal stuff and apparently their vet-issues are less- I'd guess it'd be similar for more curious fish.

I know my botia fought a lot less when they had lots of plants so i guess i need to give the headstander away. And I'm noticing just now that they've slaughtered the last paradise fish overnight, so I suppose I'll need to get snails as well.

Fahaka is on my list (though not here yet) but I'm wondering if this situation would carry through all the famously bright & grouchy fish like aba & carapo knives as well.

 

[Andyroo]

I figured this question would get traffic- or maybe this question is on the wrong sub-list?

 

[Andyroo]

bump

 

[Fat Homer]

i guess personally i just try and think what the fish would enjoy... therefore lots of driftwood, plants and a sand substrate to re-create a natural environment for my puff to explore and swim around..

 

[Andyroo]

do you think a more interesting environment would quell aggression?

 

[Fat Homer]

^ Depends on what type of fish we're talking about... if your talking about puffers then i guess it depends which species... with some it will help cut down aggression levels to a certain extent, but with others i doubt it will...

For example, i doubt two fahakas could co-exist in a tank even if it had a lot of hiding spots... unless said tank was un-realistically large... then it may help?