hiding places - needed?

[scottswald]

hey, i was at my mates last nite and he had 75g (black background) with 4 red bellied piranha and nothing else in the tank.

they seemed not to mind having anywhere to hide and just glided around the tank happily. what are you're thoughts on this? any experiences on more bare tanks?

 

[scottswald]

anyone?

 

[akskirmish]

It all depends on the fish themselves-
This is only allowing the piranha's not to beable to setup their established territories.Many people think this keeps the aggression down cause of it.....Plus it's a nice clean look.


Myself-I like a tank with decor......

 

[RedBellyRhen]

I think it makes younger red bellies less skiddish. I used to have a bare tank, then I put a few fake plants in there and they mellowed out.

 

[scottswald]

I think it makes younger red bellies less skiddish. I used to have a bare tank, then I put a few fake plants in there and they mellowed out.

so you're saying that they were more skittish when it was bare?

 

[Diogenes]

it just depends. I had a serra that would hide behind the filter intake if he didn't have anything else to hide behind. It got annoying and looked weird so I added a hide.

about a year later he got more active. I removed the hide and he patrolled the tank and showed better color than ever before.

depends on the fish and their development IMO.

 

[jp80911]

my pygo shoals were very skittish and swim funny (almost rubbing their belly against the bottom glass) when I had them in a bare bottom tank (with some driftwood in it) and once I added gravel, they seem to be much less skittish and swimming more freely all over the tank.

 

[RedBellyRhen]

so you're saying that they were more skittish when it was bare?

yea basically but i still have little young guys i really can't tell you if it will work for older piranhas

 

[bkbrianbk]

I have a ton of places for my guys to hide, i think it would stress them out a little too much if they were left out in the open like that... But i'm no expert

 

[OnceLoyal]

I think it is a good idea to have at least one piece of drift wood or plant or something. As stated befroe this gives them a better way to establish territory, and in the event they feel like they need a little ocver they have it. I would think it would help eliminiate some stress for them. When I clean my tank they use to freek and bury themselves under the drift wood. Now they are a little better and just swim around little little freeks...