How does your piranhas react when you turn on light ?

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My shoal has been on the same time cycle for 8 months, it will flick on at 8am and flick off at 7pm and they never move or get scared, IME if their resting and the room is still and u randomly fire up the lite they will get skiddish cause they don't know what's going on, once they realise they will calm down. As Baller suggested u need to get them on a perfectly timed night and day cycle then they will get used to it! Piranhas are the most skittish fish I've ever had, they are very sensitive to change so they freak very easy, once they settle in ur tank they will seem like different fish, but it takes time, once u have their trust they will greet u!

This also could mean ur lites too bright, like I've suggested to u before Bw may help with this or Atleast make them more comfortable. Just try and leave everything alone so that they have time to adjust, I know u wanna move stuff around and mess with the tank, but let them get adjusted especially since they are young. Some keepers don't use lites at all. And don't forget bed time stories, that is a big thing with my shoal!




Go S. Vettel #1 rb8
 
+1 balling. Yeah my shoal seems to hate the light so I usually leave it off and let the sun light up the tank. And when they start pecking each other that's when I turn on the light and the shoal goes to shut down mode. Funny ass hell. I cover the lights and punch several holes which made it extremely dimmed. I'm going leave it on all day after around 5-6 pm see if they will be more comfortable.
 
@f1, yeah I deemed the lights and provided minimal lights for them. Maybe I should keep it on similar to your time schedule just so the sun/ light fixture are similar. Plus I need to do a wc which will get them All scared once again.. Should I just change the water and not clean the sand?
 
@f1, yeah I deemed the lights and provided minimal lights for them. Maybe I should keep it on similar to your time schedule just so the sun/ light fixture are similar. Plus I need to do a wc which will get them All scared once again.. Should I just change the water and not clean the sand?

Try blasting the sand with a power head to stir up debris and then start draining so u do both at once. When performing wc with skittish rbp, just move slow and steady, let them see you and most of all turn off the filters and heater during. Try to match the temp and remember to dose with prime, do a 50% wc which is a little tiny bit less then a full cap, I put half a in when I start and the other half when it 2/3s full to minimize stress, also if u have Api stress coat then only add half a cap of prime and dose sc in full at 2/3 mark, it works much better as a med then a dechlor lol....


Do it during the day, never at nite IME!


Go S. Vettel #1 rb8
 
Yeah I did a 30% wc today around 3-4pm. I spooked my shoal again but they the amount they ate today increased. Usually they would eat about 80% of the jumbo shrimp. Today it was about 95%. left a little ball for my catfish to eat. How nice ! Hehehe
 
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