Indo color stability - tankmates

[Warrensmentor]

I'm a new dat owner so I've been doing some research in the threads. In a recent thread, someone who had kept many dats over years said that if he had a group of dats, the weakest/smallest/least dominant would have the best colors and dominants would be darker. If he took out the weakest, the new weakest one in there would them color up differently to be the cleanest, most stable. Given this theory, I wonder if you always had a fish that was more dominant, would the other two dats stay more stable? What if it was a Leporinus that is boldly colored with black and yellow stripes? My hypothesis, given that the above theory is correct, its that my dats will have great color and stability because they will mistake the 10 inch Leporinus as a dominant close to their own kind and try to develop better colors than his. Whatcha think?

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[bonesb66]

It seems to be a new theory (well not a new theory but the fashion at the moment) that Tigers are actually all coloured up when they are stressed and the unstable ones are in fact the happy content fish of the tank.

I'd have to disagree with any theory that highlights dominant species being unstable and the tigers lower down the chain being stable and in which case i'd advise you to only get the leporinus if you want it and not because you feel its going to keep your tigers stable because i'd be surprised if a larger leporinus is the answer to everyones questions regarding stability of tiger fish.

 

[Warrensmentor]

Ha, me too, but I already have one, so the experiment is on! One of the two is venturing out of driftwood hiding, and both are pretty good, meaning not black, just shady tinting between bars.

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[Ade]

It seems to be a new theory (well not a new theory but the fashion at the moment) that Tigers are actually all coloured up when they are stressed and the unstable ones are in fact the happy content fish of the tank.

I'd have to disagree with any theory that highlights dominant species being unstable and the tigers lower down the chain being stable and in which case i'd advise you to only get the leporinus if you want it and not because you feel its going to keep your tigers stable because i'd be surprised if a larger leporinus is the answer to everyones questions regarding stability of tiger fish.

I agree bones.
I don't think it's related to stress .
When my tiger got a barb stuck through his mouth , he wet all unstable...
If that's not a stressfull time for the fish. I dont know what is...
2 days later after barn removed, he's getting stable again. (bottom left in first pic)

Bottom pic is my dominant alpha indo: always stable.
Clearly not stressed as no one messes with it.

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[JayC74]

That alpha indo is beautiful

 

[bonesb66]

There we go then, the fact that the tiger went unstable after taking a barb to the mouth says it all for me.

 

[digidat]

I'd have to say stability has to do with security, I've had a group of 4 indo datnoids + 1 NTT, all around 8-9" except my smallest indo which is around 4".....the biggest and smallest indo would normally always be stable while the two smaller indos were always less stable, after selling off my two largest indos, the 3rd largest indo (8") started to be more stable, it used to be 25% stable now its nearly 90% stable...

 

[professor_rob]

I am far from an expert on the topic, but for what it is worth here is something I just observed.

My small NTT is 95% stable and always out at front of the tank, following me around everywhere. His diet is mainly dried shrimp and blood worm. And some other frozen foods. He does not eat pellets at all.

Yesterday I chucked in a few feeders in the tank. He obviously went nuts eating them and filled his belly big time. Since then he has been hiding and showing no colors.

He eats the other food (usual diet) but does not devour it. So I guess he was very full on feeders and was content to hide. I think this happened last time with feeders but was not paying much attention. He rarely gets feeders so must usually be hungry and showing his colors to get me to feed him.


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[TheTankMates]

I have one IT its the dominant fish in the tank hes been stable a few days after I got him up until now around 9 months or so. There are tons of hiding places and he is out most of the time. When I work in the tank he takes off and hides and goes unstable.