Keeping your fish comfy

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richardhmc

richardhmc

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 25, 2006
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nyc
Hi MFK! I just wanted to know, how can you get fish to get really really comfortable to your tank? I have a 55 gallon tank, (48 in long) with 2 plecos, 3 ebjds, and 6 dempseys, (which im trying to rid of 4 out of the 6) I use a filstar xp2 which is in its 3rd week of cycling i think and i made them rock homes. its like a bunch of rocks stacked on top of each other to make many different homes.

So, to make a long story short, they are always scared, hiding inside the rocks for most of their time. I see them come out after 10 min if i stay really really still and not move a muscle. Are they just scared because they are still young? (1 - 2 1/2 inchs) Because when I see my friends dempseys, they just keep swimming and swimming and swimming with delight even if a person is right there. :irked:

Another thing thats funny is that many people told me that ebjds were shy. Well, mine are not! they are usually the only ones outside the rock home, swimming around! :grinno:

So how can I make my tank comfy? Is it a time thing? Do the fish have to get used to the tank? Or what? Even my biggest dempsey is more shy than my baby ebjd.

Thank you
- richard
 
This is my technique....I keep one 5" bass in a 55 gallon alone. A 7" pickerel in a 29 gallon alone, and a 2" piranha in a 29 gallon alone...They like to have all that space to themselves :D

Chad
 
ah, space for themselves i see... no but my fish get scared easily from HUMANS

like, other fish i see are never scared of people
 
You just have to give them time. Harrasing by tankmates combined with space confinements will end up a very jumpy fish...:( . If you want them to be happy and not scared of you just give them time and make sure they know who feeds them. They will become very fond of that person.

Chad
 
Hehe. Human to Fish Relationship. Ill be so happy when i get rid of the 4 fin-nipping dempseys.

What I am trying to do right now, is before I feed them, I tap the end of the glass tank so they know food is coming. Ive seen this with my friends fish and when he taps, the fish immediately go to the end for food.

Yeh, my fish are very jumpy, if i come out of nowhere, while they are eating, they will rush to the rocks, go up and down the tank, swim back and forth until they are into the rocks. the ebjds never do this but the medium sized dempseys do.

-richard
 
Some fish are skittish by nature. I've found adding dither fish (zebra danios are my favorite) to any tank seems to draw the more shy fish out from hiding and into the open.
 
Hey Richard, as your tank becomes cycled and the water params improve, your fish will become more comfortable with your presence.
 
i like to make sure the linen is properly starched and the pillows nicely fluffed with adequate mints. jokes.

i usually add an extra hiding spot or two, if there are 4 fish i make 5-6 hiding spots and leave them. more times then not they come round by themselves as they get used to the noises and movement in their new tank and home.
 
cockroach;675505; said:
i like to make sure the linen is properly starched and the pillows nicely fluffed with adequate mints. jokes.
Click to expand...

Haha! just prop up a mini pillow against a rock and install a mini-tv to watch the Super-Bowl with a can of beer.

Yeh, Im trying to add hiding spots here and there to make em very comfy. All i did so far was make a rock castle. Sort of
 
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