Lighting in tank stressing arowana

[rhodes_96]

I have this problem recently occur. I have a banjar red and a leichardti in a community tank together. They have been together for a few months. The leichardti is about 13" and the red is about 11". They seem to be peaceful with each other. The other day when the tanks lights go on as usual on the timer, the leichardti starts to stress itself and appears to want to get out of the tank at the ends constantly swimming against the glass. it also gets skittish when the other fish goes near it and thinks the other fish is having a territory dispute with it which causes it to do a dash for the tank lids and cause harm to itself.

Once the tank lights go off, the fish suddenly is calm again and begins doing its usual swim from one side of the tank to the other back and forth. Room lighting, sun light and darkness do not affect the fish. I have tried different types of tubes above the tank and all make the leichardti stress out.

Tank is 250gal with 2 x fx5's + 50 gal sump, water parameters are spot on with less than 10ppm nitrate with 30% weekly water changes.

Any thoughts ?

 

[Knowdafish]

How much lighting? How many tubes? I would figure out a way to ramp up the lighting gradually instead of all on at once. Figure out a way to turn on 1 tube at a time. You may want to add some floating plants too.

 

[LivingForTheFuture]

I seen a guy use his junk mail as way to block the light but still let some through. He put the mail in between the glass and the light on his piranha set up. Hope this helped also a lot of freshwater fish don't like the light so bright.

 

[rhodes_96]

How much lighting? How many tubes? I would figure out a way to ramp up the lighting gradually instead of all on at once. Figure out a way to turn on 1 tube at a time.

I have 6 x T8 tubes, but I only have 4 running.

I tried with one tube, but it still stresses out.

 

[peewee]

subdued pink lights would be better.

 

[arodini]

I rarely turn on my tank's lights, only have it for taking the fishes pictures. My jardini goes crazy when the light is on.

 

[Scorponok]

Me too. I always leave my lights off unless there are guests around that need to be entertained. To me it's a waste of electricity and unnecessary stress for the fish.

 

[rhodes_96]

Interesting how some people leave the lights off all together.
I normally have the lights on for 8 hours a day for the plants.

I am going to go a few days without the light on to let the lei heal up and hopefully up deal with it's stress issues.

I have been keeping arowana's for a few years of different types, and this is a first for me. Normally I have to deal with the darkness stressing some fish out.

 

[rhodes_96]

Update, I left the lights off for a few days, then I turned half the tank lights on for a few more days, then all the lights on a few days later. No more stressing out fish.

 

[arodini]

I rarely turn on my tank's lights, only have it for taking the fishes pictures. My jardini goes crazy when the light is on.

Tried to take some new pics of him last night. Turned on the light, but that made him staying in a corner and refusing to swim out so I couldn't get any good pics. He really does not like the light!