Will this ever stop? If I walk up to the tank even very slowly they go insane and freak out smashing into the glass and heater then go hide. They are small only 2 inches and I have had them for about a month now. They won't even eat unless I leave the room. If they can't get comfortable around me I don't really see the fun in keeping them because they take are a big commitment and I would rather have fish that I can watch do what they do.
My RBP's are VERY skittish.
- Thread starter Monsta B
- Start date
Is the tank well planted? Piranha feel much safer and are thus calmer when they have plants to retreat to, especially when young. The better they feel like they can hide the less need they'll feel to hide. Other things that might help are: if you have bright lights dim them, try peat in the filter or black-water extract to make the water just a little murky and closer to their natural habitat in the amazon. I'd recommend not giving up Piranha for me have been very rewarding fish, more so when their older. They become very impressive fish. But, they are a little a 'twitchy' for lack of a better word. The bigger they get they'll become more confidant and this should diminish, but probably never completely. Its part of their charm. They live in one if not the worlds most dangerous rivers, filled with aquatic horrors of every kind. If you lived there you'd be a little paranoid too.
Cerbios;3111527; said:
I pretty much agree with you.Beides I would like to add, It is true somtimes they get you desperated because of their being skittish, I mean we have heard so much about assassins piranhas that we expected they almost jump out of the water to nail everything that aproaches, but yet you have to understand and to learn more about the spicies and It is true they are very rewarding though.
Take into account:
1.-You have them per just a month, they need time to settle, when this occurs they will show more confident.
2.-They are babies 2" they'll get more confident as they grow in size and in age.
3.- How many of them are you keeping?. In the measure you keep more individuals the will show more confident, but be aware of not overstocking. 6 is a good number but then you have to keep them in a 100gal. at least.
Have in mind that despite the mentioned above they'll keep their skittish temper in a variable degree for life. Some shoals would show bolder some others more skittish and yet some individuals inside a given shoal would show more confident while other not.
It depends in the fish temper itself, every individual has different temper.
Good luck and be patient.
Cheers.
I guess one of my problems is I only have 3 and they are in a 55. I won't be able to get more or a bigger tank for them. My LFS is getting a couple flowerhorns in tomorrow. I might trade them in and get a flowerhorn. I definitely am interested in piranhas but maybe down the road when I can get a larger tank for them and get a larger shoal would be a better idea. Thanks for the replies!
agree to what they said, give it time and you'll be rewarded.
if OP doesn't mind I'm add this to my sig
"They live in one if not the worlds most dangerous rivers, filled with aquatic horrors of every kind. If you lived there you'd be a little paranoid too."
if OP doesn't mind I'm add this to my sig
"They live in one if not the worlds most dangerous rivers, filled with aquatic horrors of every kind. If you lived there you'd be a little paranoid too."
Monsta B;3111499; said:
Natts are by nature skittish and timid. They'll eventually warm up to you but they'll do it when they're ready and no sooner. I would suggest leaving the tank in a high traffic area, blackening out at least the back of the tank, if not the back and sides and just be patient.
Your Reds will never act like Oscars or other more ''personable'' fish. If you want a vicious, ruthless fish that attacks just about anything it sees I'd suggest trading your Reds for some Dovii, a Black Shark, Oscars, Convicts, Wolf Fish and one of the many aggressive Cichlid species.
Reds will never become the fierce, attack fish that legend would lead you to believe they are.
i gave my natts lots of plants and a really large driftwood that i didnt boil so that i would keep tanning and the p's seems to love the tank that way i also added dark blue background and i covered all three sides of the tank except the front
they really are skittish so i observe em from afar
they really are skittish so i observe em from afar