Nearly 2 yr old GT suddenly becomes shy?

[Tango374]

I bought this Saum at around 2.5" just under 2 years ago and he's been a great fish. Very active and aggressive. If you got near the tank...he wanted a piece of you. I got good growth out of him with a well kept tank and varied diet measuring him to be about 9" now in total length.

Here's an old vid it took of my daughter messing with him showing how standoffish he was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhU8as3rA74

Over the last 3 months he has lost almost completely all his aggression. Hides almost all day under a curved piece of driftwood. If you get near his tank, either when he IS out or under the dw, he doesn't flare his gills and come after you like he would in the past. He will totally spaz out and cram him self behind plants or rocks in a attempt to get away from you.

I've never owned a fish where in the long run, owner responsiveness declined.

His tank water is cleaned with 30-40% water changes weekly. Water perimeters are checked bi-weekly and recorded. There has been no serious fluctuation in water perimeters my entire time keeping this fish. PH, Nitrites, Nitrates, ammonia, GH and KH are the same now (and have always been) the same as the day I brought him home.

Any thoughts?

 

[japes]

I've been having fish freak out when I walk near the tank, absolutely no idea what caused it originally but its been continuous ever since.

I find that if my room is poorly lit, and I'm wearing a black shirt and I approach the tank quickly (walking speed), they will freak out. Slow movements, not so much. Light shirt, well lit room, they're at the surface begging for food. Perhaps they think I'm a Gigas or something

 

[AMG]

Any thoughts?

As long as your GT still eats good, I wouldn't worry about it. Some fish go through a personality change as they age.

 

[thefishguy7]

Sounds odd, maybe sick, gt's are known to be very prone to diseases, even with perfect water. Look for stringy white poo, if there isn't any, I'd say it's just a "phase" lol

 

[Tango374]

Sounds odd, maybe sick, gt's are known to be very prone to diseases, even with perfect water. Look for stringy white poo, if there isn't any, I'd say it's just a "phase" lol

I should of added this in the original post...However, I thought I'd went on and on enough...

I did go through a bought of Hexamita with him. "Long transparent strings", loss of appetite and major loss of coloration. I treated his tank three times with prazipro (only because I had some left), waited two weeks and then treated with clout. After around 1.5 weeks his waste became more average colored, appetite became alot better (though it is still nowhere near what it was prior) and his coloration became more vibrant again (once again not quite as much as before being sick). He became his same old self in terms of aggression, and I'd thought that with some time coloration and appetite will be 100%. A few months go by and that is when the shyness leading to where I am now began.
However, the symptoms he had before are not there.
He now only eats one out of every 2 or 3 offerings. When he does...he hits it pretty hard.

Do you think that he still might have a touch of Hexamita?
Think I should bring back treating with Clout?

 

[dirtyblacksocks]

Your GT is having a mid life crisis - buy him a porshe, or a younger female gold saum with some caudal fin implants.

 

[mbunafishkeeper]

Your GT is having a mid life crisis - buy him a porshe, or a younger female gold saum with some caudal fin implants.

lol

have u added any new fish in the time he's been upset? he could still have a touch of hexamita but not likely if u treated louds. he doesent get bullied i take it?? you could tyr to buy him a female this could make him a bit more "lively".