Odoe's gone Berzerk!! - please help

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I do not think your Odoe has become suicidal because he's missing his friend. It sounds like the case of a bullying Hoplias that's going unnoticed.
 
You know, I suspected the mala too, but that guy seriously hasn't moved more than 6 inches in the past 4 hours (and he used to be such an active fish :confused:)

I've been watching the tank since I posted and I got to watch exactly what happened right before he smashes into the lid. It's not ACTUALLY the lid he's charging - it's the back wall of the tank. I realized that I cleaned the back wall about 4 days ago; something I haven't done in almost 9 months. My friend was complaining that my beautiful tank was being thrown off by the algae growing back there.

So I started wondering: Is my Odoe attacking what he perceives as another large Odoe?!?! I took a long, fake ivy plant I used to used to comfort my arowana and stuck it to the back wall where he seemed to be charging. Thus far, no charge attacks for the past half hour, though I still see him checking himself out on the rest of the wall. I don't think I'm ever cleaning that again. I like the clean look, but it's definitely got him up in arms.

He bullied his last Odoe tank mate nearly to death, to the point where I had to move the damaged fish to another tank. Makes sense that if he saw another, he'd do the same thing - even if the other fish is himself :irked:

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'll post if he tries to kill himself again (pun intended this time!)
 
Could be a short in a piece of equipment. Unplug everything and see if he calms down. If he does, plug appliances back in one at a time. If he freaks out again, then the last thing you plugged in is likely the issue.
Could also be random beams of sunlight coming through blinds. If he flips out at a particular spot see if thats a point where a sunbeam is hitting.
 
Never thought to suspect the equipment, but it could very well be the heaters or the powerhead. Testing those now just to see if I get a response.
 
put a black background. It'll cover up that reflection.
 
Why are they trying to bail? Concur with the stray voltage idea. Possibly another reason causing them to want to get out.
 
mine occassionally goes a bit loopy and hits thye lid, nothing to the extent your commenting on tho! how big is he? maybe the 180 is getting a bit tight for him... did the aro have any marks? mine just flipped the other week and nearly killed a 11inch giant snakhead, he's only nine inch!
 
Well I tried unplugging the electrical items one by one, and I didn't get a noticeable response. Is there a way to test for leaking voltage into a tank?

Also, the background of my tank is painted black, which I think was making it worse for my Odoe. Since I added the floating plants at the top and the large silver for him to swim with, he seems to have calmed down significantly.

He's just around 9" long, so I hope the 180 isn't too small for him yet.

Thanks again for the input. I will post a couple pics of the tank tonight, just in case there is something with my set-up that I should change.

- John
 
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