RBP's being difficult!!!

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M

Mailm4n

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 1, 2010
60
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Boardman Ohio (USA)
Ok so heres the deal, I normally cut up chicken and give it to my 10 RBP's (5" each) and they normally mow all the chicken down pretty fast.I vary their diet to ensure they stay healthy but as far as the chicken goes, i woke up one morning and thawed some of the chicken out that I had cut up the day before, droped two slivers in and the P's could not have cared any less!!! Its not like they coulndt see it either, they all watched it carefully as it sunk to the bottom, they swam near it for a few seconds then just coninued on chilling in the current of the powerhead.

WHAT could the deal be?

Also, it seems like my P's are more scared than they should be. If I walk near the tank or stand and look into it, they get terrified and dart back and foth in the tank! I mean, i understand that in their younger stages all they can do really is hide, but they are approaching 5 1/2 - 6 inches now! I see so many videos of P's not minding people filming or getting close to the tank, but mine just SPAZZ! :/ Its depressing! Is this normal or did i just get some sissy P's??!?

Thank you all for your help :D
 
ok wow so i just got back from the grocery store and I got some frozen raw shrimp and thawed two of em out and dropped them in there and they nibbled at it for a bit but now the shrimp are just chilling there at the bottom of the tank... ima take it out in about 3-5 mins... Grrrr!!!

Anyone?!??!
 
Could of been an unseen fight/chase and caused them to be more wary. Few days ago I came home and found 4 of my piranha right next to eachother in the same like 10 gal space bubble. The littlest one kept on breaking out and going to see the loner but he was more intrested in attacking his reflection. Was really strange since 3 of the 4 normally are rabid protectors of their territories.
 
Have you tried dropping any live food in there? Like a rosie or goldfish? Just to see if they respond to that. Thats what I had to do for my RBPs. I fed live for a couple weeks, then would kill the feeders and drop them in dead so they would jsut float around, then switched to talapia chunks and they ate the talapia up like crazy. It was a slow process but it worked. My fish did the same thing yours are doing. I basically had to re-train them to my food and to me. It worked tho.
 
UncleClyde;4289682; said:
Have you tried dropping any live food in there? Like a rosie or goldfish?
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Yeah I bought a few live feeders just to see if they would eat anything at all and they were gone in a matter of seconds. Its just curious that they had a sudden change in their food preference... No matter what tho, they always love freeze dried krill from the lfs. they hit it hard... wtf..

As for their super frightened behavior, they have been like that since i bought them... They are not in a high traffic area, the lights are pretty dim save for whatever natural light gets through the curtains to allow my live plants to grow. My water levels are all perfect, temp perfect, good ammount of cover to hide... yet if you walk up to the tank, they will swim so fast and frantically that they will knock plants loose and make a mess inside the tank.... Whats the dealio...
 
I had this happen with my rhom, I fed him shrimp and pellets for about a year and then all of a sudden he would not take any food except for live. the problem is now that is all he will take. so I have set up a quarantine tank, its just weird...
 
Foster;4289815; said:
Perhaps they are kept so mellow that they freak when your around? Mine are in a fairly high traffic area with people passing by 2-4 times an hour all day.
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Hmmm.... Never thought of that. I am gone for a good part of every day. And its only me in my place so no one to walk around wen im gone (or so i hope lol)...

Its just frustrating ya know? Because I love them so much, and i dont want them to be afraid or uncomfortable :irked: I dunno... Im hoping they grow out of this behavior as they get bigger.
 
what're your water parameters like?
could be that they got sick of what you were feeding or they were so well fed they didn't feel like eating. if water parameters are good then stop feeding for couple days and try again. also try use fish fillet, easier for them to digest.
 
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