Skittish Dovii

[jayo]

Gourami Swami Okay gotcha! The light I have is dimmable so I'll work on that. As far as decorations I was caught up on all the videos I've seen of Dovii in pretty much wide open tanks. In this case it appears the size of the fish makes a big difference. I'll pick up some items this weekend and give it a shot. I'll also grad some convicts as well, I actually kinda like those guys anyway.

 

[duanes]

Big tank, small solo fish, bright lights, no real cover in the tank. That's the problem imo.
Add the convicts sure that may help, (wouldn't go for any schooling/livebearer fish- sure to be eaten with a piscivorous cichlid like a dovii) but I think adding cover/decor will also be important to helping the dovii become outgoing. Fake plants with suction cups that go on the top will help alot. Like duanes explained the hiding is instictive to avoid predators, and especially if there is nothing going on in the top half of the tank, they feel like a sitting duck waiting to be eaten. And yes, dovii are usually pretty shy fish until about a foot long anyway.

I agree with this.
In nature young dovii hide in tangled roots, under overhanging vegetation from above to feel secure.
Your tank is very open, with the light colored substrate, nothing to offer security except the pot.


Above are some shots of a Central American estuary where you might find young dovii, and a host of other new world cichlids.
Below is how I set up cichlid tanks to offer cover, and shading from above, and the plants also eat nitrate so help to improve water quality.

The roots of the terrestrial plants offer cover where cichlids hover underneath, knowing they are less visible from above.

 

[jayo]

duanes Right on Brother! Thanks for the educational information, that makes complete sense. I'll do some updating this weekend and report back.

 

[duanes]

One of the other plants I'm experimenting with (for a totally different look) is Papyrus (Umbrella palm) that is often available at garden centers as a marginal pond plant.
It floats and sends root down from the surface, helping to give cover until the root ball gets so big it reaches the substrate.



As you can see there is a wild caught Andinoacara coerleopunctatus ( Panamanian GT) hanging out in the roots, blending in quite well.
Easy to see why it feels secure.
Below is the mother plant clump and root ball, its about the size of a soccer ball.

At the point above if needed, it can be cut into smaller sections to spread around into other tanks.
It even will grow in the yard (in warm seasons), I have some planted where the clothes washer drains.

 

[anzo1993]

anzo1993 Thanks for your input. Thats what I was kinda afraid of as well. I keep mostly Amps but feel in love with the videos out there so I figured I'd give it a shot. Any other thoughts or suggestions? I don't wanna get rid of him but he is occupying a nice size tank that could be used for something else more personable.

Wel hopefully you have better luck than I did with my large dovii, I have a small red dovii right now about 2 inches and he’s the opposite, alway out not afraid at all and eats right in front of me, so I think it’s always the individual doviis personality, I’m sure with abit of time he’ll get better, as said above also either fish could really help draw him out but might get expensive lol

 

[Matthew1626]

I agree with Deadeye , get about 12-15 giant danios in there. They are the perfect dithers for big cichlids IMO

 

[Gourami Swami]

I agree with Deadeye , get about 12-15 giant danios in there. They are the perfect dithers for big cichlids IMO

Have you tried keeping giant danios with piscivorous cichlids like parachromis? If you were to try, it would be better to go for a tall-bodies fish than elongated, but in my experience, any small dither is going to get eaten or killed quickly when it comes to fish like dovii, istlanum, crenicichla. Cichlids that are primarily piscivorous in nautre. It may work well with other large omnivorous cichlids but these guys are built to eat small fish.

 

[Matthew1626]

No, I’ve never had a Dovii. But his is skittish and a hunt might not be the worst thing to break him of it.

 

[Deadeye]

Haven’t kept a large piscivore cichlid yet, but while the dovii is still young it may help. I only suggested danios cause they are cheap in the likely event the dovii eats them.

 

[Gourami Swami]

No, I’ve never had a Dovii. But his is skittish and a hunt might not be the worst thing to break him of it.

Once he eats the danios, would be back at square one. You recommended them as dithers, what your suggesting now seems to be buying them as feeders. Convicts would be large enough to avoid getting eaten so they could actually stick around and serve the purpose of dithers. Though he may kill convicts as well, they are much tougher and *probably* a bit smarter.