Skittishness in characins

[Industrial]

So in the past six months or so I have kept a scomb, raph and falcirostris.

I noticed that the raph (when kept alone) became so calm that he would eat with my hand in the tank. Unless I touched him, he did not care what I was doing in the tank. He would even just calmly swim away.

Now I added the scomb to the tank with the raph. Both fish became uncomfortable. The scomb seemed a little more skittish than the raph. When I would clean the tank, he would spazz out a little and he never ate infront of me.

My falcirostris seems to be the most skittish. I consider him well adapted to aquarium life, he ate the first day I got him. He seemed to enjoy the company of the raph before the raph died. After that, he stopped eating so readily. I moved him into a 40 br whitewater tank and for some reason he became more skittish. He bashes his face into the glass when I turn the lights on or off. I actually have added a second small light to turn on first before I turn the main light on or off so it's not so much of a brightness difference. In the new tank he also tends to try to hide in the corner of the tank.

I am thinking of trying to get a tat. I know a LFS who claims to get them in occasionally and I am thinking if they ever get any, now would probably be the time with the sudden availability online. Do tats have personality like a raph, or are they more skittish like a falcirostris?

Also do any freshwater barracudas become calm enough to eat and swim freely whenever?

 

[mynheers_a_pint]

It can be a mixture of claustrophobia, tank mates and their general disposition.

You should find that something like an Ace will prefer lots of open space. The downside to this is that if they get spooked they will very quickly throw themselves at the glass and with the extra space to run, can kill itself. All of these fish are shoaling and by keeping just one, they will undoubtedly operate at a heightened level of nervousness. Hiding in the corner is typical behavior from a fish that is nervous in its surroundings.
Of course, there are always exceptions and some particularly moody fish will prefer their own company.

There will also be those that are just a bit dumb...

Tat's can be very brave (of mine was bordering on aggressive) whilst the other one i had was, frankly, a wimp that eventually killed itself by hitting the glass whilst being chased by the other Tat. Big tanks, plant cover and calm tank mates are the order of the day, at least until they have grown accustomed to their surroundings.

HTH.

 

[Industrial]

The wierd part is, the falcirostris was in a 20g with a slightly larger raph. The falcirostris seemed much more comfortable in a smaller tank with the raph's company. I am hoping that if I get another vampire tetra (NOT a raph again ) the falcirostris will become more comfortable again. At the store it was in a 15g with a few needlenose gars, a small alligator gar, a jardini and some catfish and it seemed comfortable. I am thinking it's nervous with a lot of empty space maybe.

 

[Otherone]

Also do any freshwater barracudas become calm enough to eat and swim freely whenever?

Can't speak on the Tats or raphs as I've never owned one. As for the Cudas - mine eat and swim freely both Falcatus and Falcirostis however they are also calm like a bomb, skittish when the lights are turned on and at sudden movement or load noise. Same goes for every Charciform in the 180 - Scomb,Brycon,Cudasx3,Chalceusx2. They are usually most active the day after a good meal and less active when they haven't eatin' for a few days. I consider my Charcins to still be sub-adult as they range from 9" to 5" and the oldests have been with me 1yr 2mo. I expect the skittish behavior due to their size and maturity. I believe it's their instincts as juvi's to stay alive - run away from anything that could be a hungry larger fish.

 

[TommyG]

From my expierence... I had a rather large falcirostris and he had to be one of the most skiddish fish i have ever owned. When i turned the light on he would totally spazz out and i am sure hurt himself most of the time. Even when someone would walk up to the tank slowly just to look at him it was a done deal. He would swim violently all over the tank. My Payara was never skiddish always calm even when, like you said, had my hand in the tank arranging plants or rocks same as the saber cude. But the falcirostris was always terrified. Regardless one of my favorite fish I have ever owned..... recently paased away

 

[TommyG]

BTW I cant spell

 

[mynheers_a_pint]

Same goes for every Charciform in the 180 - Scomb,Brycon,Cudasx3,Chalceusx2. QUOTE]

My Brycon was very brave- nothing scared him except my tat. Chalceus on the otherhand were like torpedos and completely unstable if there was too much movement. I think the tank wide panics are usually triggered when one goes nuts for what ever reason sending the others into delirium. If you find the culprit, try separating them and see if the tank calms down.

 

[PayaraMan]

From my experience I kept a 3" Falcristrosis with a 2" Oscar in a 10g and the Cuda was never skittish at all but when I added my 3" Scomb and took out the Oscar he started being very skittish, So what I think is when other characin species are added together in a small tank such as a 10g,20g,and a 30g they tend to be much more skittish than usually but in other cases they have been added together in much larger tanks such as 125g,150g,200g and they are still showing the same skittish behavior. I think we all need to accept the skittish nature of Characins and no matter how much it will piss us off they are not going to change unless they are comfortable in their enviornment. Now this behavior is not in more of the "Hardy" Characin's like African Tigers,Tat's,Armatus, Red tail cudas and so on but that's why most people prefer those over the other characins such as Yellow Tailed Cudas,African Pikes,Scomb's etc.

 

[cudamaster13]

my yellowtail cuda isnt skittish at all unless im doing a water change or cleaning the tank how tall is ur tank

 

[Otherone]

My Brycon was very brave- nothing scared him except my tat. Chalceus on the otherhand were like torpedos and completely unstable if there was too much movement. I think the tank wide panics are usually triggered when one goes nuts for what ever reason sending the others into delirium. If you find the culprit, try separating them and see if the tank calms down.

I think your right - they do all go nuts at the same time - one runs they all run. I don't really mind, I've learned to be less clumsy when approaching the tank and they calm down almost immediately. I can def. see the Brycon becoming more bold and perhaps too overly aggressive for this tank stock.