stable unstable

[Kolossus]

I'm not sure how concrete per se the lighting scenario is. Example: I pick up an IT from a buddy of mines who got it from another guy who said it was always stable (and I saw pictures to corroborate this idea). My buddy put it in his 450 with decent lighting and it became unstable. I bought it and put it in my 300 with high lighting, it has not been unstable since I got it. In fact, I could care less if an Indo someone is selling is stable or unstable. It seems in most all of my set ups, Indos have a tendency to become stable. This was the case in the last 3 times I purchased an Indo in that each time, they were unstable and once into my setup, always stable. I do not think it is depth of water either. How else would you explain buying a bunch of indos from the same batch where some is stable, some is not. Note: in all of my set ups, there is a decent amount of driftwood, plants, and other more constantly swimming fish.

I have also raised indos where for 2 years, they were stable on and off. Then bam...always stable for another year...then bam...on and off again. It is a phenomenon that is not easily explained. I've had more issues with stability in NTTs and NGTs than in Indos. But currently, I have several non-ST dats that are always stable. See these older pics...

 

[longv]

what if stable/unstable has nothing to do with stress at all? half my indo's are stable and the other half arent. they're all in the same tank. the one in my sig is always stable even when his head is down hiding in the corner of the tank, my interpretation of a stressed/scared dat.

 

[Kolossus]

what if stable/unstable has nothing to do with stress at all? half my indo's are stable and the other half arent. they're all in the same tank. the one in my sig is always stable even when his head is down hiding in the corner of the tank, my interpretation of a stressed/scared dat.

That's along the lines of what I'm thinking.

 

[FunWow!]

if you notice tigers go a completely different color when they fight its not stable or unstable it much different when they size each other up and go head to tail

Yeah almost a whitest gold in my case but some may call that the stable coloration. What about some ITs that dont ever display black? I bought my ST's off this guy that had a all white IT and it always stayed that color. It was in with the ST's and it was smaller so could we say it being white is unstable? Tried buying it but he wouldnt sell.

 

[FunWow!]

Nice dats kolossus!

 

[krichardson]

Nice dats kolossus!

Yeah,does that split bar have the same look on both sides?

 

[Kolossus]

Nice dats kolossus!

Yeah,does that split bar have the same look on both sides?

Thanks. The split bar has four bars on the other side. I sold it.

 

[aaandyyy]

I have loads of thoughts on this and they do change, both from my own observations and what I learn from those of others.

I wish I knew the answer. However, I don't and it appears nobody else does so how does that immediately make this thread a waste of time? On the contrary, I think it makes it one of the most important of threads that we may possibly, between us, have the potential to answer - how many of us Datnioides species keepers are there on here?

Surely, if every one of us makes a comment about our own observations then someone, somewhere at some point is going to notice a pattern. It may be ridiculously obscure but if one of us points something out then the rest of us can post our findings on that with our own fish. It may prove to be something ridiculous but at least that can then become a part of the process of elimination.

It's called research. It can be painstaking. It can be boring. On the other hand it may possibly lead to the captive breeding all of the Datnioides species and re-introducing them into the wild. I reckon that's worth a try so if this thread goes on for years and years then that's great.

So from the minefield, here's a couple of quick thoughts of my own for consideration - make of them what you will:

They're called Tigers by name for an obvious reason so lets have a look at their feline counterparts. The patterning on a Siberian Tiger is for camouflage, we know that and have seen it in action in many a wildlife program. Back to the fish and a very stable IT during dawn or dusk lighting in a heavily planted aquarium of Aponogeton and giant Vallis and you can not see it. Simple as that, perfect camouflage, natures way. An unstable one will also camouflage itself as others have stated, maybe in the corners out of the way but I have also found a couple of mine motionless near the surface of open-water, could that indicate waiting for a surface type source of food? No, I have no idea either but it does make you wonder if the instinct has been handed down over generations. Could the unstable ones possibly come from faster flowing, more turbulent waters? I don't know but maybe some more accurate catch-site data is called for like we do with the Channa species.

Now for the three bar Indo's. It appears to be a general concensus that these are more stable than their brethren, but why? I know the three I currently have are almost as stable as the ST's. I saw T1's aquarium at the weekend and nobody could ever find fault in any aspect of that but his three bar was so superior to his Indo you had to look really closely at it to know it was an Indo rather than an ST. In fact, of all three bars that I have seen, that one has got to be the very closest ever to an ST and if you ever let that one go, please remember me!!!

Which brings me to my thought that the three bar Indo's are a cross-breed ST with IT and that would also account for the many "oddball" markings which we are getting these days. Do any of you remember all these from, I don't know, lets say ten years ago? Could it be that there are still ST's out there in the wild but with their reduced numbers, maybe they have been forced to get it wherever they can?

Again, I don't know, these are just some of my thoughts.

 

[T1KARMANN]

Well I still think unstable means happy

I have had many indos I have brought from shops and they were black and unstable I have hooked them out they went stable in the net placed the fish in a plastic bag and it was super stable

I then got the fish home and it was super stable in my tank for 2-3 months then it settled in and was feeding great and happy but had turned unstable

A fish can't be happy to have been netted and put in a bag so surely it must have been unhappy yet stable

I have also had unstable tigers in my tank that I was thinking I will sell as it was unstable yet again the guy came to pick the fish up netted it and bang stable in the bag again which made me think dam I shouldn't of sold that

Again I ask the same ? If unstable means not happy then most of us tiger keepers on this forum are not taking care of them if we were then they would all be stable or our tigers are unstable meaning unstable means happy

You only need to look at the facts

 

[Miguel]

keep it up guys! What an interesting discussion!