Tank of Weenie Fish!

[Butch]

I have three tanks of fish. They sit side by side. All are painted
on bottom and all sides. One tank, the end on the right, the fish are
very skittish. The other two tanks, they go crazy when I come in the
room wanting food and are afraid of nothing. The right tank, they run behind the filter.
All tanks fed the same food, all receive 75% WC daily from the same aging barrels.
All receive the same light amount each day from the same bulbs.
All setups are identical except fish behavior.
I have 3 fish in the left tank, 4 in the middle and 3 in the right tank.
The tanks are 55 gallons each.
Any clues or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Butch :)

[DarkDiscus]

Hmm. Quite the mystery.

Stray voltage?

Heater malfunction?

Vibrations from some source - though that would probably affect all 3 tanks?

Shadows that fall on that tank only - maybe due to the placement of the bulb?

Maybe we will never know...

John

[Spices]

Hi Butch,

It's a psych-you-out game they play!! :D I know exactly just what you mean. I see a pattern. The bigger one calls the shots: "Hey, there's that
monster again!" Then everyone scats. Meanwhile, big fish goes searching
for them blackworms!!

I don't know for sure but you can try this. Here's what I've been doing and works for me for the time being:

Feed them only blackworms 3 times per day (yes that means
you'll have to cut those blackworms so the fryweenies may eat).
Do this for about a good week.
Start feeding them freeze-fried shrimps/krills. Dice them small and
presoak for about 2 minutes in their water and serve.

Skip water changes to every other day or two.
Let their immunity system grow and respond to water already
in tank for 48 hours. They need to acclimate to it.

This is what I'm currently doing to my tank, and have been now
for about three or four months. I see less skittish (hence, not completely gone, however). :D



Hope this helps. :)
Angie

[Carol_Roberts]

Swap the 3 skittish fish to the middle tank and the middle fish to the end tank. See if the skittish fish settle down. Then you can tell if it's the fish personalities or the tank.

[Spices]

Yeah, that's a good idea too, Carol.
I would try it but I'd need more tanks.

[Willie]

In my experience, making huge water changes always make discus less skittish. If it doesn't work, what would be the harm?

Willie :)

[aloha_discus]

What size are the discus? If they are to small say for example and from my experience around 2 to 2 1/2" they will become skittish. I do hope they settle down for you.

Again JMO, Ike

[Butch]

Thanks Everyone, I appreciate the ideas. I have had this group of
fish just a little over two months. The skittish fish are just over 3".
I have been so busy at the plant with all the hurricanes I have not
had time to do much with them. Their tank is on the end near the
only window in the room. I have a window AC unit but I did notice
that late in the evening the sun was coming through the edge of the
window and creating a shivering star type pattern on the bottom
of their tank. I placed a cover in the window to block the sun.
That was only a couple of days ago and I think that they might be
a littler better. Two of them stay in view now but under the AC300
prefilter, not behind the Hydro. I will give them a few more days and
see what happens.

Thanks
Butch :)

[RAWesolowski]

I find that the dominant fish in the tank sets the tone for "bold" or "skittish" in the tank. If the lead fish bolts, everyone will follow...

[AADiscus]

I would try schuffling them up. Mix all of them and give them a big water change in all the tanks. Sometimes the mix up will up.