Damn! 90G not enough room?? I was going to make them my main school in my 55G. You're talking me out of it now. :frown:
rummy-nose vampires
I have a 90g planted tank with 208W of T5 lighting that turns on from 1-2pm, then 5pm-midnight (I'm a night owl). I have 15 rummy-nose tetras which swim around all over the place when the lights are off (and the room is bright from daylight outside), but as soon as the tank lights come on, they dash off to their little coffins in the plants like aquatic vampires afraid of the dawn!
Normally, this is fine because I'm a plant nut, not a fish nut. However, visitors to my house normally see my tanks and first say, "Beautiful!" then, after a time, "Where are the fish?" It drives me crazy!
So I'm wondering: Do they rush off because there aren't enough fish in their shoal to make them feel secure once "daylight" comes? Should I get 15-20 more? Or maybe a another species like cardinals or neon would provide more of an "it's ok out here in the sunshine" feeling?
Curious,
Will
Normally, this is fine because I'm a plant nut, not a fish nut. However, visitors to my house normally see my tanks and first say, "Beautiful!" then, after a time, "Where are the fish?" It drives me crazy!
So I'm wondering: Do they rush off because there aren't enough fish in their shoal to make them feel secure once "daylight" comes? Should I get 15-20 more? Or maybe a another species like cardinals or neon would provide more of an "it's ok out here in the sunshine" feeling?
Curious,
Will
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
Thanks for that info!
I've had the rummies for about 6 months. Apart form some Ottos and Amano shrimp, they are the only fish in the tank (no predators). It's just so weird: They casually swim all over the tank when lights are out, but once those lights are on, they are G O N E (run away to the base of the plants). In fact I noticed that they will run deeper into the plants if you approach the tank when the lights are on (like they are scared of my approaceh), but when the lights are off, they don't care if you're standing inches from them. They also come up to feed only when the lights are off.
Bizarre.
This is what I'm hoping the issue is - that they just need some other fish out there to show them that "all is well in the daylight world."
I eventually want 5-6 discus (I've first been focusing on keeping a planted tank in shape at discus parameters). In the mean time, I'm thinking something smaller like a shoal of cardinals or neons. Or maybe some Galaxy Rasbora if I can find a captive bread source...Hmmm....
Will
Followup
I just wanted to follow up on this thread: I bought 18 cardinal tetras and 6 more rummy nose tetras and that has solved the problem! Now when the lights come on, all fish stay out of the plants and swim around doing their normal daily fish stuff.
My thought was to get a different species to create a more community tank feel (thus the cardinals), and then to get a few new rummies to break the "run for the hills" schooling behavior from within the pack. The strategy worked like a charm - even on the first day!
Very happy now.
Will
I just wanted to follow up on this thread: I bought 18 cardinal tetras and 6 more rummy nose tetras and that has solved the problem! Now when the lights come on, all fish stay out of the plants and swim around doing their normal daily fish stuff.
My thought was to get a different species to create a more community tank feel (thus the cardinals), and then to get a few new rummies to break the "run for the hills" schooling behavior from within the pack. The strategy worked like a charm - even on the first day!
Very happy now.
Will
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
