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I just put an albino BN in my 26 gallon tank about 2 weeks ago. He's very shy. For the most part he stays on the side glass in the stream from an air stone or behind the tube from the filter. Once in a while he'll venture out. But he'll zip right back to his hiding place if I approach the tank. He does seem to come out when night comes but still not very active.

I put an algae wafer in the tank every night. Sometimes its gone. Other times it's not. My gourami seems to like the algae wafers. So I'm not really sure if the BN is eating it because I've never actually seen him do so.

There's no regular green algae in my tank. The tank is about 5 months old and there is brown algae which I'm trying to get rid of (that's why I got the BN). But he doesn't eat that at all.

He a good size and seems healthy. I bought him from a LFS that breeds them so I know no problems there. My water is good(0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, <10 nitrates, 78 degrees, neutral PH). The water has been a little cloudy. I assume that is a mini cycle from the addition of the BN. But I show no readings of ammonia.

I'm not complaining that he's inactive. I think it's still a cool fish. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something.

Let me know your thoughts.

That seems unusal to have a BN that shy. I do not know what is causing it but for food I have a suggestion. My BN's do not seem to eat the algea wafers that I put in. They seem to love Wardly Shrimp Pellets though. They will not touch the algea wafers like yours. Also try feeding a slice of some zucchini or cucumber.

I rarely ever see my BN - he's always hiding on his chunk of driftwood. And when I do see him he's washed out/stressed. He looks albino whenever I see him, but he's the 'normal' brown color - go figure. (He hates coming out when the lights are on, but he will when I throw in shrimp pellets or bottom feeder wafers, but not for algae wafers.)

HTH,
Allison

I have what I believe is a young male BN who is a lazy laid back guy. He is usually on the driftwood or in back of the heater. I also have what I believe is a female BN who is constantly cleaning everything else. She gracefully works up one side of a leaf and down the other. I think during the course of the day she hits on everything at least once. The male will pop himself off the wood to come over for a pea or such, but neither seems interested in wafers or shrimp pellets.

My BN will come out for shrimp pellets, moving my gang of cories off so he can get at it. He'll also come out every once in a while with the tank light on to do some front glass cleaning.

I've found BNs to be quite shy until they feel safe in their enviroment.
There are a few ways I can get my BNs to come out. Lightly boiled (just enough to soften it a little)zuchini or pumpkin and they are there in an instant
Or clean the glass of the tank, for whatever reason my BNs LOVE the clean glass

My BN is shy too---he doesnt eat the algae wafer right when I put it in, but its always gone in the morning. I've found one way to make them come out is to rearrange the tank with hope of them finding a new hiding place. G/L with yours, and try a lot of the bn foods ppl have been posting.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

I have a male albino BN who really will only come out at night, the female is not shy but my small 2" juvie is VERY shy, if you come up to the tank he darts off into his cave. I guess it just depends on your bn. I feed mine the shrimp pellets and algae waffers and they eat it all up. I feed my male bn right before the lights go off at night because he usually does not come out until then anyway.

I wouldn't worry about your bn unless he starts to look skinny or sickly. If he is up on the side of the glass you should be able to get a good look at it's belly and can tell if it's been eating.

BTW, do you have a chunk of driftwood in your tank? It is important for the bn's to have this to munch on, gives them fiber and helps aid in digestion.

Just a dumb question...Can you buy driftwood at the LFS. My tank is only 26 gallon so it can't be too big.

I know they don't have "real" driftwood at like PetSmart or PetCo. You may have to shop around. My lfs called petland has driftwood, they even have peices small enough to fit in my 10g. You may be able to find it on-line somewhere. No questions are stupid here...

My 2 BN arnt that shy, they dont swim away when I come to the tank. They love the cucumbers I give to them tied in a piece of rock. They especially like the middle seedy parts then they move to the outer areas. They love hanging out on the gravel as well as on the driftwoods.

I have 2 bristlenoses about 5" long (in different tanks) and they both pretty much hide all day - one in a piece of driftwood and the other in a terracotta car (even though it has driftwood too).

They will come out when I feed the other fish to scavenge whatever makes it to the bottom (and will chase the other fish away) but will then go straight back to their hiding places. Often I see the one who lives in the car lying on it's back inside the car (go figure??).

If I give them Zucchini during they day they will come out otherwise I drop in an algae wafer when I go to bed and it's gone by morning.

If I approach the tank if they are out and about during the day they will quickly go and hide!