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Hey everyone.

The light in my fishtank is pretty bright, and i think it is why most of my fish hide all of the time (they are active when the light of off, but when i turn it on, they all hide).

I have 1 5500K eclipse bulb, and 1 18,000k atinic blue bulb.

Alot of my fish show pretty good colors (after i got the atinic bulb)

Also, i usually keep my tank at around 76 degrees. Is this too cold? (I want to turn my heater up to 78 degrees, but I never do) will this change anything if i change the temp?

I do have a background on the tank.

I am unable to check water quality, but my corys have bread 3 times now (im assuming most fish need good waterquality to breed) but i know for a fact that there is 0 ammonia, there may be nitrites, but probably not.

I saw in another similar thread that someone said to turn the "reflector" off, what does this mean?

Thanks, and I hope you can help me!

Oh yea, here is the stock:

3 cardnial tetras (the other ones died on me)
3 White clouds (2 of them just dissapeared)
2 peppered corys

I'm having similar problems as you are with my rummys, I have given them more places to hide, less light(diffused through a peice of paper), done extra water changes, and filled out the school(up to 10). So far none of this has worked and soon I'm going to give up on the tetras and get some fish that aren't sissys.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Thanks.

I was acually refering to your post in my thread.

I was thinking of using a piece of paper, but i have an eclipse hood, and it would look kinda dumb to have paper laying in the hood.

Floating plants have worked for me. I have a huge clump of java moss in my 20 gallon that lessens the amount of light coming into the rest of the tank.

I've seen duckweed have an even greater effect on a tank--barely looks like the lights are on.

Last edited by solublefish at 20-Oct-2004 18:45

Maby I can get like a tall plant that will cover the surface some?

I know in my other tank it is like that, and it seems to dull the light.

All of your fish are schoolers; their behavior may improve if you fill out the schools (picking two of the three species if needed). If the room at large is very dark when the light is on, then maybe they just don't like sudden exposure to bright lights. If the tank is in a well-trafficked area, then this may be reducing their sense of security even more.

Floating plants will diffuse the light. But your problem may be to do with numbers and a lack of proper schools may be the reason for them being timid.

Matty,
How long have you had the rummies ? You need to give them a bit more time then other fish. I've always had rummies, the most recent school started out very timid, never saw them, wasn't even sure if they were still alive at times. But then after about a month, and almost overnight, they became some of the bravest fish in the tank. Literally they suddenly went from hiding to eating out of my hand overnight. They are always out and schooling now. While this was the longest break in period I've experienced I've seen this trait with all the rummies I've had. They need a minimum of 2-3 weeks to settle in, but the sight of a tight school of rummies doing their thing is worth the wait ! So if they're still new give them a bit more time.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Bensaf,

The original 7 that I had have been in the tank for a few months and this is the thread that victimizati0n is referring to.

I have pictures of the stages my tank has gone through to try and accommodate their needs. You will never see a picture with a rummy in it(except for the one that I put my hand in the back of the tank so I could get a single picture of them). The original post is from sept. 30, and that was after at least 3 weeks of settle in time. I've been talking with Little Mousling about some Tang cichlids that might go in there and I've all but made up my mind to take the rummys and other inhabitants back to the lfs.

sorry to bum in on your thread victimizati0n.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

[font color="#BF791F"]I would say some tall plant like Vallisneria American would work, or Cabomba/Hornwort/Anachris/Limnophilia would all grow tall and help shade the tank a little. I know my white clouds like to stay in the shady areas. Increase their schools again and you will find they appear more.
[/font]


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Matty,

Seems like you've tried everything and you just have some pretty timid Rummies. You've certainly given them enough time. It's possible, I suppose, all the changes could have made made them even more timid.Who knows. At least you made every effort to accomadate them.

But I agree not much fun having fish if you never get to see them.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

May tank takes 2 tubes one is suppose to be for a day light bulb the other for aqua but I found even like that mine was to bright as well so I took the sun light one out and replaced it with an aqua so now I have to aqua's. All the fish are happy and their colours look wonderful. I have very little algae and what there is gets eaten by my 2 bristle noses, 4 clowns and 4 butterflies.

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

I have increased my schools 3 times, and every time they die on me, and i have the origional 3 left.

ALthough it may have to do with schools, it still doesnt explain why every time i turn on the aquarium light (the room lights dont bother them) they all dart and hide.

EDIT** If I put in another actinic bulb, wolnt it make the water too blue? Maby I can get a high K number bulb (maby in the 10,000's) and it will dull the light?

Last edited by victimizati0n at 21-Oct-2004 05:20

What about a white atinic bulb, or aqua sun?