[-={Nexus}=-]

so i just have one 3 inch RBP in my 29 gallon tank in my room. and he is still quite timid, he crunches down on anything I toss in there, but is very chilled out during the day. He is extrememyl active at night however.

So my idea is this:

would it be a bad idea to leave his aquarium light on all the time so he can adjust to it and then might become more active during the day? i would of course do it in stages, and gradually remove the tint ive got sitting under the light currently.

lemme know, cause i also heard that light cycling (i.e. day and night) is important for a fish.

thnx in advance

 

[SLANTED]

Not a good idea IMO for all the obvious reasons. This would probably end up making him more nervous and on edge.

I would try dimming your lights to help and add some tall plants to help dim the lights as well. But rbs normally do better in groups, so this also may be a factor.

 

[haitwun]

My piranha is more active at night too but it still isn't a good idea. Remember, piranhas don't have eyelids. They absorb any light that hits them. Can you imagine having a bright light kept on 24/7 shining into your eyes?

 

[nismo driver]

bad idea..

i would use a kind of dim light on a regular on off light period like 10 on 14 off, and remove most of the tank decoration and add a power head to try and get it moving around more...

it might not help but you can try...

i dont think anyone asked this but how long have you had the RB for, if you just got him then it could be any where from 2 weeks to 3 months before he starts to get used to his surroundings and be less timid / more active but there is no guarentee every fish is different..

 

[killerbee]

i would also reccomend to dim your lights. You can use elecrtical tape and "candycane" the lights themselves...thats what i did to my coralife 10K.

Seems to be working for me. As for the light scedule:
When i leave to work @ 7:00AM i open the blinds and turn off the lights, when i get home about 6:30-7:00PM i turn the lights on till morning and repeat.

 

[-={Nexus}=-]

yah i've had him for about 4 months now. i've got an aquaclear 402 powerhead with prefilter and an aquaclear 200 side mounted filter plus like two plastic plants so there's lots of room to swim. alright, i'll just leave him be and hopefully he'll warm up to me as he gets older.

thnx for the help doods

 

[Cobra]

I keep my lights on all night too in my P tank. Is that bad for piranhas? Dont they sleep at night like us? How do they feel sleeping with lights on all night? The reason I do this is caus I enjoy looking at my tank while I am going to bed.

 

[tweekie]

i got some blue christmas lights which i turn on at night, gives the tank a very slight moonlit effect, you can see the ps but i would guess by how more active they are that they feel more comfortable with this lighting.

 

[Atlanta Braves Baby!]

Quick question.... How would you fill if someone pinned your eyes open 24/7? This in effect is what you would be doing to your P. Ps just like other animals need time to rest.