[tinyteeth]

my spilo is in a 60 gallon planted tank, and he is pacing back and forth all day and night. this isnt normal behavior for him, whats up with him? hes eating his foods, but the pacing isworrying me. hes probally gonna get a bump on his chin from this.

 

[Caesar3283]

What do you mean by pacing.....swimming back and forth from one side of the tank to the other? Would you rather have him sit in one spot the whole day?

What does your spilo "normally" do? As long as he's eating and swimming around I don't see a problem. Or is he ramming himself into the glass constantly?

 

[tinyteeth]

he used to swim around in different locations, but not back and forth back and forth (left to right of tank)
he is bumping his chin along the walls of the tank. he doesnt look comfortable or something. he was never a spilo that sat around. always on the move, but now he sorta looks like he wants out.

 

[Judazzz]

My largest red did exactly the same when he was smaller (about 2,5-3") - he just kept swimming the same little round in front of the tank over and over again - got my head spinning...

I have no idea why he did that, but it stopped after a month or so.

btw: how long do you already have that fish? When mine did it, he was in his tank for about a month or a month and a half... Maybe it's some sort of exploring, piranha-style (just guessing here...)

 

[tinyteeth]

he is 4", i had him since he was a dime sized killer. id say a couple months, like 5 or 6. this started happening when i sold the spilo CF which was in the same tank

 

[Judazzz]

Well, my red did started to do this after he killed off most of his redbelly buddies, and still continued to do it after he finished off his last "friend", so maybe it indeed has something to do with it... I don't know for sure, though.

You might ask Frank (hastatus): maybe he knows the answer.

 

[Mr. Hannibal]

Normal behaviour in most Ps when getting a new tank and sometimes for life...don´t worry about his chin...it will heal when settle down...!

 

[tinyteeth]

im gonna add more spilos, hopefully today

 

[smb]

I could be wrong here, but I've had some of mine do that in the past. The thing was, only the dominate of the shoal did it, IME. It took me years to figure that out tho.

Maybe he's just "guarding his territory"?

I know it sounds weird, but to him, all he sees is fish come and go, he doesn't know where they come from or where they went.

Just a thought. Even if it does sound stupid. (even to me)

 

[tinyteeth]

gaurding the territory sounds feasible to me

sometimes when i stick my hand in there to re-arrange floating plants, he stares at my hand

 

[DiXoN]

it does sound territorial as it now has the full tank.
it may settle down just keep us posted
dixon

 

[mtx1]

my rbp did the same thing after he killed off all his buddies..killed 6 other ones off....now i threw a big ass jack dempsey in there and he is trying to f*ck him up LOL

 

[tinyteeth]

i just added 3 more spilos in there, for a total of 5 now.

hope i dont have to use my hospital tank

 

[tinyteeth]

today i added an Serrasalmus eigenmanni, i might sell it though. kinda too aggressive for my spilos

 

[radar22]

Hey tt I have been keeping P's for nearly thirty years, and to quote Forrest Gump " Piranha are like a box of chocolates , you never know what you're gonna get". PIRANHA ARE FUNNY THAT WAY, YA THEY ARE!! I have a S. medinai that tries to screw itself into the ceiling every time i walk in the room.If i was out of the room it would go back to his cave and chill. Had a S.rhombeus for ten years, spent more time on the carpet than his tank, nicknamed Hoover. He has since joined the great dust bunnies in the sky! And now resides in the living room on a shelf. Due to their occasional phsycotic nature, mother nature made them incredable healers. If it's envirement is fine,the rest of the problems are for the fish to figure out! Hey i luv my p's, but if one gets suicidel so be it,form a new bond with the next. Radar

 

[Judazzz]

Had a S.rhombeus for ten years, spent more time on the carpet than his tank, nicknamed Hoover.

Welcome aboard, Radar...